Drupal Community Summit DrupalCon Chicago 2026
A presentation at DrupalCon in in Chicago, IL, USA by John Picozzi
Community Summit DrupalCon Chicago 2026 “Every year DrupalCon brings the best kind of magic — brilliant talks, big ideas, and the buzz of the Drupal community!” Sarah Ferrara
Welcome To The Community Summit Today’s Agenda ● 9:00am – 10:20am ○ Morning Session 1 ■ Welcome + Ice Breaker ● (20 min) ■ (35min) Lightning Talks ■ (60 Min) ● ● 10:20am – 10:40am ○ Coffee Break 10:40am – 12:00pm ○ Morning Session 2 ■ AMA: Event Organizers (35 min) ■ Fireside Chat: Drupal Contribution 1:00pm – 2:20pm ○ Afternoon Session 1 ■ Session: Economic Resilience: Practical Project Strategies to Get More From (35 min) ● ● 2:20pm – 2:40pm ○ Coffee Break 2:40pm – 4:00pm ○ Afternoon Session 2 ■ Session: IXP Program: How we delivered 1500 credits in year one (35 min) (35 min) ● 12:00pm– 1:00pm ○ Lunch Fireside Chat: The Drupal Federation ■ Fireside Chat: The Drupal Association (35 min)
Drupal Slack - Ask Questions!! ○ Drupal Slack Channel: ■ ○ #community-summit Post Questions for… ■ Drupal Event Organizers AMA ● ■ Start with “AMA Question:” Fireside Chats ● Start with “Fireside Chat Question:”
Ice Breaker! Community Card Sort (Speed Networking) 2 Rounds; 5 minutes each ● Write one topic or question on a colored sticky note ● Round 1 (5 min): join a table, share, discuss ● Rotate ● Round 2 (5 min): repeat with a new group
Ice Breaker! Community Card Sort (Speed Networking) Color-Coded Topics Green – Organizing Events Blue – Promoting Drupal Pink – Growing the Community Orange – Sustaining the Community Yellow – Other Ideas
Empowering Drupal Advocates: The Drupal Booth Program With Ryan Witcombe, Drupal Association
Introduction Drupal Association Marketing & Communications Marketing & communications for three brands: Ryan Witcombe Surabhi Gokte Tanisha Kalia Director of Product Marketing Digital Communications Manager Communications Consultant ● ● ● Drupal Drupal Association DrupalCon
Drupal at Major Events The big goal is to build an event marketing program where Drupal Certified Partners and the Drupal Association partner together to co-invest in Drupal’s presence at major industry events around the world — bringing our ecosystem to the audiences that matter most, at scale.
But there is another opportunity Drupal community members are already attending conferences, and industry events outside of ʻDrupal Island’. When they talk about Drupal, speak on panels, or represent our ecosystem, they’re our most authentic advocates - but they’re often doing it without organizational support.
The ‘Drupal Booth’ Program A support program for community members advocating for Drupal at events. The program would provide: Physical Resources Speaking Support Promotion Banners and posters (2-3 designs options, shipped to/from events) Presentation decks and templates Social media support Key messaging and talking points Promotion of speaking session Drupal swag (shirts, pins, sticker) Case studies and data points
Why this matters Extends our reach Beyond DrupalCon and official DA activities Reduces barriers For community members wanting to advocate Amplifies impact Makes every touchpoint more professional Builds connections Among advocates across regions and industries Maximizes efficiency Supports organic advocacy already happening
How it would work 1 Community member registers event attendance/speaking engagement 2 Receive appropriate resources based on event type and needs 3 Coordination via Slack for logistics and support 4 We amplify participation through Drupal channels 5 Post-event debrief and resource return
Next steps The Drupal Association is committing $10,000 to pilot this program in North America. Pilot Phase Gather Feedback Launch with interested community members Refine resources and processes based on experiences Scale Gradually Measure Impact Expand as we learn what works Track events, reach, and community satisfaction
Fill out the feedback form to help us shape this program. https://forms.gle/5EMfYZbN2C569vNS8
And help contribute to the global event calendar that we are building.
Drupal Marketing Initiative Building a Coordinated Global Marketing Engine Join the BoF → Tuesday @ 2pm ● ● ● ● Coordinated campaign strategy across the Drupal ecosystem Roles for Drupal Certified Partners: Lead, Contributing, and Open Contribution Areas: Content, Design, Video, SEO, Social, Analytics, Strategy Earn Drupal.org contribution credits + ecosystem recognition Interested? Find us at the BoF or talk to Ryan Witcombe.
Getting Off The Island: Spread the Seeds, Plant New Forests With Bernardo Martinez, Senior Web developer, Vaultes
What does it mean? Improving the tech stack? Chasing the new and shiny objects? Exploring other islands, finding treasure and rushing back. It could also mean: ● Presenting at other conferences both tech and non-tech related. ● Building pro bono(freeish) sites to showcase how powerful the tool is. ● Attending other conferences and sharing it with others. ● Creating buzz, marketing material and demos. ● Providing means to keep rockstar devs in the community.
What Others Do and We don’t What I noticed from PHPTek, All things Open, Laracon and Longhorn PHP. Highlights: ● They add keynotes and sessions speakers from other communities. ● They attend other conferences and create hype about their tooling. ● They embrace the PHP elephant and its significance on the community. ● They have a lot of unpaid side projects and side ventures. They overshare about them on Youtube and podcasts.
Scenic city summit Chattanooga
Missed Opportunities
Drupal vs Laravel Shadcn - UI components https://www.drupal.org/u/shadcn Adam Wathan - Tailwind Css ( LaraconUS 2015 to 2019 and 2024, 2025) Jeff geerling https://www.drupal.org/ u/geerlingguy Evan You - Vue.js, Vite - Laracon US multiple times (2016, 2018, 2019)
Drupal vs Laravel Jen Simmons - CSS Working Group https://www.drupal.org/u/jensimmons The Primeagen- Youtube influencer - Laracon 2024 Scott Tolinski https://www.drupal.org/ u/stolinski Wes Bos - JS educator - Laracon 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jYpvqMbr_E
After getting started with Drupal in 2011, Tolinski found that he enjoyed using the CMS, but was having to spend an inordinate amount of time figuring out a lot of problems for himself. Frustrated by the difficulty of finding reliable documentation on a number of projects, in March of 2012 Tolinski got together with Schaaf and began developing Level Up Tuts. https://www.drupal.org/node/2838077/blog/drupal-training-the-self-taught-solution
ElePHPant in the room
DrupalCon Pittsburg 2023 Brad Frost - Atomic Design creator Did a panel with Four Kitchens. Was not featured on the main stage or marketed!!!
Let’s remember the past: Close your eyes and take deep breath.
What were our challenges then? 1. Everything used php templates. 2. No dependency injection, no proper OOP patterns. 3. Limited REST/API-first capabilities out of the box. 4. Composer-based workflow not native (bolted on via contrib) 5. Slow out of the box experiences. 6. Core themes were outdated and unappealing. 7. Limited trainings videos and docs.
What do you see?
We all know a projects with: High impact + Little to no budget = A great opportunity for Drupal to show its strengths. An example of planting the seeds.
But you may think. 1. That’s great, but I have not time. Family, friends or other commitments. 2. I’m not seeking a job and I don’t care at the moment. 3. That’s the DA or Acquia’s responsibility. 4. Someone else might do it. 5. I up to date with latest drupal tools and have feedback and but I have been hiding. 6. I’m ready to make an impact, but idk how to start.
Which usually translates too 1. I could build the site, but I don’t want to do maintenance updates on it. 2. I’m afraid it will turn into an ugly, inaccessible site. A site I be ashamed of showing or letting others know I helped with. 3. Hosting is too expensive and custom themes take too long.
Affordable Hosting and Premium themes Dripyard Drupito Flexsite
Planting a Drupal forest on every island one site at a time.
Beyond the Drupal bubble: Building a cross-community ecosystem With Maya Schaeffer - Community Lead, Evolving Web & Drupal Association Board Member
From a Drupal event → Digital ecosystem Drupal doesn’t succeed in isolation. Success depends on a broader network. Cross-pollination of communities drives good vibes • • • • A mix of new people and alumni. A mix of job seekers and job providers. A mix of designers, developers, vendors, and clients. Drupal (the CMS) must appeal to a diverse, beginner-friendly audience. 👉 We stopped building for “Drupal people” and started building for the ecosystem.
Overall attendance EvolveDrupal 💧 EvolveDigital 💻 2023 Montréal : 110 👥 2025 Montréal : 240 👥 2023 Toronto : 120 👥 2025 NYC : 250 👥 2023 Ottawa : 130 👥 2026 Toronto : 185 👥 2024 Atlanta : 110 👥 2024 Montréal : 145 👥 2024 NYC : 160 👥 2024 Toronto : 135 👥 2025 Boston : 175 👥
By Industry: By Role: 🎓 20% Higher Ed 🏛 20% Government 💛 10% Non-profit 🏢 7% Enterprise 🤝 25% Agency 💻 10% Tech Vendor 📣 30% Comms 30% Technical 🎨 18% Design 👔 16% Manager/Director 📋 7% Project Manager
How we achieved it
Community Collaboration • Drupal community agencies (Digital Polygon, Agileana, 9thCo, Symetris, Foster Interactive, Northern, Alithya…) • Vendors (Pantheon, Acquia, DubBot) • Co-promotion with Drupal Association, DropTimes, DrupalNYC, NEDCamp, Digital Collegium, Design4Drupal, DrupalTO • Utilizing each others networking to spread the word, help with program and grow attendance. • Invite client/prospects to (co)-present and attend 👉 Strong events are co-created, not top-down
Finding speakers • Invite speakers who you want there • Consider: • • Match speakers to audience segments • Strong network & follower numbers • Experienced speakers • Job titles = credibility/experience Use own LinkedIn network + 2nd and 3rd degree connections + speakers’ LinkedIn network • Get on calls with every speaker • Ask them: “Who else should be part of this?”
Network & Community Building • • Pre-event meet-ups (2-3/event) • Co-working day • EvolveUX design demos • Drinks Pre-summit VIP dinner (sponsors, speakers, special guests) • Serve lunch on high top tables • Longer breaks between sessions • Post-event reception at the venue
Help to evolve Drupal • Speak to a broader audience • Show up where others already are • Shape Drupal’s narrative • Build strong partnerships • Create memorable experiences • Support the ecosystem
Coffee Break Return @ 10:40 AM “Met some wonderful people and learned an incredible amount in a very short time.” Chris Pedersen Provide Feedback
Event Organizers Ask Me Anything (AMA)
Tell us a little bit about how you are involved in Drupal Events?
What are you most looking forward to at DrupalCon?
What’s one thing your organization does differently than most events / camps, and why?
Let’s Take some audience / Slack questions… (Post in the #community-summit channel of Drupal Slack )
How do you grow and vet camp leadership?
What session formats have been most effective lately? (Workshops, Lightning Talks, Panels, BoFs, AMA, Etc.)
What is the largest challenge your organization faces?
Why do you feel Drupal events are important to the future of Drupal?
Fireside Chat Drupal Contribution Tim Hestenes Lehnen CTO Drupal Association
What’s new with Drupal Contribution?
What’s your favorite contribution update or change in the past year?
What kinds of contributions are still under-recognized or under-supported?
Let’s Take some audience / Slack questions… (Post in the #community-summit channel of Drupal Slack )
What can we do to make non-code contributions feel more visible and celebrated?
If you could change one “system” around contribution overnight, what would it be?
What’s next for the contribution system on Drupal.org?
Lunch Return @ 1:00 PM “Their shared love of Drupal, open source, and the open web comes first. It’s a community that builds together, improves together, and shows up together. That energy is contagious.” Charles Andrew Revkin
Economic Resilience: Practical Project Strategies to Get More From Drupal in Any Market With Ashraf Abed - CEO Drupito.com Teacher Debug Academy Board Member Drupal4Gov
Drupal’s target markets are facing budget cuts. This impacts Drupal agencies & individuals. Mine included.
But our traditional markets are not the only markets. Not even close. It’s time to diversify our sources of revenue.
99.9 percent of businesses* are small businesses. And nearly all of them need websites. *USA Businesses, source: advocacy.sba.gov
Do we tell them how great Drupal CMS is? No. A sobering truth: Most customers simply do not care about the technology.
We must focus on what they do care about: ● ● ● Speed to launch. Cost to launch. Meeting their industry’s needs.
Low-cost, fast delivery. Sure. How do I make that work?
First, Choose your Adventure:
- Competing for lower-budget custom projects. 2. Building for a Niche, and selling repeatedly. (SaaS) Let’s talk about how to be successful in each path.
Option 1: Making lower-budget* Drupal projects economically viable. *Custom projects normally too small for Drupal, typically implemented with WordPress & NextJS. ($5k+)
A holistic approach is required. Budget-friendly: ● Architecture ● Design ● Client Expectations ● Project Management ● Hosting & Maintenance
Managing Scope is Everything ● ● ● ● Out of the box = Affordable Customized = Expensive Not every bug is in scope ‘Out of scope’ items will be evaluated post-launch
Say no: “Great idea! That’s not in the current scope. Here are our options: 1. Swap it in for other planned item(s) 2. Plan it for a follow-up project”
Wireframe early. Design late. Design strategically so you can leverage OOTB markup & components.
Spend your time building what moves the needle. 1. Select a Site Template/Starter a. From the Drupal Association (local development) b. Or from app.Drupito.com (hosted) 2. Build.
Architect so your server is cool on the busiest days. Keep hosting costs down; save the budget for building.
Option 2: Build for a Niche. Distribute Drupal as SaaS. Build once, sell repeatedly. Earn recurring revenue.
SaaS is one of the highestmargin business models ever. Sell sites, not hours.
Select a Niche. Physical Therapy Offices, Gyms, Dental offices, Kids Sports Leagues, Eye doctors, Spas, Nursing homes, Daycare Centers, Escape rooms, News agencies, Car-repair shops, Churches, Personal Trainers, Indoor Sports Facility Rental, Hotels, Landscaping, Career coaches, Mid-sized Universities, ………
Invest in integrating yourself into your target market This is not about “casting a wide net”. Focus.
Focus on building what matters to the customer. Build on top of starters; invest in customer-facing value. (You can even build on top of paid starters via drupito.)
Replace tools & services they are already paying for. Use the savings to inform your SaaS pricing.
Sell subscriptions. Earn Recurring Revenue. drupito is an all-in-one “Drupal sites as SaaS” platform. Payments, demos, and subscriptions included. + Automatic contributions to the DA.
Earn more from supplemental services Customization, marketing, automation.
Collect feedback. Iterate. Sell, again and again. Build it and they will come. Go where customers are. Attend their events. Participate in their subreddits. Collect feedback. Iterate. Sell again and again.
Finally, share lessons learned with the Drupal community. We’re in this together.
Fireside Chat The Drupal Federation Baddý Sonja Breidert CEO / Co-founder at 1xINTERNET Chair Drupal Association
For folks hearing about the Drupal Federation for the first time: What is it?
What problem is the Federation trying to solve that the current structures don’t fully address?
What is the current status of the Drupal Federation? Does it exist yet?
Let’s Take some audience / Slack questions… (Post in the #community-summit channel of Drupal Slack )
What’s the most common concern or misconception you’ve heard so far?
When will we “Launch” the Drupal Federation? What are the first steps?
When will we “Launch” the Drupal Federation? What are the first steps?
Coffee Break Return @ 2:40 PM “The Drupal future is incredibly bright.” Jay Griggs Provide Feedback
IXP Program: How we delivered 1500 credits in year one With Ana Laura Coto - Sr Drupal Developer Realistic Computing
2023 - Drupalcon Pittsburg
He finished the training. No one would hire him. Santiago completed Mike Anello’s DrupalEasy training program. He had the skills. Every company still wanted professional experience on the resume. That’s when we decided to build a way through.
No experience without a job. No job without experience. Every Drupal company wants experienced developers. Every newcomer needs someone to give them that first chance. It’s the same catch-22 across all of tech — and in Drupal, it’s shrinking the base of our ecosystem.
- The IXP Initiative
- The IXP Program
How it works drupal.org/ixp
What 250 credits means
- Year one results
Year one by the numbers
This wasn’t busywork ● Custom modules, 500+ site migrations plugin, Storybook components ● Drupal CMS restaurant templates and site designs ● Contributions to 7 drupal.org contributed modules
@Sarah Lorenzen
DigitalProjex Uruguay
Digital Polygon United States
Seed EM Colombia
TanRen Tech Costa Rica
Drupal CMS changes the game for IXP Simpler projects newcomers can deliver today New business lines companies couldn’t justify before Seed EM is already building CMS templates
You have a deal to bring to any company. IXP isn’t charity — it’s a value exchange. You bring a company 250 credits worth ~$25,000 and a path to Certified Partner status. They give you 160+ hours of real paid work with built-in mentorship. Learn how it works at drupal.org/ixp, then go make your case.
Fireside Chat The Drupal Association Tim Doyle CEO Drupal Association
What’s new at the Drupal Association? What are you most excited about?
How do you decide what to focus on when the community has so many needs?
What does financial sustainability look like for the DA right now?
Let’s Take some audience / Slack questions… (Post in the #community-summit channel of Drupal Slack )
How do you maintain diversity across the DA?
Where do you think the DA-community relationship is strongest today and where can it improve?
What’s a change coming in the next year that you think people should be paying attention to?
Thank You! Enjoy DrupalCon Chicago “I hope we can all find ways to care about building the web we want to see for the future. Making Drupal better means making the Open Web better.” Dries Buytaert Provide Feedback
These slides are from the Drupal Community Summit at DrupalCon Chicago in 2026. The Drupal Community summit is a dedicated space for Drupal community members to connect, collaborate, and share insights on strengthening our ecosystem. This summit provides an inclusive environment for discussing challenges, exchanging ideas, and exploring strategies to grow and sustain both local and global Drupal communities.
Drupal thrives on collaboration, and this summit offers a unique opportunity to contribute, learn, and help shape the future of our vibrant ecosystem. Whether you’re a seasoned contributor or new to the Drupal community, you’ll leave with actionable insights, new connections, and inspiration to drive community initiatives forward. More details at DrupalCon Community Summit.
Resources
The following resources were mentioned during the presentation or are useful additional information.
