A Look Back: Highlights from DrupalCamp Asheville 2024

On July 15, the curtains came down on another year of celebrations in the Asheville Drupal Community with the conclusion of DrupalCamp Asheville 2024. The event strives to be a laid-back environment for learning, sharing, growing, and having fun with members of the Drupal community. Nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Asheville welcomed all those Drupal enthusiasts who had come for the code and camaraderie of the community and nurtured them into a family.

DrupalCamp Asheville 2024 commenced on a Friday, July 12^th, with engaging morning training workshops led by industry experts. The "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Drupal" by Rod Martin offered newcomers hands-on experience in building a Drupal 10 site, providing essential skills and a comprehensive site-building guide. Michael Anello conducted the "Professional Drupal Module Development Tools" workshop, equipping developers with the tools and techniques to optimize their local development environments. Additionally, the "Learn Laravel: Intro for Drupal Developers" session of Lee Walker introduced participants to the fundamentals of Laravel, bridging knowledge gaps for Drupal developers interested in expanding their skills. These workshops provided a valuable learning experience, enhancing participants' technical proficiency in web development.

“Camp went really well this year. I think any camp where new and seasoned members of the Drupal community are present can be called a success.”

shared April Sides, the organizer of DrupalCamp Asheville 2024 with The DropTimes.

She also mentions that the camp strives to be a place where folks leave refreshed and re-energized in their return to life and work. Although there wasn't a hike in the number of participants, the event retained practically the same number of attendees this year compared to last year.

"It’s still low historically, but my gut feeling is this is an economic impact. I’m hopeful we will see an uptick next year,"

said April.

The training on Friday was also topped with the Friday Unconference. It was a laid-back, interactive event where participants pitched their ideas for discussions and talks on the spot. There were no preset topics, making the schedule flexible and driven by what attendees wanted to explore. The vibe was fun and collaborative, with a mix of Drupal-focused and related tech discussions, providing a great opportunity for networking and sharing knowledge. It was a perfect space for anyone interested in tech and community engagement.

"As a camp that represents itself as a refreshing and recharging event, we organize a lot of social events. These aren’t your typical tech networking events with beers and business cards. We try to center them around activities to help break the ice and allow people the space to engage. This year we added a minor league baseball game which was a lot of fun."

The following day had almost 18 sessions. Some of these speakers were not members of the Drupal community but discovered DrupalCamp Asheville and decided to share their knowledge. Saturday featured a full day of engaging sessions, starting with registration and announcements. The event included diverse topics such as "From Setback to Security: Navigating Data Loss in AWS," presented by Justin Keiser, and "Beyond 99 Red Balloons: A Guide for Inclusive Images," by AmyJune Hineline. Ryan Szrama's session on "Unify the Association Digital Experience with Drupal Commerce" was a key highlight, focusing on-site building and case studies. The day concluded with a raffle, lightning talks, and a closing ceremony, offering a comprehensive learning experience for attendees.

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April explained that the selection process for DrupalCamp Asheville 2024 sessions focused on relevance to the audience and diversity in topics, both technical and non-technical. The committee also prioritized giving first-time and local speakers opportunities to present, ensuring the event was accessible for those looking to share their knowledge and start their speaking journeys. This approach aimed to create a well-rounded program that catered to a wide range of interests and expertise levels within the community.

The importance of inclusivity shouldn't have to be preached at DrupalCamp Asheville. It's not a mere exercise but a culture ingrained in the event's organization.

"As far as event activities, I believe we are one of the only events that includes what we call a Reciprocity Board. It’s a board where attendees can post requests for things they need, want, or desire, professionally or personally. Once posted, other attendees can respond with offers to help the requester. I believe this is a great way to engage our more introverted or first-time attendee audiences."

shared April. Caution was also deployed to include relevant sessions by members of marginalized communities in tech. The event also encouraged attendees to bring family or friends, which helped ease the experience for introverts and first-time participants. The food and beverages catered to dietary restrictions and provided non-alcoholic options. The venues were chosen carefully to avoid being exclusively alcohol-centered, creating a welcoming environment for all attendees.

"I think one of our strengths is in how accommodating we are."

said April Sides, as a proud organiser.

"My favorite part of organizing camp, aside from bringing all of my Drupal friends to my hometown, is seeing attendees grow from year to year. I can follow their journey from attendee, to social event attendee, to speaker, to organizer, etc. Knowing that all of our hard work goes into providing an opportunity for this professional and personal growth is the true reason I organize."

The final day of DrupalCamp Asheville 2024 featured a hike in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, resonating the importance of nature for recharging before returning to daily routines. The hike, typically attended by a smaller group, fostered meaningful conversations and the building of strong relationships among participants. This tradition highlights the community's commitment to well-being and connection beyond the camp's formal sessions.

Any event comes with its own share of challenges. Organizing an event you can be proud of is a lot of work, April continues...

"Having a solid team that commits to tasks and follows through can be a challenge. This year’s team was small but mighty. We helped each other along the way and pitched in when life happened."

April emphasized the importance of recognizing that being an organizer for DrupalCamp Asheville is a volunteer role. She noted that the event's success relies on the commitment and follow-through of each team member. While grateful for the current team, April acknowledged the need for more volunteers to prevent burnout and maintain the event's quality, ensuring it continues to meet attendees' expectations.

DrupalCamp Asheville 2024 did come to a satisfactory close but April believes there is still room for improvement.

"I think we really need to do a better job of reaching out to local and regional colleges and universities to ensure we are able to grow the Drupal community in a sustainable way. As we explore ways to engage students for next year, we hope to build shared resources that other Drupal meetups and camp organizers can use. This is a common problem that I believe we can solve together."

Couldn't attend this time? Watch out for DrupalCamp Asheville 2025.

"Come for the code, Stay for the community!"