Heading to Phoenix for WordCamp US 2026
WordCamp US (WCUS) 2026 is taking place from August 16 to August 19 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The WooCommerce team is packing up and heading to the desert to connect with developers, agency owners, and store builders from across the global ecosystem. Whether you are building custom checkout flows, scaling headless architectures, or experimenting with emerging publishing workflows, WCUS provides the primary physical touchpoint of the year to talk code directly with the core contributors and developer advocates driving the platform forward.
Navigating a major flagship event like WordCamp US requires strategy. Between sponsor hall networking, track sessions, hallway discussions, and evening socials, your schedule fills up fast. This guide outlines where to find the WooCommerce team, the technical sessions you cannot afford to miss, and how to schedule dedicated office hours with engineering and advocacy staff.
Find the Woo Team in the Sponsor Hall
Throughout the main conference days, the WooCommerce team will be stationed in the sponsor hall. Instead of a standalone footprint, Woo is joining forces with the broader Automattic family. You will find the team anchored in the shared Automattic booth alongside colleagues from WordPress.com, Jetpack, and Pressable.
This centralized hub serves as your primary destination for technical triage, roadmap inquiries, and platform feedback. Developer Advocates Shani Banerjee and Brian Coords will be stationed at the booth alongside a wider delegation of Woo engineers and product managers. If you want to dive deep into custom block development, extension APIs, or database optimization under heavy concurrent load, the booth is the place to start.
Beyond technical discussions, the booth is also stocked with exclusive local swag produced in collaboration with Dope Fanny. Stop by early to secure your items before supplies run out.
Must-Attend Technical Sessions
Conference talks offer a window into where the core engineering teams are focusing their immediate and long-term efforts. At WCUS 2026, the WooCommerce and broader WordPress developer tracks feature critical discussions on AI integration, automated buyer agents, and agency workflows.
From Crawlers to Customers: WordPress and the Rise of AI Buyers
Date: August 18
Speakers: Shani Banerjee (WooCommerce) and Danny Dudzic (Syde)
As autonomous software agents, web scrapers, and programmatic shopping assistants begin navigating the web on behalf of human consumers, traditional e-commerce architecture faces new paradigms. Shani and Danny explore how WordPress and WooCommerce must adapt to support programmatic interaction. This session covers API-first design, machine-readable product data, semantic markup, and the foundational infrastructure required to ensure your store is optimized not just for human shoppers, but for automated transactional buyers.
The Site Is the Source of Truth: Block Themes, AI, and Agency Workflows
Date: August 19
Speaker: Brian Coords (WooCommerce)
Block themes have matured from experimental layouts to production-grade enterprise standards. Brian unpacks how modern agencies leverage full-site editing, block patterns, and AI-assisted tooling to accelerate development cycles. If your agency is transitioning away from legacy classic themes or looking to standardize custom WooCommerce checkout blocks across multiple client builds, this talk provides a blueprint for sustainable theme architecture.
Unwind at the Official Woo Community Meetup
Networking does not stop when the convention center doors close. On Tuesday, August 18, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. MDT, WooCommerce is hosting the official Woo Community Meetup at Pedal Haus Brewery.
Co-sponsored by industry partners Square and Anrok, the evening offers a relaxed environment to grab a drink, catch up with peers, and chat with the core team. Food and drinks are entirely on the house, featuring a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options to accommodate various dietary preferences.
Space at the venue is limited, and community meetups at WCUS routinely hit capacity. Developers are strongly encouraged to secure their spot early through the official registration links provided on the WooCommerce Developer Blog before reservations close.
Direct Access: Scheduling One-on-One Discussions
If your project requires focused troubleshooting or architectural validation, catching a developer advocate between sessions in the hallway may not provide enough time. The Woo team is setting aside dedicated windows for direct conversations throughout the event week.
You can bring any technical topic to the table, including:
- Customizing and extending checkout blocks via the Cart and Checkout Block APIs.
- Building modular architecture with modern block themes.
- Integrating external APIs, Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, and AI-driven automation into your store management workflows.
- Providing feedback on developer documentation and extensibility hooks.
To schedule a direct meeting with Shani Banerjee, Brian Coords, or other attending Woo teammates, send an email to developer-advocacy@woocommerce.com or drop a direct message to @DevelopWoo on X prior to arriving in Phoenix.
Preparing Your Developer Checklist for WCUS 2026
To maximize your time in Arizona, use this quick checklist before boarding your flight:
- RSVP Early: Claim your spot for the Pedal Haus Brewery community meetup before registrations sell out.
- Map the Venue: Locate the shared Automattic booth in the Phoenix Convention Center sponsor hall.
- Prepare Your Questions: Document your specific code bottlenecks, API roadblocks, or architectural questions ahead of your meetings with the Woo team.
- Connect Online: Follow
@DevelopWooon X and monitor the WooCommerce Developer Blog for real-time schedule adjustments and impromptu meetup announcements.
See you in Phoenix!
Frequently asked questions
When and where is WordCamp US 2026 taking place?
WordCamp US 2026 is happening from August 16 to August 19 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Where can I find the WooCommerce team during the event?
The WooCommerce team will be located in the sponsor hall inside the shared Automattic booth, alongside WordPress.com, Jetpack, and Pressable.
How do I attend the Woo Community Meetup?
The meetup takes place on Tuesday, August 18, from 7-10 p.m. MDT at Pedal Haus Brewery. You must sign up in advance via the RSVP link on the WooCommerce Developer Blog as space is limited.
How can I schedule a direct meeting with the WooCommerce developer advocates?
You can request a meeting by emailing developer-advocacy@woocommerce.com or by sending a direct message to @DevelopWoo on X.
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