All conferences are held in English, regardless of location. Talks and logistics are all conducted in the English language.
What are the differences between the spring and fall conferences?
Spring conferences are held in North America, almost always in the United States. (Conferences may be held in Canada too.)
Fall conferences are held in Europe, almost always within the Schengen Area.
Generally conferences in both locations have had the same basic three-day structure, and a similar mix of subject matter.
While extensive efforts have been taken to standardize conferences as much as possible, certain local differences necessitate some aspects of the spring and fall conferences to be different.
Examples include:
Conference tickets in North America are priced in U.S. dollars, while in Europe, they are priced in euros. Also, ticket prices may also differ.
Conferences in North America typically occur Wednesdays through Fridays, while European conferences typically occur Mondays through Wednesdays. (There have been exceptions, such as Fall 2025.)
Conferences in North America typically ask attendees to book in a designated conference hotel. Conferences in Europe rarely have this requirement; instead, a few hotels are recommended by the organizers and attendees are encouraged to book at these hotels to promote socializing in the evenings.
Breakfast is usually provided by the conferences in North America, while breakfast is the responsibility of the attendee in European conferences.
Attendees of European conferences between the ages of 18 and 20, inclusive, are invited to join social activities involving alcohol. However, in the United States, this may not be possible depending on the situation, due to the higher drinking ages imposed by the states.
Is financial support provided?
Beginning in 2025, scholarships are provided by the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group.
For more information, please see the scholarships page.
What is the minimum age for attending?
There is no minimum age for attending, though minors should be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult as required by local law.
Individuals who are below the legal drinking age in the jurisdiction of the conference should notify a conference organizer as soon as possible. The conference's social events usually feature alcohol, and sometimes local laws do not permit the establishment to host underage individuals when they are also serving alcohol to attendees. This is primarily a problem in the United States, where the drinking age is 21 in all 50 states.
It is important for any attendee under the age of 21 attending a conference in the United States to inform a conference organizer as soon as possible so the conference organizers can make arrangements for you to not be left out of social events as best as possible.
Are food and drinks paid for?
The conference ticket pays for your lunches, snacks, and selected refreshments for all three days, as well as a conference dinner at the end of the second day.
In North American conferences, breakfast is also generally included for attendees and is served before the first talk of the day.
In European conferences, conference attendees will need to find their own breakfast. The recommendation is either to find a bakery in the morning on the way to the conference venue, or to eat breakfast at your hotel.
If I have dietary restrictions, what should I do?
Contact the conference organizers to inform them of your dietary restrictions. Organizers have always aimed to accommodate individuals with dietary restrictions to the best of their ability.
Do conferences include visa sponsorship?
Most conferences will have an organizer who is designated to assist with visa sponsorship situations. The conference does not reimburse for visas but will be able to provide documentation and supporting evidence to prove the purpose of your trip.
Can I propose a location to have a conference? Can I host a conference?
Absolutely! Anyone is able to propose a location and propose to host the conference. In fact, several recentconferences have been successfully hosted by newcomers to the community. It is recommended to first attend a conference, where you can discuss with the community about your idea for organizing one. This will put you in touch with other community members, who can work with you (and your organization, if applicable) to realize the conference.
Sometimes, the conference is hosted at a hotel or conference center. Other times, a host organization kindly provides their facilities for use, which was the case for both conferences in 2025. The latter is typically more welcomed, as it reduces the costs of running the conference, facilitates the host organization to send more of its members to the conference, and provides a fun experience to visitors.
Who organizes the conferences?
The conferences are a collaborative effort organized by the third-party MediaWiki community. Conferences almost always happen in different cities year to year, although some cities have hosted more than once. Oftentimes a local organization will be gracious enough to host the conference and will partner with the community to organize it.
The MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group (MWStake) is a 501(c)(6) organization recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation as an official Wikimedia User Group. MWStake can work with each conference's local organizer to co-organize each conference instance by providing financial backing to conferences and managing financial logistics, such as ticket sales and catering costs. As a 501(c)(6) organization, MWStake is capable of providing conferences with tax exemptions and financial assistance. Additionally, its experienced members are able to join the conference organizing committee to assist with the conference program, hotel and catering logistics, A/V setup, etc. as needed.
What is the difference between a freelancer and a professional ticket? Which should I pick?
The price is the only difference. There is no difference in the conference experience.
If you are paying your own way for the conference, you are eligible for purchasing a freelancer ticket. That holds true if you are an owner or an employee of a small business, and also applies to those in academia, whether you are a student, researcher, or faculty member.
On the other hand, if your company or organization is paying for a ticket, or you are getting the ticket expensed, please purchase a professional ticket.
No, all attendees are responsible for booking their own lodging. Depending on the conference, there may be a soft or hard requirement to book at a designated conference hotel. Such requirements help keep ticket prices low.
Does the conference ticket include airfare or other transportation costs?
No to both. Attendees need to pay for all of these costs out of their own pocket.
The transportation costs you can expect to incur for the conference could be for ridesharing or for public transportation.
