Meetup Organizer Newsletter: December 2021

Hi folks! 👋

Welcome to the December 2021 edition of the monthly MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. Organizer newsletter.

It’s hard to believe that we have already reached the end of the year. This edition is our last newsletter for the year, but December is still one of our busiest months. Keep reading to learn about the latest news and resources from the WordPress community for your local meetup groups!

Here’s what’s inside this issue:

  • State of the WordState of the Word This is the annual report given by Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress at WordCamp US. It looks at what we’ve done, what we’re doing, and the future of WordPress. https://wordpress.tv/tag/state-of-the-word/. 2021
  • Resources on WordPress 5.9
  • WordPress events
  • News from the WordPress community

📣 Join us today for State of the Word 2021

The stage is almost ready!

State of the Word 2021 will be livestreamed today (December 14), between 5 and 7 pm ET / 10 pm – 12 am (December 15) UTC, from New York City.

The keynote will be followed by a live Question and Answer session with Matt. If you did not have a chance to submit a question, you can always ask during the event via the YouTube chat. You are also encouraged to join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #StateOfTheWord.

Join the fun of a Watch Party to watch State of the Word, or visit wordpress.org/news, where the livestream will be embedded.


❤️ Help spread the word about WordPress 5.9

Expected to be released on January 25th, WordPress 5.9 is a major releaseMajor Release A set of releases or versions having the same major version number may be collectively referred to as “X.Y” -- for example version 5.2.x to refer to versions 5.2, 5.2.1, and all other versions in the 5.2. (five dot two dot) branch of that software. Major Releases often are the introduction of new major features and functionality. that marks the first version of Full Site Editing features, as well as the introduction of blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. themes. But that’s not all, there are also many other improvements in the form of design tools, patterns, user experience, performance, and more.

WordPress 5.9 Beta 2 is already available for testing. Your feedback on this and the upcoming BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 3 is always appreciated.

While awaiting the final release, we would also love your support to spread the word about WordPress 5.9 among your meetup groups. There are many different ways for you to get involved: from planning a release-focused meetup to helping organize 5.9 testing sprints.

Looking for some resources on WordPress 5.9? Check out this blog post on talking points for WordPress 5.9 and share it with your community!


🌍🎪 What’s happening with WordPress events?

With more in-person WordCamps now scheduled for 2022, please remember to keep practicing caution and following these safety guidelines as you plan and attend a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. or meetup. If you are an organizer, make sure to learn about the legal protections that are available for in-person events.

WordCamps on the horizon

Past WordCamps

  • 🇪🇸 WordCamp Sevilla, the first in-person WordCamp after 21 months, took place last weekend (December 11-12). This was a fantastic opportunity for the Spanish WordPress community to meet again and enjoy different networking activities outdoors.
  • 🇹🇼 WordCamp Taiwan and 🇧🇷 WordCamp São Paulo were also held online recently.

📚 Join the Learn WordPress initiative

Did you know you can use the Learn WordPress content for your meetup events? Organizing a social learning space based on any of the Learn WordPress workshops can be a fun way to share knowledge and learn more about different WordPress topics with others.

These are the upcoming WordPress Social Learning MeetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook.:

New workshops, lesson plans, and courses are added to Learn WordPress frequently, so keep an eye out on the platform to stay updated on the latest content.


🗞 News from the WordPress Community

Check out the latest episode of the WP Briefing podcast with Executive Director Josepha Haden on “All Things Block Themes!”.

And that’s a wrap!

If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesDeputy Community Deputies are a team of people all over the world who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and generally keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about deputies in our Community Deputy Handbook. are here to help. Please email us at [email protected] or join the #community-events SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel. Thanks for everything you do to grow and support the WordPress community—let’s keep sharing knowledge and inspiring each other with our contributions!

See you online soon!


The following people contributed to this edition of the Meetup newsletter: @anjanavasan, @dansoschin, @eidolonnight, @harishanker, and @rmartinezduque.

#meetup-organizer-newsletter, #newsletter

Organize a State of the Word Watch Party for your WordPress Meetup

State of the Word 2021 is just around the corner! This year, WordPress’ annual keynote address delivered by the project co-founder, Matt Mullenweg, will be live streamed from New York City on December 14, 2021, between 5 pm and 7 pm ET (10 pm and 12 am UTC)

State of the WordState of the Word This is the annual report given by Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress at WordCamp US. It looks at what we’ve done, what we’re doing, and the future of WordPress. https://wordpress.tv/tag/state-of-the-word/. used to be an in person event at WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. US and was limited to attendees at the camp. But due to the pandemic, the event will be streamed online this year. As a result, millions of WordPress fans worldwide have the opportunity to join the event live, interact with each other, and even ask Matt questions directly. 

An online State of the Word also offers an excellent opportunity for MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. organizers to revitalize their meetup groups and spread the buzz by bringing people together for State of the Word.

We encourage Meetup organizers worldwide to (safely) host a State of the Word 2021 watch party for your meetup groups—read this handbook to learn more.

Why should you host a watch party?

Organizing a watch party will be a perfect way to bring your group members together and to build excitement after two difficult pandemic years, especially if your group has not had a chance to meet in a while. In addition, it will be an excellent opportunity to build engagement amongst your community members after a complex year. 

By broadcasting it to your group members, you are encouraging them to stay updated on the latest happenings in the WordPress world. What’s more, your community members also get a chance to interact with WordPress lovers worldwide and ask their questions directly to Matt Mullenweg! 

How can you organize a State of the Word watch party for your meetup group? 

You can choose to host the watch party online or in person (if your region allows in person events and meets the WordPress Community safety guidelines). We have created event templates in Meetup.com that will help you in easily creating a State of the Word watch party event for your group.

If State of the Word is happening at an odd hour in your timezone, you can still organize a watch party by organizing a replay of live stream at a date/time that is convenient for your group.

Online State of the Word Watch Party

The simplest way to organize an online watch party is to schedule an online event for your WordPress Meetup group following these instructions and add the State of the Word YouTube streaming link (available shortly on wordpress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/) directly on your Meetup.com page. For a more interactive event, you can schedule an online event meeting using tools like Zoom and use it to broadcast the State of the Word stream, with the help of screen sharing. Doing so will allow your meetup attendees to interact with each other over video, audio, and chat as they listen to State of the Word. Learn more about how to organize an online State of the Word watch party.

Looking for a Zoom Pro account to host your online watch party? Request a community zoom pro account for your event right away!

In Person State of the Word Watch Party

If your region allows in person events and meets the guidelines for in person WordPress events (if vaccines/testing are freely available), you can organize an in person watch party (for fully vaccinated; recently tested; or recently recovered folks) as well! All you need is a venue that has a large TV screen (that can stream YouTube) or a projector with a decent audio system. 

Group members can hang out together (following local safety guidelines of course) and watch State of the Word live. Learn more about how to organize an in person State of the Word watch party.

If you are organizing an in person watch party, fill out this form so that we can ship you some swag for your meetup group to celebrate!
Deadline: November 30, 2021

Help us promote State of the Word!

Even if you are unable to organize a watch party for State of the Word, help us promote State of the Word by emailing your attendees about the event (if you are a Meetup organizer). Here are some email templates that could be useful!

Join a State of the Word Watch Party near you!

We have compiled a list of State of the Word Watch Parties around the world. If you don’t see a watch party in your region listed here, check this page on Meetup.com to see if your local WordPress group is organizing one. If not, why don’t you consider organizing a watch party on your own? 🙂

What else do you need to know?

We’ve put together a few resources to help you schedule your watch party:

  • Here’s a nifty handbook to help you schedule your online or in person meetup. 
  • Have questions for Matt? Email them to us at: [email protected] OR simply ask your question in the livechat during the live stream.

Finally, don’t forget to share on social media about your watch party events using the hashtag #StateOfTheWord

Is your group planning a State of the Word watch party?
Let us know in the comments or simply drop an email to [email protected] to let us know. We are happy to help you in any way we can, and we cannot wait to see what you come up with on December 14!

The following folks contributed to this post: @anjanavasan @harishanker @eidolonnight and @rmartinezduque

#meetups, #in-person-meetup, #online-meetup, #state-of-the-word, #state-of-the-word-2021