Speaker Applications Now Open for 2nd Annual JavaScript for WordPress Conference, July 11-13, 2019

Last year Zac Gordon organized a free virtual JavaScript for WordPress conference and the event drew 1,200 live attendees. With attendance numbers higher than most WordPress conferences and hundreds more views on the videos published afterwards, Gordon considered it a success and committed to organize another event this year.

The next edition is set for July 11-13, 2019, and has been expanded to feature three free days of talks, workshops, and contribution focused on JavaScript and WordPress. The goal for the event’s contributor day is to improve Gutenberg documentation. Applications for speakers and sponsors are now open and attendees can reserve their seats by signing up on the event’s website.

“The conference aims to cover intermediate and advanced topics (not so much beginner),” Gordon said. “Most of the talks are about latest trends of how JS and WP can be used together. Accessibility is really important, as is diversity in speakers. I’d love to have more folks share about cool things they do at work.” He said topics like headless WP, Gatsby, React, state management, Gutenberg, and blockchain are a few examples that seem to be popular in this space right now. Testing and internationalization are two topics that still need speakers.

Gordon teaches both beginner and more advanced courses on JavaScript and Gutenberg development, giving him a unique window into the landscape of JavaScript education. After Gutenberg made its way into core, Gordon said folks “finally have a tangible reason to learn JavaScript.”

“Also, I think folks are finding it easier than first thought,” he said. “A lot of folks have taken my Gutenberg Development Course with zero React or tooling experience and that served as a good introduction to it all.

“At first Matt said, ‘Learn JavaScript Deeply.’ But at the last WCUS he said, ‘Learn Blocks Deeply.’ Luckily, I think it is becoming easier to learn what we need to know with JS and React and tools to get by.”