Highlights from Day 1 at DrupalCon Atlanta 2025
DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 opened on Monday, March 24, with a full day of activity at the Hyatt Regency. From early registration to deep-dive summits and an energetic expo hall, the conference’s first day captured the collaborative spirit the Drupal community is known for.
The day featured sector-focused summits including Community, Government, Healthcare, Higher Education, and Non-Profit. The Community Summit kicked off with opening remarks by John Picozzi and AmyJune Hineline and ran a full schedule of discussions centered on growth, accessibility, and the future of Drupal.
One key session during the Community Summit—shared with us by Esmeralda Braad-Tijhoff, who generously supported The DropTimes in covering the event—featured Tim Doyle, CEO of the Drupal Association. Tim described the Drupal community as “the most warming and welcoming environment” he has encountered. He emphasized the critical need for marketing and innovation to help Drupal remain competitive, especially as commercial platforms pour huge budgets into reaching end users. According to Tim, it's time for Drupal to bring the open-source experience to businesses, governments, and the general public in a more visible and accessible way.
Esmeralda also reported that Tim addressed the financial sustainability of the project. The Drupal Association had held meetings over the weekend focused on securing a long-term financial model.
“We have a hugely experienced community,” he said, “but we don’t have financial models that can keep us going. What do we do now to make sure that Drupal is as strong in ten years as it is now? That’s what we are figuring out.”
He noted that making Drupal easier to learn is a key part of that strategy, along with broader representation at tech events and conferences worldwide.
Tim also commented on governance, particularly in light of recent concerns within the WordPress community. He clarified that Drupal’s governance is structured to prevent centralization. Dries Buytaert holds just one vote out of twelve on the Drupal Association board, and the Association itself is fully independent—not primarily funded by any single organization or individual.
“There is no commercial connection between the DA and the Drupal project,”
he said. The Drupal Association controls Drupal.org and ensures that access to Drupal releases remains stable and secure.
Elsewhere at the conference, the Event Organizers Working Group hosted discussions about onboarding new users and supporting global communities. One participant raised a compelling issue: current marketing materials in English don’t help him promote Drupal in his region. He highlighted the need for localized content—specifically in French—and asked for more resources to support initiatives in Africa.
The day also included various technical trainings such as Drupal theming with TailwindCSS, advanced module development, and a DrupalCMS preview, all requiring separate registration. Birds of a Feather sessions ran throughout the day, providing attendees informal spaces to collaborate and connect.
A Mentor Orientation in the afternoon helped prepare volunteers for the upcoming mentored contribution day on Thursday, emphasizing the value of helping others get involved in Drupal.
The Expo Hall opened in the evening, drawing attendees to explore tools, services, and companies shaping the Drupal ecosystem. Just before the Welcome Reception, the New Member + Local Drupal Community Meet Up offered newcomers a relaxed space to connect.
A big thank-you to Esmeralda Braad-Tijhoff for her in-depth reporting from the Community Summit, and to Norah Medlin for photographs that’s helping document the event as it unfolds. Stay tuned, Day 2 has the Driesnote!
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