My First Drupalcon

This week I attended my first DrupalCon, the semi-annual gathering of a diverse group of people devoted to the health & development of Drupal.  After being involved with Drupal for over five years and attending many Drupal Camps, it was a thrill for me to finally make it to "The Con." 

One of the great things about Drupal is the fact that thousands of people contribute to the project.  This makes the code better but also has created a community of givers and volunteers.   Understanding that, I started my week by volunteering to help setup the venue on Sunday afternoon.  Being severely jet-lagged I only lasted a few hours, but I got to meet several other Drupalers who were volunteering their time.   Many thanks to Adam Hill of Consult and Design for leading and managing the team of volunteers throughout the week. 

On Monday, I attended the CXO event, led by Jeff Walpole of Phase 2, which for me was excellent.  It was the first time I was ever in a room with dozens of people who had the same interest as me:  building a business around Drupal.  In that session I met people from all over the world, and I was amazed and grateful for how welcome they made me feel.  I met Alex De Winne of Therefore Interactive, who is building an outstanding Drupal business in Toronto.   Adrian Pintilie of Softescu is one of several guys I met from Romania, and he was kind enough to invite me along to an Acquia reception after the CXO.   I also enjoyed meeting Thomas Barregren, founder of Node One in Sweden and now running his new startup called KNTNT (pronounced "Content").  Thomas had studied a short time at the University of South Carolina so we had an instant connection.  He was very kind to me and it was great to meet some of his current and former team members throughout the week. 

The sessions throughout the week were excellent.  Many thanks to all those who prepared and presented.  The keynotes were all informative and inspirational.  Along the way I met many more talented and inspirational people, including Guy Schneerson and George Boobyer of Blue-Bag.com, a U.K.-based Drupal shop.  Thanks to Aaron Porter of Aberdeen Cloud for initiating the social events known as "Cheap Frosty Beverages &  Killer View" which was a great way to meet and interact with other attendees.

Overall it was a great week.   While the content was excellent, I was most impressed with the people, and I'm very glad to be a part of the world-wide Drupal community.