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What happens when you take the swag out of a WordCamp? You get more of what WordCamps were always about: people, ideas, and real conversations.

On October 2 and 3, 2026, the WordPress community gathered at the Central Auditorium of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) for WordCamp Sylhet 2026. This year the organizers made a bold call: no swag from the organizers and no swag from the sponsors. I was there for both days as an organizer, and it turned out to be one of the best WordCamp experiences I've had.

Third Time in the Tea Capital

WordCamp Sylhet first came to the city in May 2023 and returned in 2024. The 2026 edition was its third, back at the same SUST auditorium where it all started.

This time the organizing team chose a clear theme: back to basics. Their message from the very first announcement was "less show, more substance." As WordCamps grow, the focus can drift toward production, merchandise, and presentation. Sylhet wanted to bring the spotlight back to knowledge, genuine conversations, and community connections.

What a Swag-Free WordCamp Feels Like

I'll admit I was curious. Swag is part of the WordCamp ritual: the T-shirts, stickers, notebooks, and the queue at every booth. How would an event feel without it?

The answer: lighter, warmer, and more focused. Nobody was rushing from table to table collecting goodies. Instead, people stopped and talked. Hallway chats ran longer. Lunch tables turned into mini-meetups. Questions after sessions were sharper because people came for the content.

Swag bags get forgotten in a drawer. A five-minute conversation with the right person can turn into a client, a job, or a friendship. WordCamp Sylhet 2026 proved that the community itself is the best takeaway.

Day One: Contributor Day

October 2 was Contributor Day, and around 150 people sat down at the contributor tables to give back to WordPress. The work ranged from bug fixes in Core to new designs for the Patterns Team.

What I love about Contributor Day is that you don't need to be a senior developer to take part. Whether you code, write, design, translate, or test, there is a table for you. For many first-timers, it was the day they made their first contribution to one of the world's largest open-source projects, shoulder to shoulder with the people who build it.

Day Two: Conference Day and the Rise of AI

October 3 was Conference Day, packed with talks and panel discussions from morning to evening. With the swag gone, the sessions really were the heart of the event.

If one topic ran through the whole schedule, it was AI. A few sessions that stood out:

• Panel: How AI Is Reshaping Modern Workflows. M Asif Rahman, MD Ershadur Rahman Talukder, and Shahjahan Jewel shared practical lessons on how AI is changing the way WordPress teams plan, build, and ship.
• From Plugins to Agents. Nazmul Hasan Rupok explored how WordPress architecture is shifting as AI agents arrive, including using the WordPress Abilities API so any MCP client can use a plugin's features.
• Customer Support, Reimagined. Khan Rafin Ahmed showed how AI agents and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) help support teams do more.
• Find It, Fix It, Prove It. Niluthpal Purkayastha talked about using AI to find and fix security holes in WordPress plugins.

The common message: AI isn't replacing the WordPress community. It's giving builders new tools, and Bangladesh's developers are already putting them to work.

Sponsors Without Swag: Real Conversations at the Booths

No swag didn't mean no sponsors. Companies still had booths in the expo area, and they still had a great chance to show what they're building. The difference was the quality of the conversations.

Instead of handing out freebies, sponsor teams explained their products, heard feedback from users and met new people who were genuinely interested. Some booths ran friendly challenges and contests that broke the ice and started long chats.

For businesses, that's arguably worth more than a thousand tote bags. And it matters for the community too: WordCamps are nonprofit and volunteer-run, and sponsorship keeps tickets affordable for students, freelancers and first-timers.

The Energy: A Community That Showed Up

The most crucial part of WordCamp Sylhet 2026 wasn't on the schedule. It was the energy.

From the first Contributor Day table to the final session, the auditorium stayed full of enthusiasm. Students, developers, designers, freelancers, agency owners, and product teams came from across Bangladesh. Everyone was eager to learn, share, and connect, and you could feel it in every room and every hallway.

The green SUST campus, a short ride from Sylhet's famous tea gardens, gave the whole event a calm and welcoming feel. It's hard to imagine a better home for a community gathering.

Thank you, Sylhet.

Organizing a two-day event for a community this size is never easy, and no event runs perfectly. What stays with you is the effort and heart behind it, and there was plenty of both.

A huge thank you to the organizers and volunteers who made it happen, the speakers who shared their knowledge, the sponsors who supported the event and showed up for real conversations, and every attendee who brought their energy.

WordCamp Sylhet 2026 showed that you don't need freebies to make an event memorable. You need people who care. Back to basics turned out to be exactly what we needed.

A big thank you to the sponsors of WordCamp Sylhet 2026!

WordCamp Sylhet 2026 brought together WordPress enthusiasts, developers, designers, and community members at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. It was possible because these organizations believed in our community and supported open source in Bangladesh.

Platinum Sponsors
Automattic • Bluehost • FluentCart • FlyWP • Hostinger • Kirki • OneSuite • WooCommerce • xCloud

Silver Sponsors
Bit CRM • bPlugins

Bronze Sponsors
PaymentForm.io • SubscriptionPro • Timetics AI • WebAppick

Thanks also to our micro sponsors and to every organizer, volunteer, speaker, and attendee who helped make it happen.

See you at the next WordCamp!

01 Nov 2026 3:04pm GMT

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30 Oct 2026 5:00pm GMT

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30 Oct 2026 4:00pm GMT

We're excited to share that WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University, Dhaka, has successfully concluded!

Held on 25-26 October 2026, this two-day initiative brought students closer to WordPress, practical website development, career opportunities, and the growing role of open-source education.

Want to see more photos from WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University?

Explore all the event photos here: Official Event Photos

Day 1: From Ideas to Websites

On 25 October, we hosted a hands-on workshop where students explored WordPress by building their own websites. Together, we created 50 websites and WordPress.org profiles, giving students a starting point to continue learning, experimenting, and engaging with the global WordPress community.

The goal was not just to introduce a tool, but to help students take their first practical steps toward building something of their own.

Few websites created by our students:

1. https://noyonhossain.blog/
2. https://hurayra.art/
3. https://www.golammonayem.com/
4. https://tayenhossainshuvo.blog/
5. https://ifatkhalilfahim.blog/
6. https://r-if-a.blog/
7. https://rafid.blog/
8. https://sanjidaaktersuborna.blog/
9. https://byapon.art/
10. https://golammonayem.blog/
11. https://belalhosenbadon.blog/

Day 2: Exploring Careers and WordPress Education

On 26 October, we shifted our focus to career guidance and educational opportunities. We discussed how students can develop practical skills, build a portfolio, contribute to open source, and explore career pathways in the WordPress ecosystem.

Through these conversations, we encouraged students to look beyond traditional academic learning and explore how real-world projects, community participation, and continuous learning can help them prepare for their future careers.

Exploring WordPress Credits: Connecting Education with Real-World Experience

An important part of the discussion was the WordPress Credits program, which offers universities an opportunity to connect academic learning with practical contributions to the WordPress open-source project.

We introduced the program as a potential pathway for students to go beyond learning WordPress and start contributing to a global project used by millions of people. Through structured learning, mentorship, and practical contribution opportunities, students can develop technical and collaborative skills while gaining experience in an international open-source community.

We were delighted by the university's interest in this opportunity. Presidency University has already applied to join the WordPress Credits program, marking an encouraging step toward bringing WordPress education and contribution-based learning into its academic environment.

This is an exciting opportunity to explore how students can apply their classroom knowledge to real-world projects, collaborate with the global WordPress community, and build a stronger foundation for their professional journeys.

We hope this initial engagement will lead to further collaboration between the university and the WordPress community, creating more opportunities for students to learn, contribute, and grow.

Supported by the Global WordPress Community

This initiative was made possible with support from the global WordPress community and its sponsors, who continue to invest in education and the next generation of talent.

A special thank you to Kirki for joining as our Gold Sponsor and supporting this educational initiative. Your support helps create meaningful opportunities for students to learn, build, and explore their future in the digital world.

We're also grateful to the university, our speakers, volunteers, and everyone who contributed their time and energy to make these two days meaningful.

Organisers and Speakers

The success of WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University was made possible by the dedication and collaboration of our organizing team: Mostofa Kamal Sagor, Muhibul Haque, Nasim Miah, and Rashed Hossain.

Our speakers Nasim Miah, Nazmul Asif, Pranto Dev, Mostofa Kamal Sagor and Muhibul Haque shared valuable insights on WordPress, web design, career opportunities, NLP, and prompt engineering. Through practical guidance and engaging discussions, they helped students explore new skills, understand the evolving tech industry, and discover opportunities in the WordPress and AI era. A big thank you to all our speakers for sharing their knowledge and inspiring the next generation!

The journey continues. Let's keep building opportunities for the next generation through WordPress education!

30 Oct 2026 2:42pm GMT

This week's Open Channels News highlights tensions over AI in open source, new tools like GridCraft, corporate shifts towards open infrastructure, and the need for sustainable, user-driven technology.

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Beaucoup de contacts, mais peu de vrais liens ? Voici pourquoi certaines relations restent superficielles et comment créer plus de proximité.

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Un ou une après-midi ? Découvrez les deux usages admis, la préférence de l'Académie française et les règles d'accord à retenir.

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27 Oct 2026 6:25am GMT

Much as I love pasta, I'm not sure it loves me. Last year my carb-heavy comfort food diet led to some weight gain so I looked into low carb pasta as an alternative. There's a lot out there and I'm still trying different brands and styles, but I thought now would be a good time to share what I've learned so far.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

My introduction to legume and bean-based pasta was thanks to Barilla. I was lucky because I got to attend a webinar with Barilla's incredible chef, Lorenzo Boni. I tried his recipe for pasta with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts which I definitely recommend and have now made several times. If you've seen his wildly popular (150k+ followers!) Instagram feed you know he's a master at making all kinds of pasta dishes and that he often eats plant-based meals. I followed up with him to get some tips on cooking with pasta made from beans and legumes.

Pasta made with beans and legumes is higher in protein and so the recommended 2-ounce portion is surprisingly filling. But the texture isn't always the same as traditional semolina or durum wheat pasta. Chef Boni told me, "The nature of legume pasta makes it soak up more moisture than traditional semolina pasta, so you always want to reserve a bit of cooking water to adjust if needed." But when it comes to cooking, he says that with Barilla legume pasta you cook it the same way as semolina pasta. "Boil in salted water for the duration noted on the box and you'll have perfectly al dente pasta." They are all gluten-free.

Chickpea pasta

When I asked Chef Boni about pairing chickpea pastas with sauce he said, "Generally speaking, I prefer olive oil based sauces rich with vegetables, aromatic herbs and spices. Seafood also pairs well with chickpea options. If used with creamy or tomato-based sauces, keep in mind to always have some pasta water handy to adjust the dish in case it gets too dry." He added, "One of my favorite ways to prepare a legume pasta dish would be a simple chickpea rotini with shrimp, diced zucchini and fresh basil. The sauce is light enough to highlight the flavor of the pasta itself, while the natural sweetness helps keep the overall flavor profile more appealing to everyone." I like the Barilla brand because the only ingredient is chickpeas. Banza makes a popular line of chickpea pasta as well although they include pea starch, tapioca and xanthan gum.

Edamame pasta

I tried two different brands of edamame pasta, Seapoint Farms and Explore Cuisine. The Seapoint pasta has a rougher texture than the Explore. With the Seapoint I found the best pairings were earthy chunky toppings like toasted walnuts and sautéed mushrooms. The Explore Cuisine edamame & spirulina pasta is smoother and more delicate, and worked well with an Asian style peanut sauce. I was happy with the Seapoint brand, but would definitely choose the Explore brand instead if it's available.

Red lentil pasta

Red lentil pasta is most similar to semolina pasta. Barilla makes red lentil pasta in a variety of shapes. But for spaghetti, Chef Boni says, "Barilla red lentil spaghetti is pretty flexible and works well with pretty much everything. I love red lentil spaghetti with light olive oil based sauces with aromatic herbs and some small diced vegetables. It also works well with a lean meat protein." I have to admit, I have yet to try red lentil pasta, but I'm excited to try it after hearing how similar it is to semolina pasta. It is made only with red lentil flour, that's it. It's available in spaghetti, penne and rotini.

Penne for Your Thoughts

Do you remember seeing photos from Italian supermarkets where the shelves with pasta were barren except for penne? I too seem to end up with boxes of penne or rotini and not a clue what to do with them so I asked Chef Boni his thoughts on the subject. He told me, "Shortcuts such as rotini and penne pair very well with all kind of ragouts as well as tomato based and chunky vegetarian sauces. One of my favorite ways to prepare a legume pasta dish would be a simple chickpea rotini with shrimp, diced zucchini and fresh basil. The sauce is light enough to highlight the flavor of the pasta itself, while the natural sweetness helps keep the overall flavor profile more appealing to everyone." Thanks chef! When zucchini is in season I know what I will try!

15 Feb 2022 6:46pm GMT

Julia is a new film based on Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz and inspired by My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme and The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act by Alex Prud'homme. Julia Child died in 2004, and yet our appetite for all things Julia hasn't waned.

I grew up watching Julia Child on TV and learning to cook the French classics from her books, And while I never trained to be a chef, like Child I also transitioned into a career focused on food, a subject I have always found endlessly fascinating. I enjoyed the new film very much and while it didn't break much new ground, it did add a layer of perspective that can only come with time. In particular, how Julia Child became a ubiquitous pop culture figure is addressed in a fresh way.

I reached out to the filmmakers,Julie Cohen and Betsy West to find out more about what inspired them and why Julia Child still holds our attention.

Julia Child died over 15 years ago and has been off TV for decades. Why do you believe we continue to be so fascinated by her?

In some ways Julia is the Godmother of modern American cooking - and eating. Her spirit looms over cooking segments on the morning shows, The Food Network, and all those overhead Instagram shots the current generation loves to take of restaurant meals. Beyond that, though, Julia's bigger than life personality and unstoppable joie de vivre are infectious. People couldn't get enough of her while she was living, and they still can't now.

There have been so many Julia Child films and documentaries, what inspired this one?

Well there'd been some great programs about Julia but this is the first feature length theatrical doc. Like everyone else, we adored Julie & Julia, but a documentary gives you a special opportunity to tell a person's story in their own words and with the authentic images. This is particularly true of Julia, who was truly one of a kind.

The impact of Julia Child how she was a groundbreaker really comes across in the film, are we understanding her in a different light as time passes?

People understand that Julia was a talented television entertainer, but outside the professional food world, there's been an under-recognition of just how much she changed the 20th century food landscape. As Jose Andres points out in the film, almost every serious food professional has a sauce-splashed copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" on their shelves. We also felt Julia's role in opening up new possibilities for women on television deserved more exploration. In the early 1960's the idea of a woman on TV who was neither a housewife nor a sex bomb but a mature, tall, confident expert was downright radical. She paved the way for many women who followed.

The food shots add an extra element to the film and entice viewers in a very visceral way, how did those interstitials come to be part of the film?

We knew from the start that we wanted to make food a major part of this story, not an afterthought. We worked with cook and food stylist Susan Spungen to determine which authentic Julia recipes could be integrated with which story beats to become part of the film's aesthetic and its plot. For instance the sole meunière is a key part of the story because it sparked her obsession with French food, and the pear and almond tart provides an enticing metaphor for the sensual side of Julia and Paul's early married years.

Note: Susan Spungen was also the food stylist for Julie & Julia

Julia is in theaters now.

23 Nov 2021 11:30pm GMT

I met Rick Rodgers early in my career as a recipe developer and food writer when we were both contributors to the Epicurious blog. Not only is he a lot of fun to hang out with, but he has also been incredibly helpful to me and is usually the first person I call when I'm floundering with a project, client, or cooking quandary. His interpersonal skills, business experience, and cooking acumen explain why he's been recognized as one of the top cooking instructors in America. Literally.

You built a career as a cooking instructor and cookbook author. How many cookbooks have you written?

I was asked recently to make an official count, and It looks like an even hundred. Many of those were collaborations with chefs, restaurants, celebrities, bakeries, and business entities, such as Tommy Bahama, Williams-Sonoma, and Nordstrom. I made it known that I was available for collaboration work, and my phone literally rang off the hook for quite a few years with editors and agents looking for help with novice writers or those that wanted a branded book.

Which cookbook(s) are you most proud of?

There are three books that I get fan mail for almost every day: Kaffeehaus (where I explore the desserts of my Austrian heritage), Thanksgiving 101 (a deep dive into America's most food-centric holiday and how to pull it off), and Ready and Waiting (which was one of the first books to take a "gourmet" approach to the slow cooker). These books have been in print for 20 years or more, which is a beautiful testament to their usefulness to home cooks.

How did you get started as a cooking instructor and what are some highlights of your teaching career?

I was a theater major at San Francisco State College (now University), so getting in front of a crowd held no terrors for me. When more brick-and-mortar cooking schools opened in the eighties, I was ready for prime time. During that period, there were at least twelve cooking schools in the Bay Area, so I made quarterly trips here a year from the east coast, where I had moved. My Thanksgiving classes were so popular that I taught every day from November 1 to Thanksgiving, with a couple of days off for laundry and travel. The absolute pinnacle of my teaching career was being named Outstanding Culinary Instructor of The Year by Bon Appétit Magazine's Food and Entertaining Awards, an honor that I share with only a handful of other recipients, including Rick Bayless and Bobby Flay.

Flódni

How have cooking classes changed since you started?

Because there are so many classes available, I can teach at any level of experience. At the cooking schools, we tended to walk a fine line between too difficult and too easy. The exposure to different cuisines and skill levels on TV also has seriously raised the bar. Unfortunately, students want to walk before they can run. They want to learn how to make croissants when I doubt that they can bake a pound cake correctly. It is best to build on your skills instead of going right to the top. That being said, in my online classes, I am concentrating on the more challenging recipes because that is what the market demands of me.

Tell me about your baking school, coffeeandcake.org

As much as I loved my cookbooks and in-person classes, I knew there was a more modern way to reach people who wanted to cook with me, especially since so many cooking schools had closed. I retired the day I got my first Social Security check. But…as I was warned by my friends who knew me better than I did…I was bored, and wanted a new project. I heard about online classes through other teachers who were having success. I found an online course specifically for cooking classes (Cooking Class Business School at HiddenRhythm.com), got the nuts and bolts down, and I finally entered the 21st century!

How do you decide which recipes to teach?

I felt there were plenty of other places to learn how to make chocolate chip cookies and banana bread-just take a look on YouTube alone. I had a specialty of Austro-Hungarian baking thanks to my Kaffeehaus book, so I decided to niche into that category. I have branched out to a few other locations, but my goal is to expose students to something new and out of the ordinary. I also survey my students on what they would like me to teach, and those answers are amazing. People are truly interested in the more difficult desserts. Perhaps it is because so many people discovered baking as a hobby during the pandemic?

For students who have your cookbooks, what are the advantages of taking an online class?

There is no substitute for seeing a cook in action. Plus you get to answer questions during class. In a recent class, I made six-layer Dobos Torte in two hours' real-time to prove that you can do it without giving up a week of your life. And we don't have to travel to each other to be "together." My classes are videotaped so you can watch them at your convenience.

What are some highlights of your upcoming schedule of classes?

Honey cake

In October, I am teaching virtually all Hungarian desserts, things that will be new to most people. I am making one of my absolute favorites, Flódni, which is a Jewish bar cookie (almost a cake) with layers of apple, poppy seeds, and walnuts between thin sheets of wine-flavored cookie dough. San Franciscans in particular will be happy to see a master class that I am teaching with the delightful Michelle Polzine, owner of the late and lamented 20th Century Cafe and author of Baking at the 20th Century Cafe. We will be making her (in)famous 12-layer honey cake on two coasts, with me doing the heavy lifting in New Jersey and Michelle guiding me from the west coast. That is going to be fun! In November and December, I am switching over to holiday baking and a few savory recipes for Thanksgiving, including my fail-proof turkey and gravy, which I have made over 300 times in classes over 30 years' worth of teaching. It ought to be perfect by now

Head to Coffee and Cake to sign up for classes or learn more.

05 Oct 2021 3:56pm GMT

03 Dec 2014 8:12pm GMT

16 Jul 2014 6:08pm GMT

Après presque un mois et demi d'absence, deux bouclages d'albums et plein de projets, je trouve enfin le
temps de poster quelque chose sur ce blog ! Ces jours-ci, je vais avoir pas mal de choses à vous montrer !
On commence tranquille avec un petit dessin aux couleurs estivales.

14 Jul 2014 4:25pm GMT