The schedule has dropped for PressConf—the first edition of what’s shaping up to be a worthy spiritual successor to PressNomics. This new US business conference for WordPress folks is happening real soon: April 23–26 in Tempe, Arizona.

The event pays homage to PressNomics, the much-loved business gathering started by Pagely founders Joshua and Sally Strebel. Everyone I’ve spoken to about it has had nothing but praise—clearly, it was something special. Now, longtime WordCamp Phoenix organizer Raquel Manriquez is honoring that legacy with her own take on the format.

You can read more about Raquel and why she’s launching PressConf in my interview with her: PressConf to Reunite WordPress Business Community in Arizona.

I’m also excited to share that The Repository is an official media partner for this year’s inaugural PressConf.

So what will I be doing at PressConf?

I’ll be interviewing speakers, chatting with folks, writing daily recaps and high-level takeaways, sharing insights, and trying to capture the event’s energy—while still respecting the closed-door nature of the sessions and environment. Don’t worry—if you say something on stage or run into me in the hallways, it won’t be published.

The sessions won’t be recorded, so if you want to benefit from the private, business-focused conversations, you’ll need to be there in person.

I’ll also be following up after the event, reporting on the themes and opportunities that emerge. We might even see some success stories, and I’ll be keeping an eye on any partnerships or launches sparked by connections made at PressConf.

I think I might be traveling the furthest to get there—my flight leaves Melbourne, Australia at 9:45 a.m. and lands in LA just 50 minutes later at 10:35 a.m. Wrap your head around that.

Truth be told, I was disappointed when PressNomics disappeared after GoDaddy acquired Pagely since I never got to go. Even from afar, it was clear that Josh and Sally—especially Sally—put so much of themselves into running PressNomics. Events like that are rare. They’re small enough that you won’t get lost in a sea of faces, and you know everyone there wants to be there. You make real connections with people who care.

That’s what I’m really looking forward to at PressConf.

Speakers and schedule highlights

As I mentioned, the full schedule is now live—and it’s an impressive lineup. Like PressNomics before it, this event is drawing business leaders from across the WordPress community.

Speakers include Oliver Sild (Founder and CEO, Patchstack), Kimberley Lipari (Owner, Valet Web Services), Brad Williams (CEO, WebDevStudios), Tammie Lister (Co-Founder, Guildenberg), Karim Marucchi (CEO, Crowd Favorite), Remkus de Vries (Owner, Truer Than North and Scanfully), Miriam Schwab (Head of WordPress Relations, Elementor), Rich Tabor (Product Manager, Automattic), Jeremy Saxey (Co-Owner, RadiateU), Brian Coords (Developer Advocate, WooCommerce), Mark Szymanski (agency Owner, content Creator, and consultant), and Amber Hinds (CEO, Equalize Digital).

Here are a few other speakers I’m especially excited to hear from:

• Sally Strebel will kick things off with a talk titled Life is an Event. How are you going to show up? Sally has been pretty quiet since Pagely’s acquisition, so I’m looking forward to hearing her perspective.

• Mary Hubbard (Executive Director, WordPress) and Matías Ventura (Lead Architect, Gutenberg) will sit down for a fireside chat. I’ve heard both speak before—especially Matías, who’s been central to Gutenberg’s development for many years—but I’m keen to hear them in this more intimate, business-focused format, where they may speak more candidly than they do at WordCamps.

• Jake Goldman (Founder, 10up) will give a talk titled Who is WordPress for anymore? I’ve always enjoyed Jake’s thoughtful blog posts, and given his experience in the enterprise space, I’m curious to hear his take at what feels like a pivotal moment in WordPress’s history.

• Kevin Geary (CEO, Digital Gravy). I love the energy and bravado he brings to the community, and I’m genuinely impressed with how he’s marketing Etch, the visual development environment his team is building for WordPress. We need more of Kevin’s confidence and willingness to do, rather than just say, in the WordPress world.

Sponsors and support

A number of sponsors have already lined up to support PressConf. Kinsta, GoDaddy, WP Engine, and Pressable have stepped in as Showcase Sponsors—which is great to see, given that Raquel is really taking a chance on bringing this event to the community.

There are also several well-known Community Sponsors: StellarWP, BigScoots, A2 Hosting, Blackwall, Rapyd Cloud, and Showit. Bluehost, Oxy, and RadiateU are providing in-kind support.

Tickets are still on sale, and if you haven’t grabbed one yet, I encourage you to seriously consider it—they’re a steal for the value on offer, especially compared to similar non-WordPress business events.

If you’re looking to start or grow your business around WordPress, this is the kind of event you won’t want to miss. Some of the most influential folks in the space will be there—and the conversations, connections, and takeaways could genuinely help shape what’s next for you and your business.

And if you are going, I can’t wait to see you there and learn alongside you.