What happens when the top WordPress agencies and infrastructure leaders get together in the desert?

PressConf isn’t trying to compete with large-scale events like Global WordCamps or CloudFest.

No expo halls. No constant sales pitches. No endless badge scans. Just a curated group of agency founders, hosting executives, and product leaders brought together in Tempe, Arizona.

Where traditional conferences prioritize scale, PressConf prioritizes signal. Smaller attendance, tighter curation, and a deliberate structure create space for meaningful conversations instead of surface-level interactions.

This is not about how many people you meet.

It’s about who you meet and what actually comes from those conversations.

The Vision Behind PressConf: Raquel Manriquez and the Theme of Clarity

At the center of PressConf is founder and curator The Raquel, who has a clear vision: to create an event where authentic conversations can occur without distraction.

This year’s theme, Clarity, isn’t just branding. It’s the foundation of the entire experience.

Clarity on the WordPress ecosystem today.

Clarity on how agencies and hosts evolve.

Clarity on priorities in an AI-influenced environment.

Amidst industry noise, clarity gives a real competitive edge.

Who Attended PressConf

PressConf brings together the people actually building the WordPress ecosystem: Agency founders, Hosting providers, and Product and Policy leaders.

Hosting Companies like JetHost, Your.Online, Pantheon, Rocket, Pair Networks, GoDaddy, WP Engine, DreamHost, ServeBolt, InMotion Hosting, Gridpane, Hostinger, and Hosting.com were all part of the conversation.

WebHosting.today Gold Sponsors Monarx and Extendify were also in attendance, actively engaging in discussions and networking throughout the event, adding depth to conversations around security, performance, and WordPress growth tooling.

These decision-makers not only participated but also influenced the direction of discussions on performance, scalability, and the future of WordPress infrastructure.

Key PressConf Sessions Driving Real Conversations

The sessions at PressConf reflect what’s actually happening inside the industry. The deliberate single-track formula maintained clarity as the speakers shared their journeys and knowledge. While AI was top of mind throughout the event, the conference covered a wide range of topics, with only a few sessions focused specifically on AI and its impact on agencies.

Katie Keith, Founder and CEO of Barn2 Plugins, presented “Life as the Business Plan,” discussing how reframing founder mindsets leads to sustainability and long-term alignment. She also shared personal insights on balancing business and family.

Matt Cromwell, Founder of Roots and Fruit, tackled a critical question in “Is There a Future for WordPress Plugins?” exploring the realities of competition, commoditization, and evolving expectations in the plugin ecosystem.

The “Secure Hosting Alliance” panel, moderated by Rae Morey and featuring David Snead of the i2 Coalition, Chris Ghazarian of DreamHost, and Jared Sine of GoDaddy, provided an unfiltered look at security, policy, and the challenges facing hosting providers at scale.

Vito Peleg, Founder and CEO of Atarim, and Brent Weaver, CEO of E2M, both explored the rise of the “Agentic Web Agency” and “The Gift of Unlimited Scale,” highlighting how automation and AI are reshaping agency models.

Ben Gabler, Chief Product Officer at Hosting.com, presented “Beyond the Exit: How I Sold In, Not Out,” detailing his experience growing Rocket.net and focusing on long-term value creation over traditional exit strategies.

A fireside chat with Christian Dawson of the i2Coalition and Soeren von Varchmin of Cloudfest explored the evolving role of the internet infrastructure community in shaping policy and the web’s future.

Rage, Rant, & Rave: Fast, Honest Insight From the Front Lines

Going beyond a traditional panel or Lightning talk, PressConf featured “Rage, Rant, & Rave,” with Emma Young of Hostinger, Bryce Adams of Metorik, and Robert Jacobi of Blackwall.

Fast-paced, energetic, and unfiltered, the session delivered exactly what the name promised. Real frustrations, Real wins, and Real insights.

It revealed real-world challenges operators face, beyond narratives.

Where WordPress Agencies and Hosting Infrastructure Finally Align

One of the most important outcomes of PressConf was the establishment of new collaborative partnerships and actionable plans between agencies and hosting providers. Attendees outlined concrete steps, such as agreeing on new performance benchmarks, shared best practices for AI integration, and streamlined support processes, all aimed at improving performance and support across the ecosystem.

When agencies were asked what they wanted from their hosting partners, their responses were direct. They were not necessarily seeking more features or lower prices; instead, they were seeking trust, reliable support, and partnerships that reduce complexity. As one agency leader stated, “We don’t want hosting to become another operational burden. We want a hosting partner.” Another summarized: “Support and trust are the big ones. Everything else comes after that.”

That clarity extends into how hosting is evaluated today. It’s no longer just about keeping sites online. It’s about protecting performance, revenue, and client relationships. “A great host is not just where a site lives. It is part of how an agency protects performance, revenue, and client trust.”

This kind of insight and the actionable outcomes rarely emerge from panels or presentations alone; rather, they arise in PressConf’s focused, results-driven environment.

Why Curated WordPress Events Like PressConf Are on the Rise

There is a clear shift happening in the WordPress and hosting industry.

PressConf represents this shift.

Under Raquel Manriquez’s vision and with clarity as the theme, PressConf isn’t just showing where the industry is going; it’s helping define it in real time.

Big conferences create awareness.

Smaller conferences create direction.

PressConf creates momentum.

And in a rapidly evolving WordPress and hosting landscape, momentum drives the industry forward.