For 18 years, #WPLDN has been funded by corporate sponsorship. Companies in the WordPress ecosystem have covered the venue, the pizza, the recording equipment, and everything else that goes into running a free monthly event in central London. We’re incredibly grateful to every partner who’s made that possible.
But the landscape is changing. Marketing budgets across the WordPress ecosystem are shifting, and several long-standing sponsors have stepped back. That’s not a criticism of anyone. It’s just the reality of where the industry is right now.
We recently sent an update to the community about this very issue and the challenges the event faces. A number of you asked the same question: “How can I help?”
Well, here’s the answer:
GitHub Sponsors for #WPLDN
We’ve set up a GitHub Sponsors page for WPLDN. It’s a simple, transparent way for anyone who values what we do to contribute directly to keeping the event running.
You can contribute monthly or as a one-off, and every penny goes toward venue hire, recording, and event essentials.
Pick your level
We’ve set up five tiers, each tied to a real cost of running the event (yes, the prices are in USD, it’s GitHub):
- 🎟️ $14/month – Buy a Ticket #WPLDN is free, and always will be, but if it weren’t, this is roughly what a ticket would cost.
- 🍕 $28/month – Buy a Pizza, someone has to pay for it. Now it’s you. Ham and pineapple, anyone?
- 🥤 $84/month – Get the Drinks In. You’re covering a round for the attendees. This level makes a genuine dent in our monthly running costs.
- 🏢 $200/month – Help Hire the Venue. Venue hire in central London isn’t cheap. At this level, you’re directly helping us keep #WPLDN in a proper, central location every month.
- 🤝 $500/month – Become a Sponsor. Corporate-level support for companies that believe in what #WPLDN does and want to help sustain it long-term.
You can also set a custom amount if none of the tiers fit. One-off contributions are welcome too.
Why GitHub Sponsors?
It’s straightforward and low-friction, and GitHub doesn’t take a cut of contributions from personal accounts, so 100% of your support reaches us. Payments are handled securely through Stripe, and you can cancel or change your contribution at any time.
This isn’t a replacement for corporate sponsorship
We still need and welcome partners at every level. If your company is interested in sponsoring #WPLDN, with brand visibility across 12 events, a speaking opportunity, lead generation through our Golden Ticket system, and promotion across our digital channels, head to wpldn.uk/sponsor or get in touch.
What GitHub Sponsors does is give us a second leg to stand on. It means the event isn’t entirely dependent on corporate budget cycles, and it gives the community a direct way to invest in something they value.
How to get started
Head to github.com/sponsors/WPLDN, pick a tier (or set your own amount), and you’re done.
Thank you for being part of this community. Whether you sponsor, volunteer, speak, or just turn up on a Thursday evening, you’re what makes #WPLDN what it is.
