從本地總召到主舞台：WordCamp Asia 2024 的幕後故事 / From Local Lead to Main Stage: Behind the Scenes at WordCamp Asia 2024

This article has both a Traditional Chinese and English version.

用愛發電

「媽咪，妳活動辦完了，那今天晚上還要開會嗎？可以陪我們睡覺嗎？」WordCamp Asia 2024 結束後，女兒問了我這個問題，我只覺得心疼。

過去幾年因為辦 WordCamp Asia 跟 WordCamp Taiwan，我每天晚上都在開會跟籌備活動，兩小孩都是自己入睡或是我陪著他們在黑暗中敲鍵盤。

我們召集人 (Organizer) 是無償志工，作為本地總召，我一週大約花 15 小時以上籌備活動，那是超過 500 小時的工作量。可想而知當我們費心籌備活動，但卻被視作理所當然或是沒有被尊重的時候，會有多失望。但其實大家的心態都很好，真正願意付出的人，並不會要求要得到回報。通常期望能得到回報而做這件事情的人會慢慢的淡出。但是現在召集人們面臨最大的問題就是金錢及時間是否許可，我也在財務困境中掙扎，我也沒有答案。

「今年辦完 WordCamp，我真的要休息一下。」我已經說這句話不只一次了，為什麼我還是留下來了？

因為我願意把時間留給我重視的人事物上，認識其他志同道合的召集人，這是一段可貴的體驗。從這群人那裡得到的支持與鼓勵，讓整個旅程變得格外有意義。可惜現實總是殘酷的，2025 年會是我籌備 WordCamp 的最後一年，我需要休息一段時間。

好啦，回歸正題，所以洲際級 WordCamp 的籌備今年有什麼變化呢？

籌備 WordCamp Asia：一場跨文化的協作

團隊理念

在籌備 WordCamp Asia 2024 期間，我有機會參與到 WordCamp US 2023 和 Community Summit，觀摩美國社群已經舉辦多年的洲際級 WordCamp。最深刻的體會是，亞洲跟美洲因為人文社會上的差異，參與者對 WordCamp 的期望值有所不同，不過全球的 WordPress 社群初衷都是一樣的：多元 (Diverse)、包容 (Inclusive)、開放 (Welcoming)。

這次在集結組長前，國際與本地總召在 Harmony Romo 的協助下，我們設定了團隊理念 (Team Values)：

• Communication: Clear and open communication that respects each organizer, that enables us to address questions and challenges together. We welcome over-communications.
• Impact: By fostering the long-term impact of WordPress in the APAC region that transcends boundaries, we aim to create a positive impact on individuals and communities.
• Trust: Trusting each other’s expertise, believing in each other’s integrity, and earning trust by honoring commitments.
• Kindness: Act with kindness – apply that throughout your thought process, planning, and communications.
• Accountability: Taking personal ownership and driving impactful outcomes through proactive communication and self-motivated action.

團隊結構

根據第一屆的 WordCamp Asia 經驗，我們在團隊組織上做了些調整如下：

這次國際總召 (Global Lead) 由 Jon Ang 和 Andy Saw 擔任，在本地總召 (Local Lead) 則是由 Huanyi Chuang (Eric) 與 Yuli Yang (我！) 共同負責。在籌備期間，我們的團隊不斷調整結構，以適應各種需求。我們共有 46 名召集人，來自 17 個國家，其中包括 14 位來自台灣的本地召集人。

憑藉在過去兩年 WordCamp Asia 的寶貴經驗，我相信到了 2025 年，我們的團隊組成會更為成熟，各組之間的合作也會更加協調。雖然進行問卷調查、參考回顧分享和傾聽他人經歷分享都很重要，但建立並傳承文件的重要性更為關鍵。各小組的團隊籌備文件以及聯絡對象的手冊的完善，將會讓溝通更加方便與順暢。文件紀錄是我們下屆 WordCamp Asia 計畫由營運組協助改進的一部分。

團隊籌備文件

這份文件包含該組成員籌備活動需要了解的基本事項。例如，說明該團隊應做的事情、團隊目標和理念、活動規劃時程表、參考文件、協作工具清單，以及一些額外的文件，如網站頁面及文章內容、信件範本和協作工具教學。

聯絡對象的手冊

這份文件是各組寫給聯絡對象的手冊。議程組的聯絡對象包括講者和主持人，講者手冊會詳述講者簡報、預演、演講場地、現場設備等等之注意事項。志工組的聯絡對象則是志工，手冊中會說明志工在活動前的注意事項和活動期間的工作內容等等。

本地團隊

為了簡化資訊交流並增進溝通流暢性，我們本地團隊 (Local Team) 嘗試至少派遣一位本地召集人 (Local Organizer) 到其他召集團隊 (Organizing Team)，擔任協調溝通者 (Coordinator)。我們把本地團隊還分成了三小組：Venue (場地)、Vendor (廠商)、Vision (願景)。Eric 主要管理 Venue 及 Vendor 小組，我則是管理 Vision 小組。作為本地總召，最大的挑戰是要確保本地團隊的氣氛和效率，而且需留意其他召集團隊可能會需要的支援，主動提出本地可以協助的部份。同時因為本地團隊成員的語言隔閡還有對洲際等級 WordCamp 的不熟悉，我跟 Eric 還需要帶領本地團隊與國際召集人協作與開會。

Vision 小組做了一些新的嘗試，這裡列舉成功的幾項：

1. 參加其他研討會宣傳 WordCamp Asia 的行程，以吸引更多本地的參與者。
2. 與本地同業公會合作，開啟更多接觸台灣科技公司的機會。
3. 向本地政府單位申請國際會議補助，協助與會者申請彈性入境簽證，簡化了繁雜的申請流程。

參與其他研討會並宣傳

本地團隊在過去幾個月積極參與其他研討會，並在社群活動中設立攤位，宣傳 WordPress 開源專案以及 WordCamp Asia 活動。

相關科技類型研討會及聚會例如：

• COSCUP
• Meet Taipei 創新創業嘉年華
• Digital Nomads 數位遊牧
• Taipei Blockchain Week
• Google DevFest Taipei 2023
• Taipei Game Show 2024

與本地同業公會合作

我們與台北電腦同業公會 (Taipei Computer Association) 合作，他們不僅贊助了 WordCamp Asia，還通過會員電子報進行宣傳。此外，在其他研討會及展覽中推廣我們的活動，這不僅增加了活動在本地的能見度，也擴大了我們的與會者群體。他們也同時協助國外與會者申請台灣的就業金卡機會。

國際會議補捐助及簽證協助

經過幾個月的努力跟準備，我們成功地從本地政府單位獲得了國際會展的補助，同時也為外國與會者提供了彈性入境電子簽證的支援。

電子簽證的起因：

• 公布主辦國家為台灣後，有不少東南亞國家與會者反應取得簽證的困難。
• 從 WordCamp Taiwan 2023 的召集人和一位未能獲得簽證的與會者那裡，我們了解到實際簽證申請的難度。
• 主要問題包括：與會者來自非免簽證國家、簽證程序繁雜、選擇錯誤的簽證類型、簽證文件準備不足、與會者國內無大使館需前往鄰國申請、多方溝通不良 (外交部/大使館/召集人/與會者)。
• 了解上述問題後，本地團隊開始尋求解決方案，經研究並與數個政府部門接洽後，我們透過經濟部國際會展辦公室了解到活動需符合國際會議資格，我們主辦方需要申請國際會展補助，以符合彈性入境電子簽證機制。

申請過程與面臨的挑戰：

• 需按照經濟部及外交部的時程規定申請。國際會展補助申請從 2023 年 11 月才開始，結果於 2024 年 1 月公布，外交部於 2 月接受電子簽證申請。
• 所幸台灣本地社群與支持開源社群的開放文化基金會 (Open Culture Foundation) 在過去幾屆 WordCamp Taiwan 建立了良好關係，幫助我們作為台灣法人代表申請補助。
• 需要確保活動不受地方政府干預，並爭取 WordPress Community Support (WPCS) 支持與本地法人單位及政府合作。
• 責任重大，作為本地總召的我需要為與會者簽署擔保及簽證信，若與會者在本地有違法行為需要承擔責任。
• 申請補助過程繁雜，作為主辦方協助電子簽證需耗費大量時間。

成功拉近大家的距離：

• 本地團隊學到了許多關於簽證手續流程和技巧，例如如何撰寫符合外交部要求的邀請函。
• 213 位與會者申請電子簽證，通過率達 100%，其中包括 8 位講者及 31 位召集人和志工。
• 參與者反應申請過程簡便，且入境流程順暢。
• 沒有收到移民署來電關切，代表持電子簽證入境的與會者均安全回程。

我覺得未來再次選擇在台灣舉辦的話，本地團隊可以再次申請國際會展補助以及彈性入境簽證。雖然這次的結果算是成功的，但我不建議未來的活動召集人提供除活動邀請函以外的簽證協助，因為志工不應承擔如此重大的責任。未來是否提供更多簽證協助，取決於主辦國的當地政府對國際會展的政策以及取得簽證的難易度。如果需要提供更多簽證協助，建議與當地旅遊社或是專業會展公司合作。

社群驅動的三天盛會：共創、共榮、共享

我的主要工作，如處理補助及簽證，在籌備期間大部分已完成。在活動的三天中，我的職責主要是留意場地動線、處理突發狀況以及負責開場和閉幕的主持工作。而現場其他場務則由另一位本地總召 Eric 負責。在活動期間 Eric 超忙，他需要管理現場設備、後勤補給（如餐點飲食、Wifi、會議室調度）以及確保場地安全和與廠商進行溝通。

今年特別值得一提的是，我們設立了 Community Corner，將 Job Board、Get Involved 和 HelpHub 整合在一個開放區域，讓所有互動活動集中在一起，成功吸引了許多人聚集在這裡，讓通常可能會因害羞而不與人交流的與會者也能感受到更有包容性的氛圍。

• Job Board：工作機會的公告板。
• HelpHub：提供免費協助，解答有關 WordPress 網站的問題、故障排除以及改進建議。
• Get Involved：討論任何與 WordPress 社群、小聚和 WordCamps 相關的話題。

HelpHub 是一個開放給所有人的社群驅動平台，任何有意願貢獻的人都可以加入並成為 Helper。許多人特別提到 HelpHub 擁有巨大的潛力，並且能夠繼續為社群帶來正向發展。

此外，我們新設了一間 Family Room，希望未來能鼓勵更多的父母帶著小孩一同參加。我期待未來能有針對兒童或青少年的活動，WordPress 社群逐漸老化，我們需要新引更多年輕人加入。

加入我們一起嗨！

WordCamp Asia 2025 會在菲律賓馬尼拉舉辦。雖然開頭我有些悲情，但是加入我們成為召集人絕對是個不可多得的體驗。這次我們計劃擴大團隊規模，來加入召集人團隊吧，一起推動 WordCamp Asia 觸及到亞洲每一個角落，不斷地進步和創新，讓 WordPress 社群永遠充滿活力！

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這篇文章同時有繁體中文與英文版本。

Fueled with Love

“Mommy, the event is over, do you have meetings tonight? Can you tuck us in?” That question from my daughter after WordCamp Asia 2024 really broke my heart.

For the past few years, organizing WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Taiwan has meant evenings filled with meetings and planning, often with my kids falling asleep by themselves or with me working away in the dark beside them.

We organizers volunteer our time without compensation. As the local lead, I put in over 15 hours a week, adding up to more than 500 hours. It’s sad when our hard work is taken for granted or isn’t appreciated. However, we maintain a positive outlook; those genuinely willing to contribute don’t expect anything in return. Those looking for some form of return usually drift away. The biggest challenge we face now is whether time and finances will allow us to continue. I, too, am struggling financially and don’t have all the answers.

“I really need a break after this year,” I’ve said more than once. So why am I still here?

Because I want to spend my time on what matters most to me, meeting like-minded organizers and building friendships. The support and encouragement from this group have made all the hard work truly worthwhile. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that 2025 will be my last year organizing WordCamp, at least for a while.

So, back to the main topic, what’s new with organizing a flagship WordCamp this year?

WordCamp Asia Planning Phase: A Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Team Values

During the planning phase of WordCamp Asia 2024, I had the opportunity to attend WordCamp US 2023 and the Community Summit, observing a flagship WordCamp that the US community has been hosting for many years. One discovery was that due to cultural differences, attendees from Asia and the US have different expectations of WordCamp, but the core value of the global WordPress community remain the same: Diversity, Inclusion, and Welcoming.

Before gathering the team leads, with the help of Harmony Romo, both global and local leads set the team values:

• Communication: Clear and open communication that respects each organizer, that enables us to address questions and challenges together. We welcome over-communications.
• Impact: By fostering the long-term impact of WordPress in the APAC region that transcends boundaries, we aim to create a positive impact on individuals and communities.
• Trust: Trusting each other’s expertise, believing in each other’s integrity, and earning trust by honoring commitments.
• Kindness: Act with kindness – apply that throughout your thought process, planning, and communications.
• Accountability: Taking personal ownership and driving impactful outcomes through proactive communication and self-motivated action.

Team Structure

We made some team structure changes based on the first WordCamp Asia experiences:

This year, Jon Ang and Andy Saw step up as the Global Leads, while Huanyi Chuang (Eric) and Yuli Yang (Me!) take on the role of the Local Leads. Through the planning phase, we continuously adjusted the structure of the organizing team to meet various needs. We have a total of 46 organizers from 17 countries, including 14 local organizers from Taiwan.

With the valuable experience gained from the past two years of WordCamp Asia, I believe that by 2025, our team composition will be more mature, and collaboration among organizing teams will be more coordinated. While conducting surveys, referring to past retrospectives, and listening to personal experiences are important, establishing and passing on documentation is even more crucial. Organizing documents for each team and the handbooks for contact persons will make communication smoother and more convenient. This is something we aim to improve for the next WordCamp Asia by Operations Team.

Organizer Documents

These documents include the basic information that team members need to know while planning, such as the team’s responsibilities, goals, values, the event planning timeline, reference documents, and a list of collaboration tools. Additional documentation, such as website posts, pages, email templates, and tutorials for tools, are also included.

Handbook for Contact Persons

This handbook is prepared by each organizing team for their contacts. For the program team, the contacts include speakers and emcees. The speaker handbook details items such as presentation slides, rehearsals, the venue, and on-site equipment. For the volunteer team, the volunteer handbook includes pre-event information, roles, and responsibilities during the event.

The Local Team

To streamline information exchange and minimize communication gaps, we assigned one coordinator from our local team to each organizing team. Our local team is divided into three squads: Venue, Vendor, and Vision. Eric primarily manages the Venue and Vendor squad, while I am in charge of the Vision squad. As the local lead, the biggest challenge is to ensure the local team’s team health and to be mindful of the support other organizing teams might need, proactively offering help where possible. Additionally, due to language barriers and unfamiliarity with flagship WordCamps among local team members, Eric and I must also guide the local team in collaborating and coordinating with global organizers.

The Vision squad has launched some new initiatives, and here are a few successful ones:

• Participated in other conferences to promote WordCamp Asia’s schedule, attracting more local participants.
• Collaborated with local associations to open up more opportunities to engage with local tech companies.
• Securing for international conference subsidy from local government, assisting attendees with eVisa and simplifying the complex visa application process.

Participating in Other Conferences and Promotions

Over the past few months, local team has actively participated in many conferences and set up community booths at events to promote the WordPress open-source project and WordCamp Asia.

Some tech conferences and meetups include:

• COSCUP
• Meet Taipei
• Digital Nomads
• Taipei Blockchain Week
• Google DevFest Taipei 2023
• Taipei Game Show 2024

Collaboration with Local Associations

We partnered with the Taipei Computer Association, who not only sponsored WordCamp Asia but also promoted us through their member newsletters. Additionally, they helped promote our events at other conferences and exhibitions, increasing local visibility and expanding our attendee base. They also assisted attendees with applications for Taiwan Digital Field Employment Gold Card.

International Conference Subsidies and Visa Assistance

After months of effort and preparation, we successfully obtained international conference subsidies from local government, and also assisted foreign attendees for eVisa with the flexible mechanism.

Why We Assist with eVisas:

• After announcing Taiwan as the host country, many attendees from Southeast Asian countries reported difficulties obtaining visas.
• We learned about the actual challenges of visa applications from the organizers of WordCamp Taiwan 2023 and an attendee who failed to secure a visa.
• Main issues included: attendees from non-visa-exempt countries, complex visa processes, choosing the wrong type of visa, inadequate visa documentation, no embassy in their resident country requiring travel to a nearby country, poor communication among MOFA, embassies, organizers, and attendees.
• Upon understanding these issues, our local team explored options and, after researching and contacting several government departments, we learned from the Taiwan MICE Project Office of the MOEA that our event needed to qualify as an ICCA conference. This qualification required us to apply for international conference subsidies to comply with the flexible mechanism of the eVisa.

Application Process and Challenges:

• Applications had to adhere to the schedules set by the MOEA and MOFA. The application for MOEA international conference subsidies started in November 2023, with results announced in January 2024, and the MOFA accepted eVisa applications in February 2024.
• Fortunately, the local community in Taiwan, supported by the Open Culture Foundation, which supports open-source communities, has established good relations over past WordCamp Taiwan, assisting us in applying as a Taiwanese legal entity.
• It was crucial to ensure that the event was not interfered with by local government and to get support from WordPress Community Support (WPCS) for cooperation with local entities and the government.
• As the local lead, I had heavy responsibilities, including signing guarantee letters and visa documents for attendees, carrying liability for any kind of illegal activities by attendees.
• The subsidy application process was complex and time-consuming for the organizers who assisted with eVisa applications.

Bringing People Closer:

• Our local team gained knowledge about visa procedures, including how to write visa invitations that comply with the requirements of the MOFA.
• We successfully applied for eVisas for 213 attendees from countries without visa exemptions, achieving a 100% approval rate, including 8 speakers and 31 organizers and volunteers.
• Attendees reported that the application process was straightforward, and the entry procedure was smooth.
• Receiving no calls of concern from the National Immigration Agency indicated that all attendees with eVisas had safely returned home.

If we choose to host in Taiwan again in the future, our local team can reapply for international conference subsidies and eVisa with the flexible mechanism. Although the results this time were successful, I would not recommend future organizers provide visa assistance beyond the invitation letters, as volunteers should not bear such significant responsibilities. Whether more visa assistance will be provided in the future depends on the local government policies of the host country and the difficulty of obtaining visas. If more visa assistance is necessary, I recommend collaborating with local travel agencies or professional production companies.

Three Days of Community-Driven Collaboration: Open to All, Content Galore, Shared with the Community

Most of my main tasks, such as handling subsidies and visas, were completed before the event. Over the three days of the event, my primary responsibilities were to monitor the layout of the venue, address any emergencies, and host the opening and closing remarks. The on-site logistics were managed by another local lead, Eric. During the event, Eric was incredibly busy managing on-site equipment, logistical support (such as meals, Wi-Fi, room arranging), ensuring venue safety, and communicating with vendors.

A special highlight this year was the Community Corner, which integrated the Job Board, Get Involved, and HelpHub into one open area. This combination of interactive activities successfully brought many people together, creating a more inclusive atmosphere that even introverts could appreciate.

• Job Board: A bulletin board for job opportunities.
• HelpHub: Provides free assistance, answering questions about WordPress websites, troubleshooting, and offering improvement suggestions.
• Get Involved: A place to discuss anything related to the WordPress community, meetups, and WordCamps.

HelpHub is a community-driven platform open to everyone; anyone willing to contribute can join and become a Helper. Many have noted the significant potential of HelpHub to continue positively impacting the community.

Additionally, we introduced a Family Room, hoping to encourage more parents to bring their children in the future. I look forward to activities designed for children or youth, as the WordPress community is aging and we need to attract more young people.

Join Us for the Fun!

WordCamp Asia 2025 will be held in Manila, Philippines. Although I start with a bit of sadness, joining us as an organizer is truly an invaluable experience. This time, we plan to expand our team, so come and join the organizing team! Let’s bring WordCamp Asia to every corner of Asia, continuously improving and innovating to keep the WordPress community vibrant and energetic!