A Day for Drupal by the Portuguese Drupal Community

Tomorrow, the Portuguese Drupal community will come together for the largest event of the year—Drupal Day Portugal 2024—at the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications, and Informatics (DETI) of the University of Aveiro. Organized by the Drupal Portugal Association, the event promises a full day of engaging talks, hands-on workshops, and opportunities for knowledge exchange. As anticipation builds, this year's edition is set to be the biggest yet, reflecting the growing interest in Drupal and the broader open-source ecosystem both locally and internationally.

At its core, Drupal Day Portugal is about fostering a sense of community around Drupal, one of the most powerful and widely used open-source content management systems (CMS) in the world. As the main event for the Portuguese Drupal community, it provides a platform for institutions, developers, and tech enthusiasts to share their experiences and explore the potential of the dynamic Drupal. The day will feature sessions led by some of the most experienced members of the Portuguese Drupal community, covering various technical topics and practical applications.

According to Ricardo Amaro, one of the event organizers, the goal of Drupal Day is to 

"grow and consolidate the Portuguese Drupal Community" 

while staying true to its free and open-source roots. He emphasizes the importance of creating an inclusive environment where people from different backgrounds and skill levels can come together. 

"With this event, we want to bring out the personable face of interacting with Drupal and other technologies in a more down-to-earth and less business-oriented environment," 

he says.

The event will kick off at 9:30 AM with a check-in, followed by a welcome session led by Ricardo Amaro and Francisco Almeida. One of the most anticipated parts of the day is the keynote session at 10:15 AM, delivered by Dominique De Cooman, who will provide an update on Mautic, Drupal, and the emerging open Digital Experience Platform (DXP) ecosystem. As the day progresses, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in various technical sessions and workshops.

Additionally, those interested in practical, hands-on learning can attend Ricardo Amaro's workshop, "Leveraging Kubernetes for Drupal: A Beginner's Laboratory." Pre-registration is required, and the workshop will run in two parts during the afternoon.

The process of selecting sessions and speakers was meticulous. The goal was to cover a diverse range of topics that cater to different segments of the tech community. As Ricardo outlines, the selection criteria focused on ensuring a balance between technological innovation, practical application, and the speaker’s contribution to the Drupal and open-source communities. 

“There are also considerations related to the speaker's novelty and contributions,” 

he notes, explaining that the event seeks to provide dynamic learning opportunities for all attendees, from seasoned developers to newcomers.

One of Drupal Day Portugal's key objectives is to engage with the broader world of free and open-source software (FOSS). 

"The Portuguese Drupal Association recognizes the importance of strengthening the bonds with its free and open-source roots and engaging with other communities. This is a unique approach that gravitates towards the multifaceted ecosystem of different types of ideas and tries to redefine the idea of community."

Ricardo sees this as a critical step towards fostering growth, especially in an academic setting like the University of Aveiro.

“Drupal Day Portugal 2024 aims to foster growth in an academic environment, exchange of knowledge, and community cohesion, with the focus on the broader Free and Open-source industry,”

 he says.

Attendance for this year's event is expected to surpass previous editions, adding that there is already strong interest, with 84 attendees registered. He attributes the event's increasing popularity to the organizers' efforts to provide an engaging, inclusive experience. This year, they hope to retain the audience not only for Drupal Day but also for the Free Software Festival, which happens over the weekend, including Ubucon, an event dedicated to Ubuntu and other open-source technologies.

Organizing an event of this scale comes with its own set of challenges. For the organizers, one of the recurring issues is encouraging session submissions and engaging younger participants to get involved. However, this year, a broader multi-community approach has helped address these challenges by involving participants from other tech and open-source groups. This strategy has made the event more sustainable and collaborative, ensuring that it remains community-driven and inclusive.

All sessions across the event’s three rooms on Friday will be recorded, and this year, the organizers have improved the process by also recording the projected slides, enhancing the overall quality of the video content for those who may want to revisit the presentations.

As Drupal Day Portugal 2024 is set to kick off tomorrow, it is still possible to secure a ticket for what promises to be an exciting day of learning, networking, and community-building. Whether you're a developer, a project manager, or simply someone curious about open-source technology, this is the perfect opportunity to deepen your understanding of Drupal and its many possibilities. The DropTimes sincerely thank Ricardo Amaro and Francisco Almeida for their support in helping us cover the event.

With the support of ADP and the Free Software Festival 2024, this year’s Drupal Day is expected to leave a lasting impact, further solidifying the country’s position as a growing hub for open-source innovation. As Ricardo puts it, 

“There is still a rising interest in Drupal as a technology within Portugal, which has also made the application and the event significant to the professionals, the fans, and beginners.”

Don't miss out—Drupal is waiting for you!