DrupalCon Singapore: It’s A Wind Up For 2024

OpenSense Labs team attended the DrupalCon Singapore 2024 and it was a wonderful and valuable experience, especially since it was the first DrupalCon Asia since 2016. DrupalCon Singapore 2024 took place from December 9 to December 11, 2024, at the Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore. The conference included Drupal training sessions, contributions, networking opportunities, and more.  

This in-person event focused on uniting the Drupal Asian community for learning, teamwork, and celebrating successes in the Drupal ecosystem.

In this post, we will discuss all the details of the event, including the various sessions, the role of the Dries Note, the inaugural splash awards, and more. 

Before going ahead in this blog, if you are thinking about moving from your current content management system to Drupal, we suggest looking into the migration services offered by OpenSense Labs. 

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Let’s jump right into everything DrupalCon Singapore!

DrupalCon Singapore 2024: Dries Buytaert's 41st Dries Note 

A key feature of every DrupalCon is the DriesNote, and this year was no exception. In his keynote speech, Dries Buytaert discussed the thrilling updates of the Drupal CMS, known as Starshot.

Dries' keynote addressed the present situation of Drupal CMS development and its main areas of innovation. He pointed out four key pillars that are guiding the development: Recipes, Experience Builder, Drupal.org, and Marketing & Documentation. These pillars are designed to enhance accessibility, usability, and strength for both developers and content creators. 

Dries announced that the official launch of Drupal CMS will be on January 15, 2025. This is an important milestone because it coincides with Drupal’s birthday. 

Furthermore, he introduced new tracks as part of Drupal Recipes, aiming to create a more user-friendly experience for building with Drupal. 

Dries talked about the various tracks in the Recipes initiative, each led by different leaders. He also presented five new tracks designed to improve Drupal’s features 

1. Content Import/Migration  

2. Tours  

3. Identity Management/SSO  

4. Content Translation Tools  

5. Front-End Design Systems 

The new tracks are designed to make Drupal easier and more flexible for users, meeting the needs of today's content management. Dries highlighted the significance of the nine-page Product Strategy document, which presents Drupal’s goal for no-code website creation, referring to it as a gold standard in the industry. 

The keynote recognized the support of 15 main sponsors who have contributed to the important documentation process for Drupal CMS. Their backing highlights the teamwork within the Drupal community, which is vital for its development and progress. 

The release of the first candidate version of Drupal CMS was a thrilling announcement, representing a significant step forward for the project. To celebrate this achievement, Dries urged the worldwide Drupal community to host launch parties for Drupal CMS. He pointed everyone to the newly created celebratedrupal.org website, which serves as a central place for planning and promoting these events. 

Image Courtesy – The Drop Times 

 

DrupalCon Singapore 2024: Exploring The Future of Drupal

Our team organized a BOF session called Local Community Discussion: How to Collaborate and Help Each Other Grow. During this session, they talked openly about the difficulties of organizing local events, shared ideas for solutions, and offered helpful insights to support one another's success. 

This also allowed us to connect with local Drupal leaders from Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Canberra, Malaysia, and Singapore. Hearing their stories and exchanging ideas about strengthening communities was truly inspiring for our team. 

Drupal Conferences are known for their interactive sessions. And DrupalCon Singapore 2024 also provided a chance to Drupalers to look into the current state and future of Drupal. 

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 was an exciting conference of creativity, teamwork, and new ideas as the Drupal community came together to influence the future of the platform. 

This year's event showcased major developments, such as the progress of Drupal 11, updates on the future Drupal CMS, and the innovative Starshot project. The conference explored sustainability, user-centered design, and AI's impact on web development. It highlighted the tools, trends, and strategies that are fueling Drupal's expansion.

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 provided insights into the future of one of the top open-source CMSs, catering to developers, designers, and strategists alike. 

Let’s have a look at some sessions that offer insights into future projects related to Drupal:

1. Drupal CMS Panel: Key Leads Answer Your Questions   

This interactive panel featured important leaders from the Starshot project, such as Dries Buytaert, Lauri Timmanee, Pamela Barone, Cristina Chumillas, James Abrahams, and Tim Plunkett, with Gábor Hojtsy as the moderator.  

Participants received unique insights into the future of Drupal, its current challenges, and new opportunities. The discussion, in a fireside chat format, encouraged questions from the community, and gave attendees a special opportunity to hear from the innovators driving Drupal's progress. 

This session fostered open conversation, community involvement, and valuable views on the future of Drupal's core and contributed projects.

2. Building the Future of Drupal: 11, 12, and Starshot 

This session, guided by Gábor Hojtsy and Tim Plunkett, focused on the future of Drupal. It showcased the new Drupal 11.0, the upcoming Drupal 12, and the exciting Starshot initiative. Attendees learned how Starshot enhances Drupal core, impacts contributed projects, and benefits both new and existing websites.

Starshot aims to simplify onboarding, streamline updates, and give users more control, while clearly showcasing the future improvements and usability features of Drupal.

3. Creating Caring Digital Experiences: More Than Just Accessibility 

Nikita Aswani gave a quick talk about making websites that are easy to use and inclusive by using a practical accessibility checklist.  

This session was aimed at developers, designers, and project managers. It emphasizes how important accessibility is for user experience and provides useful tips to overcome obstacles and build real connections. Participants learned key principles, saw practical examples, and heard lessons from actual projects, helping them create digital solutions that are empathetic and inclusive for everyone. 

4. Defining Drupal Starshot with User-Centered Design 

Cristina Chumillas talked about the user-focused approach that influenced Drupal's Starshot project. 

This session highlighted the role of research and data in shaping product strategy. It discussed topics such as user personas, workflows, testing, and feature prioritization. Participants learned how careful design and community involvement have impacted decisions, including naming and design style, to better serve user needs. 

The session highlighted teamwork in creating a valuable and effective Drupal experience. 

5. What, Why, and When for Recipes & Distributions with Starshot 

Abhisek Mazumdar talked about how Drupal distributions and recipes differ and how they can be used in the Starshot initiative. 

The session described the components and their key features, explained their benefits and specific uses, and highlighted the best scenarios for each one.  

Participants discovered how to use recipes and distributions to build scalable and tailored project solutions with the expanding features of Starshot.

6. Innovation and the Future of Drupal 

This session, led by Alejandro Moreno López, Lenny Moskalyk, Cristina Chumillas, Hemant Gupta, and Piyuesh Kumar, looked at Drupal's past, present, and future. The panel discussed Drupal's advantages as a top-tier CMS and tackled issues related to its adoption. Participants reviewed its history, evaluated its place in the CMS market, and talked about ways to innovate.

The goal was to encourage community teamwork to keep Drupal as a top, flexible, and creative platform.

7. Navigating Tomorrow: The Future of Websites in the Age of AI and Content Proliferation 

John Doyle and Gaurav Goyal discussed how artificial intelligence is changing the way we create content for websites, especially as demand grows.  

This session looked at ways to succeed in a world full of content, the importance of AI in customizing user experiences, and how it affects users' interaction with websites.  

Participants learned about the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities that will influence the future of web development, helping them to stay ahead in the changing digital world. 

Also, Check out:

1. DrupalCon Barcelona: 2024 Wrap-Up From Europe

2. Recap: DrupalCon Amsterdam 2019!

3. Ahoy Prague! Attending First DrupalCon

4. OpenSense Labs as a Silver Sponsor at DrupalCon Amsterdam 2019

DrupalCon Singapore 2024: First DrupalCon Splash Awards Asia

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 marked a significant moment with the first-ever Splash Awards in Asia. The night was lively and inspiring as exceptional people and projects in the Drupal community were honored for their impressive achievements. 

This year's ceremony was an important moment for the Splash Awards, as it celebrates 10 years of honoring outstanding Drupal projects from around the globe. 

In the last decade, the Splash Awards have emerged as a worldwide symbol of success, highlighting exceptional efforts in website development, digital design, and open-source contributions in the Drupal community.  

With their first event in Asia, the awards expanded their reach, allowing developers, agencies, and contributors from the area to present their work globally. 

Projects were reviewed by a respected group of judges: Archita Arora (User Experience Designer at QED42), Jim Koutsouris (Technical Project Manager at Morpht), John Doyle (CEO of Digital Polygon), Jakub Piasecki (Developer and Architect at Centarro), and Annam Sreenivasan (Business Analyst at Axelerant).  

The entries were judged based on their idea, design, implementation, and effect, with prizes awarded in five categories: Corporate, Education, Government, Not-for-Profit, and Open Source.

• In the Corporate category, Sparks Interactive won for their Subaru New Zealand project. Their platform received praise for its focus on users and strong performance. Srijan Technologies came in second. Other finalists included Digital Circus and Red Airship. 

• The Education category sees Material+ take the top honor for their work on insead.edu, which elegantly integrates functionality and user engagement for academic users. The runner-up is PreviousNext. Other finalists were WeebPal Technology Corporation and Morpht.

• In the Government category, PreviousNext won the award for its project beta.mentallyhealthyworkplaces.gov.au, noted for its outstanding accessibility and usability. Sparks Interactive took second place. Other finalists included Sitback Solutions and Unimity Solutions Private Limited. 

• The Not-for-Profit category recognized QED42 for their work on diabetes.org, a website that promotes diabetes awareness with smart design and features. Axelerant is the runner-up. Other finalists were Genero, Inc. and Yayasan Amaliah Astra. 

• In the Open Source category, RealityLoop won for Druxt.js. Sparks Interactive was the runner-up for their important work in the Drupal community. 

The highlight of the evening was the Best in Show award, presented by Dries Buytaert, the founder and project lead of Drupal. PreviousNext was the proud recipient of this prestigious award. 

The Splash Awards Asia was a significant event for the Drupal community, highlighting creativity and technical skill while emphasizing the value of teamwork and innovation in the open-source world.

Image Courtesy – The Drop Times 

DrupalCon Singapore 2024: Networking Opportunities 

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 offered 3 days filled with innovative content, motivating talks, and great chances to connect with others. 

Networking is essential at any Drupal event, and this year's gathering provided many chances to connect, work together, and enjoy. DrupalCon Singapore 2024 had something for everyone, from seasoned Drupal users to newcomers.

The social events at DrupalCon Singapore 2024 offered a laid-back atmosphere for connecting with others who shared similar interests and created an easygoing environment for starting conversations.  

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 had a full lineup of sessions, workshops, and keynote speeches, providing many chances to meet speakers, sponsors, and other attendees. 

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 was not just a conference - it was a lively community event. With organized sessions and casual meetups, each moment offered a chance to learn, share, and develop. Engaging in both social and professional activities allowed attendees to build relationships that lasted well after the event.

Migrate to Drupal 10

DrupalCon Singapore 2024: The Day Of Contribution 

Contribution Day at DrupalCon Singapore 2024 offered a great chance to meet other Drupal enthusiasts and helped shape the future of the platform. This event welcomed both experienced contributors and those who were new to the community.

And the Contribution Day is a time to share knowledge, help others, and make real advancements on different projects.

Our team also took part in DrupalCon Singapore 2024 as contributors. We have been involved in the Drupal community for many years and have always worked to help it grow. We were eager to learn about new contribution practices and connect with other community members. 

This day impacts more than just technology. It helps people improve their skills, builds community ties, and boosts visibility in the Drupal community. Contributions can include organizing events, designing user interfaces, translating documents, writing guides, reviewing projects, finding bugs, or submitting code.

Everyone was welcome to contribute, no matter how big or small their efforts were. The goal was to build a friendly and inclusive space where all feel motivated to join in. 

One didn't have to be a developer to make a difference. Contributions that are not technical, such as writing, translating, and reviewing, are equally valuable. The variety of skills at the event enriched the community and allowed everyone to contribute in a meaningful way. 

It was a great way to build relationships and make a positive difference in the Drupal community.

Also, Check Out:

1. SDC: Integrating Storybook & Single Directory Component

2. Drupal 7 End Of Life: Top Reasons You Should Migrate To Drupal 10 

3. Drupal 11 Upgrade: Checklist For Drupal 7 to 11 Migration  

4. Drupal 11: Eleven Changes & Updates In Drupal 11 

 

Key Takeaways 

1. DrupalCon Singapore 2024 was an exciting event full of creativity, teamwork, and new ideas as the Drupal community came together to influence the future of the platform.

2. Dries Buytaert highlighted the exciting updates of the Drupal CMS, known as Starshot, in his keynote. 

3. DrupalCon Singapore 2024 marked a significant moment as it hosted the first-ever Splash Awards in Asia. 

4. DrupalCon Singapore 2024 offered three days filled with engaging content, motivating talks, and great chances to connect with others.

5. Contribution Day at DrupalCon Singapore 2024 was a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Drupal fans and play a role in shaping the platform's future.