CMS Conf Takes You Outside the WordPress Bubble

Are you stuck inside the WordPress bubble? In this episode of The WP Minute+ podcast, Eric talks with Maciek Palmowski, organizer of CMS Conf, about why CMS communities benefit from looking outside their own ecosystem. Maciek explains how working at Kinsta and expanding into application hosting helped push him to explore other platforms, conferences, and communities. They also discuss what CMS Conf aims to create in Gdynia, Poland: a space where WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and newer API-first systems can learn from one another. The event takes place from November 12-14, 2026.

Takeaways

• Maciek became a “CMS tourist” after working at Kinsta and seeing the value of exploring beyond WordPress.
• CMS Conf is designed to bring together people from multiple CMS communities, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and newer platforms.
• WordPress’s real strength is often the ecosystem around it: community, events, and shared culture.
• Systems like Astro and Statamic show how different CMS approaches can create better out-of-the-box experiences.
• The goal of CMS Conf is to help attendees break out of their bubble, stay curious, and learn from other communities.

Important links

• CMS Conf website (Click here for a 25% ticket discount)
• Why I’m Organizing CMS Conf
• Connect with Maciek: LinkedIn | Twitter/X
• The WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe