In a recent Business Bloomer Club Slack thread, a shared frustration surfaced: it’s been over 8 years since the last official WooCommerce conference — WooConf 2017 in Seattle.
That’s 3,000+ days without a dedicated space for WooCommerce developers, store owners, and professionals to connect, learn, and shape the future of the platform.
The earlier events (San Francisco in 2014, Austin in 2016, and Seattle in 2017) offered a rare but powerful opportunity to gather the Woo community in one place. Workshops, talks, hallway chats — it all fostered momentum and collaboration.
Since then? Silence. WooCommerce’s growth hasn’t slowed, but the community feels increasingly fragmented. It’s time we talk about why WooConf disappeared — and why it needs to return.
The Legacy of WooConf
WooConf was more than just a conference. It was the only official WooCommerce event that focused entirely on Woo. No WordCamps, no broader WordPress tracks — just a laser-focused, high-quality experience for those who build with and around WooCommerce.
The first WooConf in 2014 (San Francisco) felt like a celebration. WooThemes had joined Automattic, WooCommerce was booming, and community spirit was strong.
In 2016 (Austin), the event scaled up with more sponsors, more developers, and more targeted sessions for agencies, freelancers, and merchants.
In 2017 (Seattle), the third and final WooConf narrowed its scope to focus on developers — “from agency owners to freelancers” — offering a practical, deep dive into technical workflows, APIs, and performance optimization.
And then… nothing.
WooConf 2014 – San Francisco, USA
Tagline: “The first-ever WooCommerce Conference”
Angle: Focused on launching WooConf as a destination for store owners, developers, and agencies using WooCommerce. Strong product focus, high-level strategy and roadmap, and first-party meetups.
Highlight: Matt Mullenweg as keynote, which gave it weight as a semi-official Automattic-sanctioned event.
Recap: WooConf, The First Ever Conference Dedicated to WooCommerce Deemed a Success [WP Tavern]
WooConf 2016 – Austin, USA
Tagline: “Where WooCommerce Experts Gather”
Angle: Broader content split across merchant success stories, developer-focused sessions, and product roadmap previews. First year after Automattic acquired WooThemes (in 2015), so it had more Automattic-style branding and budget.
Highlight: Introduction of new extensions, developer workshops, and deeper involvement from ecosystem partners.
Recap: Takeaways From WooConf 2016 [Torque Mag]
WooConf 2017 – Seattle, USA
Tagline: “Future of Commerce is Now”
Angle: Shift toward the future of eCommerce, highlighting innovations like subscriptions, personalization, and global growth. More product-focused, with talks on upcoming WooCommerce features and integrations.
Highlight: Tighter integration with the WooCommerce product roadmap and API updates. Streamed keynotes. Heavy focus on what’s coming next in Woo.
Recap: Three things we hope you take away from WooConf 2017 [WooCommerce]
What Happened After 2017?
WooConf vanished. No 2018 announcement. No plans for 2019. And then the pandemic hit, which understandably put physical events on hold. But that doesn’t explain why nothing replaced it — not even a virtual equivalent.
Instead, WooCommerce became a side note at larger WordCamps. A talk here, a booth there, maybe a Woo meetup. But nothing resembling a cohesive, dedicated gathering for the 6+ million stores running WooCommerce today.
Why WooCommerce Needs Its Own Event
WooCommerce is not just a plugin — it’s a massive ecosystem. It has its own merchants, developers, agencies, extension authors, educators, and service providers. Treating it as a footnote within WordPress events is a disservice.
The benefits of a dedicated conference are clear:
- Deep technical and merchant-focused sessions
- Networking with peers who only work in Woo
- Face-to-face discussions with the WooCommerce team
- Extension and service showcases tailored to store builders
- A shared space to influence WooCommerce’s roadmap
Even Shopify hosts its own large-scale conference. Magento has had Imagine. Yet WooCommerce — despite being the most widely used eCommerce solution on the web — has gone silent.
A Call to Action
WooCommerce has evolved significantly since 2017. HPOS, blocks, cart and checkout redesigns, new APIs — so much has changed. And yet the community has had no physical (or virtual) hub to gather and grow together.
The platform deserves a new WooConf. Whether in-person or online, annual or biennial, the community needs a focused event. And there’s no shortage of speakers, sponsors, or attendees who’d jump in.
The only thing missing is initiative and budget allocation.
Let’s stop pretending this gap doesn’t matter. WooCommerce isn’t a side project anymore — it’s a global platform. It’s time to give it the conference it deserves.
