My First DrupalCon: A Decade in the Making

After nearly a decade at Palantir.net, and even longer in the world of Drupal, I finally took the plunge and attended my first DrupalCon! I’d previously attended a few other community events like MidCamp and Texas Camp, but DrupalCon always felt like a more intimidating undertaking. Between project deadlines and a desire to be mindful of my professional development budget, it never seemed to align. With all of the innovation happening in the AI and Experience Builder space, I decided to take the plunge this year and attend. I’m really glad I did!
The experience was extremely valuable, and here are my key takeaways for others looking to attend their first DrupalCon:

1. Arrive Early, Secure Your Seat!

My first lesson was learned the hard way. I walked into my initial session just a few minutes before it started, only to find a packed room where I was forced to stand in the back behind a support pillar. This isn’t a college lecture — seats and space aren’t guaranteed! I made a mental note to attend other sessions that I thought would be popular a few minutes early.

2. The Drupal Community: Warm and Welcoming

Despite a lot of attendees, everyone I met was incredibly friendly and approachable. I’m pretty introverted by nature, but small talk proved to be a fantastic way to connect with fellow Drupalers. I found myself waiting for a fresh supply of hot water to make a cup of tea with some fellow attendees. It turned out to be an opportune time to pick their brains about a dashboard initiative I’ve been looking into. If you need help, use my favorite way to break the ice — a deprecating joke about Drupal.

3. You’ll Recognize Familiar Faces

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of familiar faces I encountered. Former colleagues, individuals I’d heard about in the Drupal space, and even online acquaintances were all there. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect in person and put faces to names. For example, I ran into Bálint in the expo hall after attending a session he hosted the day before and got to pick his brain with some questions I had about Experience Builder.

4. The Power of Community is Real

The often repeated phrase, "come for the code, stay for the community," really resonated with me. The energy and passion within the Drupal community is real. I left feeling inspired and motivated to contribute back to this incredible open-source project. It left a salient reminder that this project is successful because a bunch of people like me contribute their time and talent. If I want Drupal to be successful, it takes my contributions, too.

5. Swag, Snacks, and Networking

Both spending some time at the Palantir booth talking to passers by and taking a few laps around the exhibit hall was well worth it. I had a lot of great and insightful conversations with vendors, partners, and even competitors. It’s nice to get on-the-ground insight into  the latest trends within the Drupal ecosystem. And yes, the swag and snacks were a nice bonus! My favorite souvenir was a retro-styled Atlanta poster that I brought home to commemorate my first DrupalCon.

6. Overcoming Presentation Intimidation

For years, I've been hesitant to propose a session at DrupalCon. This experience helped break down that intimidation. I realized that it's not as daunting as I imagined, and I'm determined to submit a proposal for a future DrupalCon. The Drupal space is large, and we’re all working on really cool stuff. I’m determined to capture learnings from my projects and share them out with the larger community.

All in all, my first DrupalCon was an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend it to anyone involved in the Drupal community, and I'm already looking forward to attending DrupalCon Chicago in 2026!