WordCamp St. Louis was held this year again at Washington University on May 14–15, 2016, bringing together developers, designers, marketers, and WordPress enthusiasts from across the region. The two-day event was packed with insightful sessions, hands-on workshops, and plenty of opportunities to connect with others in the WordPress community.
From technical deep dives to practical tips for content strategy and site management, there was something valuable for everyone—whether you’re new to WordPress or have been building with it for years. In this post, I’ll share my key takeaways from the weekend, highlighting the ideas, tools, and conversations that stood out most to me.
My Key Takeaways from WordCamp St. Louis 2016
Overall, it was a great experience and reminded me why I always enjoy going to WordCamps. The energy of being surrounded by people who are passionate about WordPress is contagious, and I walked away feeling inspired and recharged.
Beyond the sessions themselves, I really appreciated the chance to connect with other professionals, swap stories about our projects, and learn how others are tackling similar challenges. Every time I attend, I come home with fresh ideas and a few new tools or strategies I can put into practice right away.
Here are my key takeaways from WordCamp St. Louis this year:
Best Practices for Code Review
One of the biggest lessons I took away was the importance of making pull requests (or a similar process) part of your development workflow. Code reviews shouldn’t be treated as optional; they should be a core part of your team’s workflow. The rule of thumb is simple: no one should ever merge their own code without it first being reviewed by another developer. Having a second set of eyes helps catch potential issues, ensures consistency in coding standards, and promotes shared knowledge across the team.
Even if you’re facing a bug or a time-sensitive issue, resist the urge to skip the review process. A rushed, unchecked fix can easily create bigger problems down the road. By committing to code reviews in all situations, you’re not only protecting the quality of your project, but you’re also building a habit of collaboration and accountability within your team.
Why WordPress Works The Way it Does
I’ve known the WordPress catchphrase “Democratize Publishing” for a while, but WordCamp gave me a deeper appreciation for what that really means in practice. At its core, WordPress is built around a set of guiding philosophies that influence every decision about the platform. A few of the most important ones are that WordPress should work out of the box, follow “decisions not options,” and be designed for the majority of users. These principles may sound simple, but they provide a strong foundation for a project that serves millions of people worldwide.
What really stood out to me is how these philosophies are used as a compass when proposing or debating changes to WordPress core. With so many contributors around the globe, it would be easy for the project to drift in a hundred different directions. Instead, these shared values keep things consistent and user-focused. They remind contributors that WordPress isn’t about adding every possible feature or customizing for every edge case—it’s about creating a tool that empowers the greatest number of people to share their ideas online. That sense of alignment is a big part of what has allowed WordPress to grow while still staying true to its mission.
WordCamp St. Louis 2016, as Told By Tweets
The majority of WordCamp sessions are geared toward developers, but our digital strategist also attended to check out some of the other sessions. Here are her thoughts, as told by her tweets.
Final Thoughts from WordCamp St. Louis
If you’ve ever attended a WordCamp—whether in St. Louis or another city—you know just how much knowledge and inspiration you can take away. Events like these highlight the strength of the WordPress community and the endless possibilities the platform offers.
At Matchbox, we’ve been building WordPress websites for more than 16 years, and it’s still our go-to platform for creating sites that are flexible, easy to manage, and built with SEO in mind. Our goal is always to hand clients a site they can confidently update on their own while knowing it’s backed by expert strategy and solid development. If you’re ready to create or improve your own WordPress site, we’d love to help—reach out today to book a free 30 minute strategy session with our team.
