WordCamps run entirely on volunteer power. Toine Rademacher went from curious attendee to badge-wearing crew member at WordCamp Netherlands 2025. Here’s what those three days actually looked like, and why you might want to sign up next.

Volunteering at a WordCamp gives you front-row access to talks, direct connections with speakers and organizers, and the kind of community experience you simply can’t get from a regular ticket. It costs you a few days. It gives you back a network, new skills, and friends who’ll recognize you at every WordPress event after.

Toine Rademacher, a 27-year-old web designer and active Elementor community member, volunteered as a mic runner and doorkeeper at WordCamp Netherlands 2025 in Madurodam, The Hague. This is his story, structured around the three days that changed how he sees the WordPress community.

Who Is Toine?

Toine wears several hats in the WordPress ecosystem. He’s a web designer by trade, helps elderly people with digital skills in his day job, and contributes as a Polyglot (translator) to the Dutch translations of both WordPress and Elementor. He attended his first NL WordCamp in 2024, followed it up with WordCamp Europe in Basel, and decided that in 2025, he didn’t just want to attend. He wanted to contribute.

Day 0: Arrival and the Volunteer Dinner

Toine arrived at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in The Hague around 13:00, sharing a room with fellow volunteer Charlotte Bax to split costs. Before the official kickoff, he did what any self-respecting Dutchman would do: cycled to Scheveningen for a beach walk and a broodje haring. You’re not truly Dutch if you skip the bike.

By 18:30, the volunteer meet-and-greet was underway. Richard and Daniel had already sorted hundreds of badges, ready for distribution. Lead coordinator Richard walked the team through the building, explained roles, and ran through the logistics. At 19:00, the full group dinner at Madurodam brought together organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and speakers, giving everyone a chance to meet the crew you’d be working alongside for the next two days.

Toine wound down the evening in the hotel sauna, recharging before the real work began.

The key takeaway from Day 0? The volunteer experience starts before the conference does. By the time doors open, you already know the team, the venue, and your role. You’re not a stranger helping out. You’re part of the crew.

Day 1: Soaking It All In

Toine’s volunteer shift didn’t start until Day 2, so Day 1 was about experiencing WordCamp as a well-connected insider.

He arrived at 08:00 to lend his camera to one of the event photographers. Doors opened at 09:00, and the day kicked off with Wendy’s opening remarks and a talk on client retention.

From there, the day unfolded on the conference floor. Atanas, a speaker Toine had met the year before in a shared hostel room, was now commanding the main stage with a talk on AI-era WordPress development. In the sponsor area, conversations went well beyond products, covering everything from SEO plugin debates to life outside WordPress. Cheryl delivered a session on design thinking that shifted the conversation from “making things pretty” to actively co-thinking with clients.

When the official program wrapped, the real networking kicked in. After-hours drinks led to deals, collaborations, and (naturally) spirited debates about the best page builder.

That evening, Toine joined a dinner with the organizing committee, having expressed his interest in stepping up to an organizer role for 2026, the layer above volunteering that handles programming, sponsorship, and event logistics.

Day 2: The Volunteer Shift

The alarm went off at 07:00. Toine cycled through the morning dew to Madurodam, arriving at 08:00 for his briefing. His role for the day: mic runner and doorkeeper for Track 1, from 09:00 to 17:00.

The job is more physical than you’d expect. Mic running means sprinting through the audience to hand the microphone to attendees with questions. Doorkeeping means making sure sessions start on time by managing entry and closing doors once talks begin. And then there’s the improvised troubleshooting, jumping in when laptops won’t connect or audio cuts out. Wearing the recognizable “localhost” volunteer shirt, Toine was easy to spot and constantly in motion.

The sessions he supported were varied. Joost de Valk and Karim presented FAIR, a decentralized WordPress plugin repository first announced at WCEU Basel. Acato and Yard, two competing Utrecht agencies, took the stage together to present Open Webconcept, a moment that carried extra weight for Toine, who had studied at one and applied for an internship at the other. Maaike van Gerven explored behavioral UX and why responding to behavior matters more than pure design. Mark’s talk on AI MCP in WordPress 6.9 generated so many audience questions that Toine was running non-stop with the mic. The day closed with lightning talks, including Taco’s session on getting your site into the spotlight through the Site Spotlight series.

For the closing remarks, the organizing team thanked volunteers, sponsors (including Elementor), and everyone who made the event happen. Then came the group photo, the whole crowd captured in front of Madurodam’s miniature Netherlands.

Why Volunteering Is Worth Your Time

Toine sums it up simply: it was one of the best decisions he’s made in the community.

You’re literally sitting in prime position during every talk in your track. Handing someone a mic turns out to be a surprisingly effective icebreaker with speakers. You meet organizers, sponsors, other volunteers, and speakers in contexts that regular attendees never get access to. And on a practical level, volunteer experience at an international community event like WordPress stands out on any CV or portfolio.

Most of all, it’s genuinely fun. After-parties, inside jokes, spontaneous conversations. It feels more like a friend group than work.

We Love WordCamps!

Elementor is deeply embedded in the WordCamp ecosystem. As a Super Admin Sponsor of WordCamp Asia 2026 (Mumbai, April 2026) and a consistent presence at WordCamp Europe and WordCamp US, Elementor maintains booths at major WordCamps across the globe, as well as many local events.

For Elementor community members, volunteering at a WordCamp is one of the most direct ways to represent the community and show what the Elementor ecosystem is made of. The Elementor team is often present at the booth, at after-parties, and at side events, so it’s a natural way to connect face to face. You can combine volunteering with Polyglot contributions for WordPress and Elementor, just like Toine does. And you can share your story: Toine reported on WordCamp Netherlands on behalf of Elementor, entirely as a volunteer.

How to Volunteer at a WordCamp

Ready to sign up? Here’s how it works.

Find a WordCamp Near You

Browse upcoming events at events.wordpress.org or the WordCamp schedule for a full list of WordCamps worldwide. Major events on the horizon include WordCamp Asia 2026 in Mumbai, India (April 2026), WordCamp Europe 2026 (date and location TBA), WordCamp US 2026 in Phoenix, AZ (currently in planning), and WordCamp Netherlands 2026 (expected Q4 2026).

Requirements

The bar is refreshingly low. According to WordCamp Europe and WordCamp US, you need a willingness to help (no special qualifications required), conversational English (though local events may use the local language), a WordPress.org account for your free volunteer ticket and communication with the organizing team, and enough time to commit at least two half-days or one full day during the event, depending on the tasks you take on.

Apply

Each WordCamp publishes a “Call for Volunteers” page with an application form on its website. Reach out early, because volunteer spots fill up, especially at flagship events like WCEU and WCUS. You can indicate which roles interest you, whether that’s registration, mic running, photography, tech support, or something else entirely.

What You Get

Every volunteer receives a free ticket to the WordCamp, volunteer swag (usually a special t-shirt), meals and drinks during the event, and access to volunteer-only events like the pre-conference dinner and after-parties. But the real perk is the network, one that carries over to every future WordPress event you attend.

Available Volunteer Roles

WordCamps offer a wide range of roles to match different skills and comfort levels. You might find yourself at the registration and welcome desk, greeting attendees and handing out badges. Or running a mic through the audience during Q&A sessions. Doorkeepers manage session room entry and keep talks on schedule, while room managers and MCs introduce speakers and keep the program flowing. Other roles include photography, tech support for audio and video equipment, sponsor support for booth setup and logistics, roving support for general troubleshooting, and speaker assistance to help presenters prepare and get set up.

What Toine Would Tell You

“If you’re doubting whether volunteering at a WordCamp is for you, I can only say one thing: do it. You’ll get energy, experience, new friends, and unforgettable memories in return.”

Toine is already planning his return for WordCamp Netherlands 2026, possibly as an organizer this time. His trajectory, from first-time attendee in 2024 to volunteer in 2025 to potential organizer in 2026, is exactly the kind of growth path the WordPress community is designed to support.

Your WordCamp journey starts with one step. Make it a volunteer badge.

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