Shape the exciting lineup of community-driven, educational sessions by serving on the Program Committee!

What an event this last DrupalCon was! Thanks to all who joined us in April for DrupalCon Seattle 2019.

In planning this event, more funds than ever before — 30 percent more, to be exact — were allocated for grants and scholarships. This tied in with the overall aim of having a cross-section of attendees, all of whom play a part in contributing and advancing the Drupal Project. Funding for grants and scholarships is from the support of our conference partners, as well as conference registrations.

New to DrupalCon? We’re glad you’re joining us in Seattle!

Here are ideas to help you prepare for this exciting week among thousands of other Drupalers, while hundreds of sessions, summits, trainings, just-for-fun events, and more are all happening—some simultaneously. We have tips for during the conference and afterward, so make the most of this new experience! 

We’re featuring some of the people in the Drupalverse! This Q&A series highlights individuals you could meet at DrupalCon.

Every year, DrupalCon is the largest gathering of people who belong to this community. To celebrate and take note of what DrupalCon means to them, we’re featuring an array of perspectives and fun facts to help you get to know your community.
 

The backbone of every DrupalCon is the community of people who come together at the event, and in particular the involvement of community volunteers who collectively influence and shape the experiences of others in attendance. In short, Mentors!  

Sign up to Mentor

We’re featuring some of the people in the Drupalverse! This Q&A series highlights individuals you could meet at DrupalCon.

Every year, DrupalCon is the largest gathering of people who belong to this community. To celebrate and take note of what DrupalCon means to them, we’re featuring an array of perspectives and fun facts to help you get to know your community.
 

We’re featuring some of the people in the Drupalverse! This Q&A series highlights individuals you could meet at DrupalCon.

Every year, DrupalCon is the largest gathering of people who belong to this community. To celebrate and take note of what DrupalCon means to them, we’re featuring an array of perspectives and fun facts to help you get to know your community.
 

DrupalCon Seattle is looking different than the DrupalCons of years past.

The overarching goal when planning DrupalCon Seattle 2019 was to expand both outreach and accessibility so that attendees would be representative of the community as a whole. The value of the conference is in the perspectives, energy and diversity of experiences participants share.

DrupalCon began setting goals to overtly increase diversity starting with DrupalCon Baltimore 2017. This continued in the planning of DrupalCon Nashville 2018, and is prioritized for DrupalCon Seattle 2019.

We extend a hearty congratulations to our 10 scholarship and 12 grant recipients. A global team of community members were given the green light to award more funds than ever before, aiming to have a cross-section of contributors in attendance at DrupalCon Seattle 2019. As a result, we’re awarding aid to people from nearly every continent: six attendees from Europe, nine attendees from the Americas, two attendees from Africa, four attendees from South Asia, and one attendee from Australia.
 

As you’re performing a cost-benefit analysis about attending DrupalCon Seattle- we have valuable feedback from DrupalCon attendees to share.

Each year, it’s the largest Drupal gathering in the world, which lends an air of excitement as people converge within a convention center, and often see name badges of people they’ve only met online in open source, thus transposing online interactions into interpersonal connections.

DrupalCon gathers a range of citizens of the Drupal ecosystem to learn, share, and collaborate together. The value of the conference is in the perspectives, energy and diversity of experiences participants share. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re invited to participate in DrupalCon. 

DrupalCon began setting goals to overtly increase diversity starting with DrupalCon Baltimore 2017. This continued in the planning of DrupalCon Nashville 2018, and is a priority for DrupalCon Seattle 2019. 

If you are getting ready to attend your first DrupalCon, here are a few ideas to help you prepare for an intense week of open source software community from @horncologne. Watch the interview video for more tips and inspiration from my Drupal friends.

Show up to the Drupal Association booth and you'll find some smiling faces, fun activities, and more. Make sure you do these things....

We want to hear your voice at DrupalCon. 

Looking for the perfect way to celebrate Cyber Monday - you could be one of the first to buy tickets to DrupalCon Nashville!

Everyone is welcome (including you!)

With just about two weeks to go until DrupalCon Vienna we are anticipating an amazing week of learning and collaborating ahead! There will be code sprints all week, but Friday is our dedicated sprint day when anyone and everyone can come contribute to Drupal core and participate together in guided sprints.

An Interview with Justin Rhodes | Freelance Sitebuilder and Project Manager

Oh! Hey there, my name is Piyush Jain and as a new staff member at the Drupal Association I wanted to learn what the community likes so much about DrupalCon. Community is what cements Drupal as a leading technology world over, and many community members meet at DrupalCon year after year to learn, share experiences, and bond. So I reached out to a few community members to find out about their experiences. This is the sixth conversation in my series. If you haven’t been to a DrupalCon, here is a little more about our events.

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This week, I spoke with Justin Rhodes (TheJustinRhodes). Justin has been part of the Drupal community for four years, and has attended four DrupalCons.

Piyush: Tell us about your first or best DrupalCon.

Justin: DrupalCon New Orleans was my most memorable DrupalCon. Not only was the location enjoyable but I truly felt like I was a part of the community and able to contribute. I was able to help organize the first North American Project Management track. This gave me a huge feeling of confidence and pride in my ability to support the Drupal Community without being a technical asset pushing code.
 

Piyush: What was your favorite food this DrupalCon?

Justin: This past DrupalCon in Baltimore I enjoyed many meals off the reservation. About a half mile from the conference center there was a small market. Inside this market there was a place called Faidley’s Seafood with the best crabcakes I’ve ever had.

Piyush: What has your experience been like with the Drupal Community at DrupalCons?

Justin: DrupalCon is like a big family reunion. It’s a chance to see my extended family from all over the world. I enjoy learning and growing along with other driven people who bring their experiences to DrupalCon to share openly. This is the type of community that I really enjoy.

Piyush: Share with us your most memorable moment/ conversation at a DrupalCon?

Justin: DrupalCon after hours is always filled with catching up and networking. I’d have to say that finding places to talk with influential and excited Drupalers during the organized after parties is a lot of fun. It’s hard to choose just one moment, but the Drupal Trivia night was quite a lot of fun!

Piyush: How has DrupalCon given you an edge at work?

Justin: DrupalCon and smaller Drupal events have made my career what it is today. Without the friendships and connections I've made while diving head first into Drupal by attending these events, I would not have been able to learn and grow into the business person I am today.

Piyush: Tell us about a time you were able to incorporate your learning from DrupalCon.

Justin: I’ve learned a lot about Agile project management from DrupalCon sessions and videos from the past. I built a project management career off of those teachings and then began speaking about Agile philosophies at smaller events around the US.

Piyush: How has DrupalCon helped grow your business?

Justin: Instead of reinventing the wheel, DrupalCon allows me to hear the successes and failures of the people in my same role around the world. This gives me a huge opportunity to find mentorship and catharsis amongst my peers.

Piyush: What do you see yourself gaining out of future DrupalCons?

Justin: I believe that I will continue to learn and grow through more DrupalCons. Networking is also a huge point of going to events like this, in order to find more clients and forge more strategic partnerships with like minded entities that value great Drupal work.
 

Piyush: How has DrupalCon helped you develop and evolve your team and your peers?

Justin: DrupalCon has always been a great team building opportunity as well as an educational experience. I’ve had a lot of really good mind-meld sessions with co-workers and as a company we’ve always walked away from DrupalCon with a renewed sense of pride and dedication.

Piyush: Why do you think is DrupalCon important for the Drupal Community?

Justin: It is important for the Drupal Community to come together in a face-to-face format instead of being completely digital. The amount of interactions that we have at a DrupalCon with people that we would have never met is the key to success for any member of a community.

An Interview with Chris Shattuck | Founder BuildAModule

Oh! Hey there, my name is Piyush Jain and as a new staff member at the Drupal Association I wanted to learn what the community likes so much about DrupalCon. Community is what cements Drupal as a leading technology world over, and many community members meet at DrupalCon year after year to learn, share experiences, and bond. So I reached out to a few community members to find out about their experiences. This is the fifth conversation in my series. If you haven’t been to a DrupalCon, here is a little more about our events.

This week, I spoke with Chris Shattuck (chrisshattuck), who has been part of the Drupal community for 10 years, and has attended 7 DrupalCons.

Piyush: Tell us about your first or best DrupalCon.

Chris: The DrupalCons I’ve been to have all been pretty amazing. The first one I went to was in Washington DC and it was fascinating to see so many different kinds of people all working with the same tools. By that time, I had become a fan of a number of contributors and it was humbling and exciting to meet them in person. I had only recently met some other Drupalists in my area, so to see that I was part of such a vast community made me feel connected.

Piyush: What has your experience been like with the Drupal Community at DrupalCons?

Chris: Over the years I’ve developed a number of important friendships through the DrupalCons. Just the opportunity to be around the same folks at least once a year for a few days in a row gives it a summer-camp-style vibe. I missed this year’s DrupalCon and feel like I missed a chance to be with a lot of great people. Hopefully that won’t happen again. ;)

Piyush: Share with us your most memorable moment / conversation at a DrupalCon?

Chris: Every DrupalCon, I’ve had conversations that have changed my professional direction. One year, I talked to a couple of people doing Drupal training and decided that would be something I’d like to do. Another year, I talked with someone who sat down and talked me through the logistics of expanding my company, which I ended up doing. There is no way to pick a ‘most memorable,’ but I know that every year I have at least one conversation that changes the course of my professional life, and others that help me grow as a person.

Piyush: How has DrupalCon given you an edge at work?

Chris: Being able to connect with people working with Drupal in a huge variety of ways has helped my develop a diverse network that I have leveraged for advice and inspiration in nearly every stage of my professional growth. I have had the opportunity to meet existing customers to get feedback and make a more personal connection. I have also developed relationships that have resulted in future customers, though I see that more of a positive side-effect than a goal.

Piyush: Tell us about a time you were able to incorporate your learning from DrupalCon.

Chris: A lot of the learning that I do at DrupalCon is not about techniques as much as it is about building a broader picture of what is going on in the Drupal community, how the market for Drupal-related services and products are changing, and how to organize more complicated events, like trainings. At the first DrupalCon I went to, I watched a session by Josh Koenig about handling asynchronous data, and I’ve used techniques from that session for multiple projects through the years. Thanks Josh!

Piyush: How has DrupalCon helped grow your business?

Chris: DrupalCon provides a physical location for anyone who is interested in Drupal to congregate at one time. That’s unique and has been a huge factor in developing partnerships and touching base with people who are important to my business.

Piyush: What do you see yourself gaining out of future DrupalCons?

Chris: I suspect that what I gain from future DrupalCons will be very similar, with the added benefit that the bonds I’ve made with people through the years will continue to grow stronger, and I will value even more the opportunity to see them all in one place.

Piyush: Why do you think DrupalCon is important for the Drupal community?

Chris: Going to DrupalCon initially gave me the sense that Drupal and the people that build it had fostered a living, global, vibrant community. It made me feel like there was more meaning in the work I did, and it fueled my enthusiasm for months afterward. I suspect the same kind of experience is important for anyone who is transitioning from just using Drupal to really owning their relationship with it.

Over time, DrupalCon has helped me feel connected and interested in participating in the Drupal community. Continuing to foster enthusiasm in the community.

Piyush: What was your favorite food this DrupalCon?

Chris: There was a DrupalCon where the catering brought in a kind of buffet and I remember thinking that this wasn’t the typical boxed sandwich lunches. That was the best.

To find a DrupalCamp or DrupalCon near you visit Drupical. Keep yourself notified about DrupalCon, sign up for DrupalCon news.

Read the previous story about Enzo’s experience.

An Interview with enzo aka Eduardo Garcia | Drupal Trainer/Consultant, weKnow | CTO, Anexus

Oh! Hey there, my name is Piyush Jain and as a new staff member at the Drupal Association I wanted to learn what the community likes so much about DrupalCon. Community is what cements Drupal as a leading technology world over, and many community members meet at DrupalCon year after year to learn, share experiences, and bond. So I reached out to a few community members to find out about their experiences. Here is another conversation in my series. If you haven’t been to a DrupalCon, here is a little more about our events.

This week, I spoke with Eduardo Garcia (-enzo-), a Drupal Console core maintainer. Eduardo has been part of the Drupal community for 9.5 years, and has attended 6 DrupalCons.
 

Piyush: Tell us about your first or best DrupalCon.

Enzo: The first DrupalCon was the best for me, the experience was new for me, it was in Portland, USA. I never felt this level of community integration in one place. I learnt a lot, people were really welcoming, the spirit and everything was completely awesome. Even though I have been participating in Latin America, in many events the spirit of having your first DrupalCon is really, really overwhelming. You have a lot to learn in terms of working for community, and for business, and for yourself, because there are a lot of people to who can try to help you learn new things.

Piyush: What was your favorite food at a DrupalCon?

Enzo: Mumbai! My first time in India was in Mumbai for DrupalCon Asia and everything smelled like ‘okay this is going to be hot for my tongue’ but I tried everything, and the good thing is I didn't get sick, but the taste and flavors and smells were so so different. It was really amazing.

This is what I am talking about DrupalCons, each are in a different location and you can leave your comfort zone and be a part of a different culture for a few days and food is one of the things you can enjoy in a culture. I remember another thing about DrupalCon Mumbai, the best prenote I have been to, the bollywood dance was the best. The preparation was amazing, this was a cultural engagement.

Piyush: What has your experience been like with the Drupal Community at DrupalCons?

Enzo: Well, I have been seeing for many years that the spaces to try to be integrated as a community member have been undergoing a transformation in a good way. For instance, in the first DrupalCon we did not have a track to talk about how to be a good human. In the cyber community, because obviously we are computer-oriented people, sometimes we forget that we are humans and this kind of conference is a relief for people because it is a big umbrella as it integrates gender, race, religion, and change is coming with time.

Piyush: Share with us your most memorable moment / conversation at a DrupalCon?

Enzo: I am a Drupal Console core maintainer, so I remember conversations, not just with one person but several people during DrupalCon Los Angeles. In that DrupalCon we got a lot of feedback, both positive and negative about the direction we could move in. We got a lot of endorsements and a lot people who did not like what we were doing. Definitely, all these inputs provided us a way to define a roadmap for our community, to try and deliver to the people what we think they are asking for.

Also do you know how it is when you are working in digital environment sometimes and you have disagreement with certain people that you've never met in person? So having the opportunity to talk with these people in person and understand their feelings, because sometimes you read an email and you put thorns in your mind, but talking with people will defeat all the preconceived notions that you might have about that person, and you also get to provide your point of view.

Piyush: How has DrupalCon given you an edge at work?

Enzo: Yes, totally it does! The knowledge you receive is really big and it's really difficult to try to learn everything by yourself. DrupalCons allow you the opportunity to test in a short period of time many trends in our industry and obviously that will increase your productivity in terms you don’t need to test all by yourself. You could see the birth or edge of the technology in one place and that will definitely give you a better position among your competitors.

Piyush: Tell us about a time you were able to incorporate your learning from DrupalCon.

Enzo: Usually everything that is presented at a DrupalCon in terms of sessions I can use in less than 3 months, almost always, because there are some subjects for which I keep on saying I want to try, I want to try, but I never have the time. And then I see how someone showcased it in DrupalCon and then I come back and I want to apply it as soon as possible. In fact, all the information provided in DrupalCon is usually very relevant for the current moment of the technology.

Piyush: How has DrupalCon helped grow your business?

Enzo: Definitely there is a big pull in our business. My company provides outsourcing consulting in the USA and DrupalCon provides us a space to meet a lot of people and showcase who we are, what we do, and what is our experience with the work we have done. DrupalCon allows us the opportunity to do this in person instead of doing it over a call or a cold email.

Piyush: What do you see yourself gaining out of future DrupalCons?

Enzo: During the last changes in Drupal community, I am interested in seeing more integration with other communities like Node.js or even other products. I have been seeing some integrations such as Drupal with artificial intelligence. We have been creating a lot of this kind of stuff. I think these will be sideline subjects for the next or the following years of DrupalCons.
 

Piyush: How has DrupalCon helped you develop and evolve your team and your peers?

Enzo: Yeah, well more than passing it on in our organisation every year, we try to bring a couple from our team and they learn first-hand, the level of professionalism that is required to work for international companies and this has helped changed the mind of our co-workers and employees and to be able to understand what is the process behind attending and acquiring business through DrupalCons, and it’s not all in your computer. I think DrupalCon allows you to define and increase the vision about what is around the Drupal business and Drupal community.

Piyush: Why do you think DrupalCon is important for the Drupal Community?

Enzo: I think that DrupalCon allows us to build an ecosystem. Without it we will not be any different from any other community. DrupalCons allow us to create an identity, and it is good to have this meeting point where we could state ourselves as a community, where we are learning what duration are we going on and what is the rest of the environment doing, in favour of this project or this community.

To find a DrupalCamp or DrupalCon near you visit Drupical. Keep yourself notified about DrupalCon, sign up for DrupalCon news.

Read the previous story about Rachel's experience.