Drupal Event Platform 2.0 Ushers in New Era for Camp Websites

Martin Anderson-Clutz has released version 2.0 of the Event Platform, a major step forward in simplifying and improving the process of building websites for Drupal camps and community events. Built to support organizers with limited technical resources, the platform offers a flexible structure, automation, and a growing library of features developed with input from real-world event teams.

Originally based on the Florida DrupalCamp 2022 site, the Event Platform has evolved into a modular system with configurable components for session management, speaker access, sponsorship tracking, and multilingual support. The new 2.0 release introduces a multi-event structure that lets organizers manage multiple years of content in one site. Events are stored as taxonomy terms and referenced by content types, which makes views filtering and contextual display easier to manage.

A key innovation in 2.0 is a built-in workflow that mirrors the stages of event planning. From session submissions to schedule publication and event completion, the platform can automatically update site content and permissions based on key dates using the ECA (Event Condition Action) module. Session scoring, drag-and-drop scheduling, and automated email notifications help organizers manage proposals and communicate with speakers more efficiently.

To support camps without custom themes, Martin worked with the Florida DrupalCamp team to release Event Horizon, a new contrib theme with color and graphic configuration options. Camps can use the theme as-is or lightly customize it without breaking upgrade paths.

Upcoming priorities include moving configuration kits to Drupal Recipes, offering a ready-to-launch site version, and making the platform available through services like Drupal Forge. There are also plans to enhance email formatting and explore AI features for content review.

The Event Platform has already been used by events such as Drupal Dev Days, NEDCamp, and DrupalCamp NJ. It continues to grow through feedback and contributions from the Drupal community.

More information and a demo are available at https://www.mandclu.com/blog/drupal-event-platform-new-stage-evolution.