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Sending love to WordCamp Asia

Posted on by WordCamp Europe

An Open Letter from past and present WordCamp organisers

We woke up this morning to the sad news that WordCamp Asia has been canceled. We can only imagine what a heart-wrenching and difficult decision this must have been, and how much pain it must be causing you to see something you have poured your hearts and souls into just disappear into thin air.

We want to express to you our solidarity so that you know that in your disappointment we see you and we know what this means. We know how difficult it is to get a huge regional WordCamp off the ground. We know all of the care that you put into selecting speakers, into making sure that you had a diverse and engaging schedule and that you came in for criticism for your choices (because we always do). We know about all of the hours that you put into sponsor negotiations, trying to sell all of those slots and trying to deal with complex requests. We know that you thought deeply about your designs and that you created a logo and brand that represented you. We know how hard it is to secure a venue and to work with that venue, and all of the seemingly small decisions that you have to make about what to serve for lunch and when to have coffee breaks and whether to have bottled water or dispensers and how many drinks to serve at the after-party and should you serve drinks at all and do you need tokens, and on and on: all of those hundreds of decisions together over the past 12 months.

We know how hard it can be to come together across cultures and countries, but that in the end it is worth it because you are one team working together. You are creating a flagship event and you know that it will bring joy to so many people and that every one of you has been waiting for the day of the event, and for that not to happen despite all of that work and care must be devastating.

We see you and all of the work you have put in. Each of us feels a small part of the sadness that you must feel because we can imagine what it feels to lose all of that. We stand with you and express our deepest feelings of care and solidarity. And when your event does happen, next year, we will know that you have fought twice as hard as the rest of us and we will see that too. Thank you and congratulations for your efforts to make the first WordCamp Asia happen.

The organisers of WordCamp Europe past and present,

Siobhan McKeown 2013, 2015, 2017
Jenny Beaumont 2016 – 2018
Petya Raykovska 2014 – 2016
Ivelina Dimova 2018, 2020
Milan Ivanovic 2014 – 2020
Remkus de Vries 2013 – 2020
Noel Tock 2013 – 2017
Emanuel Blagonic 2016 – 2018
Lucijan Blagonic 2017 – 2018
Pascal Casier 2018 – 2020
Marcel Bootsman 2013 – 2015
Milan Djordjevic 2017 – 2019
Tammie Lister 2013, 2014, 2020
Nemanja Cimbaljevic 2018 – 2020
Timi Wahalahti 2020
Carola Speri 2020
Sjoerd Blom 2019 – 2020
Veselin Nikolov 2014 – 2018
Takis Bouyouris 2018 – 2020
Bernhard Kau 2017 – 2020
Evangelia Pappa 2019 – 2020
Jack Lenox 2020
Val Vesa 2016 – 2020
Taeke Reijenga 2019 – 2020
Valerio Vaz 2020
Estela Rueda 2020
Milos Mihaljevic 2016 – 2020
Jose Freitas 2019 – 2020
Milana Cap 2018 – 2020
Felipe Santos 2020
Maciej Pilarski 2014, 2020
Kostas Fryganiotis 2020
Magdalena Paciorek 2019 – 2020
Lesley Molecke 2019 – 2020
Laura Sacco 2019 – 2020
David Aguilera 2019 – 2020
Antonio Villegas 2019
Marco Almeida 2020
Tess Coughlan-Allen 2018 – 2020
Fotis Routsis 2019 – 2020
Iakovos Frountas 2019
Rafa Poveda 2015
Fernando Tellado 2020
José Ramón Padrón 2018 – 2020
Francesco Di Candia 2017 – 2018, 2020
Luca Sartoni 2013 – 2018
Juan Hernando 2020
Bas Brader 2019 – 2020
Aleksandar Savkovic 2016-2019
Damir Bodor 2017-2018
Olga Kuvshinova 2020
Francesca Marano 2017, 2020
Tina Kesova 2014-2016
Florian Ziegler 2017 – 2018
Jonas Andrijauskas 2017 – 2020
John Blackbourn 2020
Mathieu Viet 2017
Ana Silva – 2017
Linda Ragaine 2020
Birgit Olzem 2018 – 2019
Taco Verdonschot 2017 – 2018
Roberto Tuñón 2020
Carlos Moreira 2020
Carole Olinger 2018
Marcel Schmitz 2020
Nevena Tomovic 2017-2018
Michael Burridge 2018-2020
Justina Baskyte 2020
Mathieu Sarrasin 2019
Mauricio Gelves 2015 – 2020
Anastasios Manoloudis 2014-2019
Matt Ross 2020

Please show your support by adding your name as a comment below.

 

64 Replies to “Sending love to WordCamp Asia”

  5. From a simple meetups organizer and WordCamps volunteer, all the support and encouragements you deserve. Thanks for those outstanding and inspiring efforts.
    All the best from France.

  6. I was really looking forward to seeing everyone and we also had a company retreat designed around the event, so I’m sad to hear the news, but I totally understand the decision ❤️

  8. Thank you for the immense effort put by organizing and volunteer teams WCAsia. This will sure will not go to waste and only result in a greater WordCamp Asia next year 🙏

  13. Rosanne van Staalduinen, WordCamp Europe 2018 – 2019, WordCamp Rotterdam 2018 – 2019, WordCamp Nederland 2020 ❤️

  14. Very nicely put, and a good reminder of what makes us a community: passion and numerous small actions to build something greater than the sum of its parts. Thank you for writing this.

    Xavier Borderie, WordCamp Paris 2011->2015, WordCamp Europe 2013 & 2014.

  17. I was saddened to read that WordCamp Asia was cancelled and wish the best to the organizers! Your hard-work is appreciated. Peace and love!

  19. A very hard decision. I think it was the best one. Health (and family) should always top prio. I am reading that some attendees are present and that they might set up some local meetups. It would be the first WC Asia, and has taken much time and effort from volunteers ..

  20. Our solidarity, support, love and hope from Brazil towards all to Asia. May the hope be in the hearts of everyone!!! Count on us!

  21. The moment I woke up the morning my wife said “WordCamp Asia has been cancelled” and it felt like a punch in the gut. I didn’t help plan, I wasn’t even planning on going (not for lack of wanting!), but deep in my heart I know about the YEARS of work leading up to this event, and the deep deep wrench it must have been to cancel it.

    My heart goes out to all of you. You are my heroes.

  27. I would like to thank the members of the WordCamp Asia 2020 committee.

    And I hope to support the next WordCamp Asia.

    Let’s make wonderful cooperation.

  31. I hope that everyone is safe for WC Asia 2021.
    A big hug to my friends that are part of the organization Shakir, Ivan and Dreb.

    Marco,
    WCEU 2019, 2020
    WC Porto, 2013, 2016, 2018

  33. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns – WordPress Tavern
  34. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns - TechNonStop

  35. That was heart breaking news for me and my buddies as we had all our preparation done as attendees. Nevertheless, a good decision was taken. Looking forward to WCEU in 2020 and then Asia next year.

  36. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns - WP Epitome

  38. It’s really a tough decision taken by the organizer team.
    This is a mixed feeling. Feeling sad for not happening this grand event.
    But we are an optimist. This year we are defeated by Corona Virus. But next year we will be more conscious of every single piece of things and will win every situation and make a successful one. 😍 You can find us all the time whenever you need😍

    love from a Local meetup organizer of WordCamp Dhaka, Volunteer of WordCamp Dhaka.

  39. So sad about the cancellation. Considering that next year I might be living in Asia, I hope it’s gonna be the year that it will become a reality!

    – WordCamp Europe 2020

  41. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns – WordPress | WooCommerce | Web Site | fabbrica42

  43. See you in WC Asia 2021.
    A big hug from Porto, Portugal.

    Pedro Fonseca,
    WCEU 2019, 2020

  44. We know how much energy is put in by volunteers and companies to make any WordCamp a success… no doubt Asia would have been amazing… Let’s say till soon! Best wishes – Ronald and everyone from YITH

  46. It’s so hard decision. We hope to see you in next WC Asia.

    Ippei Sumida, WC Osaka 2019

  48. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns

  50. Hello my friends, sad times right now… but good times always with the WordPress Community so involved.

    If you think I can help in someway, just ping me 🙂

    See you soon!

  51. Pingback: WPTavern: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns - RSSFeedsCloud

  52. “You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” source No Country for old men. Cormac McCarthy.
    I send you all my best wishes for the next WordCamp Asia, because I am sure there will be one someday. Don’t be too sad for this one, you have learned many things that will serve you later.

  55. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Considerations – WordPress Tavern – Corner Wire

  56. Since I am already a week in Thailand and already met 10+ WordPress’ers on Koh Pha Ngang we’d eventually set up an unofficial WordCamp Retreat here at the beach in Sri Thani 🙂

    Who’s joining?

  61. Pingback: WordCamp Asia 2020 Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns - DevTeamAlpha

  62. So sorry to hear this after all the hard work that went into it. Bigger and better next year x

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