Looking Beyond the Horizon at DrupalJam 2025

In the early morning, a peaceful calm still lingers around the former linseed oil and animal feed factory DeFabrique. Gradually, the first attendees trickle in for the 21^st edition of DrupalJam. Their first mission: coffee and a snack. With good reason—all 350 tickets were sold out, and visitors were gearing up for a full day of learning, inspiration, and networking.

Exploring What Lies Ahead

The theme “:and beyond” set the tone for the entire day: looking beyond the horizon and exploring, together with the attendees, what the future holds for the Drupal platform.

Standing by the coffee corner, David Bekker prepares for his session on Drupal on MongoDB. He expects the audience will be especially curious to see how a MongoDB database can support multiple logged-in users in a Drupal environment—without cache issues. Meanwhile, visitor Richard van Yperen is eager to learn about the potential of Drupal CMS and how AI can assist with it. As a solo freelancer, he sees Drupal CMS as a promising option for his clients.

Growing through Post-Growth Entrepreneurship

If the room wasn’t already buzzing, moderator Jeffrey A. McGuire, in a suit as flamboyant as his mustache, energized the crowd for the day’s opening keynote: Post-Growth Entrepreneurship by Melanie Rieback. The CEO of Radically Open Security explained how venture capitalists rarely aim for sustainable growth; their goal is a quick, profitable return. So how does an open-source company grow without sacrificing values? Rieback’s answer: steward-ownership and a golden share—decoupling decision-making from profit incentives and ensuring veto power in case of an unwanted takeover. It’s exactly how she structured her own company.

Data Ownership and Infrastructure

After the keynote, it was time for a wide range of sessions and workshops, with some diving deeper into code than others. Rieback joined the panel discussion on Digital Sovereignty, moderated by SDN Chair Bert Boerland, with Fabrice Mous (NextCloud), Bjorn Wijers (Burobjorn.nl), and Simon Besteman (Dutch Cloud Community). They tackled the urgency of data ownership and control over infrastructure, especially in light of current U.S. policies. Besteman noted that concerns have been known for a while: 

“In the Netherlands and EU, we were aware that companies like Microsoft and Google could be forced to share our data with U.S. authorities. We just thought it wouldn't happen.” 

The conclusion? There’s still a long road ahead, but open standards and shared ownership are key to regaining control.

Drupal in a Day: A First for Students

Running parallel to DrupalJam, “Drupal in a Day” offered an educational track for aspiring developers. Thirty students joined this crash course—no Drupal experience needed. Led by Jean-Paul Vosmeer and Hilmar Kári Hallbjörnsson, also known as the Drupal Viking, the students learned Drupal basics and built their very first website. MBO student Bart Haanepan found it accessible: 

“It wasn’t hard, and the explanation was easy to follow.” 

Asked whether he’ll continue with Drupal: 

“No idea yet. I’ve only worked with PHP so far. I’m also curious about Java.”

Hallbjörnsson was pleased to hear his class was well-received. 

“I usually teach university students, so I prepared the content accordingly. But I quickly realized I needed to be more hands-on. I’ll definitely adjust the material for different education levels in the future.”

Pacman, Ping Pong & Pit Stops

During breaks, attendees could visit sponsor booths—either to collect stamps for a chance to win free tickets to DrupalCon Vienna or Drupal Dev Days Athens, or just to unwind. Sponsors went all out: React Online brought a massive Pacman screen, Finalist set up an escape room, Swis built a racetrack, Synetic had ping pong tables, and iO invited guests for a game of billiards.

AI Everywhere

Many sessions focused on the rapidly evolving world of AI. Jamie Abrahams (FreelyGive Ltd.) remarked that the mindset has shifted from “maybe we could use AI for this” to “if you’re not using AI, something’s wrong.” But the human element remains critical. “It’s about HGI—Human Generated Interface,” Abrahams said. “To work effectively with AI, you need human-centered skills.”

A Global Drupal Future

With structural changes underway, Imre Gmelig Meijling (Drupal Association board member) and Esmeralda Tijhoff (Stichting Drupal Nederland board member) hosted a session on NEDA and the European Working Group. They updated attendees on the exploration of a new international structure: the International Drupal Federation. This model would empower local associations with greater autonomy to organize Drupal-related activities. More details are expected at DrupalCon Vienna (14–17 October 2025).

AI Art and a Saudi Skyscraper

The closing keynote by AI artist Jeroen van der Most provided the perfect ending. Mixing storytelling with AI-generated artworks, he shared a surreal journey that landed him in a luxury suite in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Wrapping Up with Wisdom (and a Pub Quiz)

After a day full of inspiration, attendees enjoyed drinks and bites—and reflected on whether the event met their expectations. “Absolutely,” said Joke van Hamme, CEO of Belgian agency 3Sign. 

“I came with broad interests, and I gained exactly the insights I was hoping for.” 

As she looks forward to the Splash Awards this fall, others wrapped up their day at the DrupalJam Pub Quiz. The winning team took home a holy water sprinkler—an inside joke referring to newly anointed Pope Leo XIV, and a fitting blessing for this year’s DrupalJam.

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This article, originally written in Dutch by Ruud de Bruyn, was translated into English by Esmeralda Braad-Tijhoff. Thanks to both of them. 

All photos credited to Jean Paul Vasmeer, Daniel Lemon, Imre Gmelig Meijling, Valarie Valkenburg, and Eelco Romeijn.