Drupalcamp spain 2024: more than just a technology Meetup

Walking around the unique cityscape of Benidorm—marked by skyscrapers, neon lights, and streets where English is more predominant than Spanish—you might feel as if you’re in Myrtle  beach, Fort Lauderdle or Las Vegas, rather than on Spain’s warm Mediterranean coast. Known for its high-energy vibe, entertainment, and its peculiar skyline dotted with skyscrapers, Benidorm brought an extra spark to this year’s Drupalcamp.

After three years, Pantheon was back to sponsoring and having a presence at DrupalCamp in my homeland of Spain. And not only that—we’re back in my birthplace, in the province of Alicante, making this year’s DrupalCamp in this quirky city of Benidorm particularly special for me.

Now that the dust has settled, I wanted to share a few takeaways from these past days, focusing on the community, the technology, the innovation, and the many inspiring interactions.

The Community

We all know the Drupal saying: Come for the code, stay for the community. But no matter how many times I hear it, I’m continually amazed by the strength and closeness of our community. And in the Spanish Drupal scene, maybe it’s our Mediterranean spirit, but the warmth and friendliness at Iberian Drupal events feel especially welcoming—even more so than at typical Drupal events (which are always friendly, too!).

I left the event feeling inspired by the interactions I had. One of the most energetic people in the Spanish (and wider Drupal) community is Rubén Tejeiro. We’ve known each other since DrupalCamp London, back in 2012 or 2013. Talking with Rubén is like a breath of fresh air—his energy is contagious, and he truly embodies the spirit of giving back and positivity that defines our community. He said something that really resonated with me: “The community has given us so much that we can’t turn our backs; we have to keep pushing and giving back to this amazing group of people.”

As he spoke, I couldn’t help but think of Anoop, whose enthusiasm matches Rubén's. You can see the spark in their eyes when they talk about the community and the project. You two need to talk guys!

Talking about enthusiasm, Dominique from Dropsolid, is some of the most enthusiastic individuals regarding innovating and pushing Drupal to the heights and markets, and he continues showing that coming to events and talking and inspiring people wherever he can.

If there was a highlight, the Hiberus team came strong to the event with a huge presence, all of them working hard, but also messing around, having fun, keeping up with our jokes, and adding a note of humor with their Star Troopers landing on planet Benidorm. Jokes apart, Hiberus is an immensely talented group, including Dennis, Julian, Adrian, Victor, Yasmina, Alba… There were so many of them, so sorry if I’m leaving some behind and I don’t mention you, but with around 50 attendees, Hiberus made up nearly a third of the camp’s 300 attendees. They arrived in their custom blue van and captured all our attention and hearts with their talks and energy. You all continuously raise the bar. Sois muy grandes 💙

One standout session was Megan Prat's, during the business day, which brought a refreshing focus on the human side of our work. She explored the challenges we face—not just technological but deeply personal ones. In a world dominated by tech and AI, Megan reminded us that empathy is a powerful skill, even a superpower, when it comes to bridging business and human needs. Her talk highlighted how empathy transforms business sense into human sense, helping us connect authentically with the communities we serve by addressing our shared fears, pushing boundaries, and building resilience through genuine understanding.

On a personal note, I’d love to see even greater inclusivity at the camp, especially around language. Making it clearer which sessions are in English and which are in Spanish—or even adding translation options—could make a big difference. While some felt that English wasn’t as necessary, I believe opening our community to our EU neighbors and other international attendees can only be positive. In any case, the organization was brilliant, and we all enjoyed the results in a very successful camp.

Technology and Innovation

Everyone’s excitement around Starshot was palpable. Drupal’s ability to keep reinventing itself over the past 20+ years is short of incredible, and Starshot is the latest example.

Two of my highlights were the sessions by Cristina and Laurii, including their joint session on Business Day. They covered how Drupal is evolving, how the Experience Builder will finally bring the editorial capabilities that users have been asking for, and a lot more. The work Cristina and Laurii are doing is amazing, and we’re lucky to have them leading these initiatives.

I’ve known Laurii since my time at the Drupal Association, but this time, I had the chance to learn more about his background and motivations on a more personal level, which deepened my appreciation for his work. Technology, after all, is driven by the people behind it, and we’re fortunate to have such generous leaders in our community.

Again, Starshot was all over the place, with everyone talking about related topics, like recipes. Manuel Adán Bonald gave a great introduction to recipes, covering both the theory and practical applications. Soon, recipes will be a staple in our daily workflow, streamlining common tasks and making development more efficient. Manuel’s session offered a look into their structure and real-world use cases, and it also highlighted how Drupal Starshot leverages recipes as its technical foundation. This gave us an exciting glimpse into how Starshot and recipes together will modernize the Drupal experience.

Since we began discussing innovation in the Drupal context back in Pittsburgh 2023 (when I was managing Pitchburgh for the Drupal Association), it's become a common conversation within the community. If we keep pushing as we are, Drupal and innovation will become inseparable concepts.

Sessions on innovation were abundant at DrupalCamp. My friend Dennis "The Professor" A. Torres gave a session on content generation with AI, followed immediately by another on passwordless authentication. To me, Dennis is remarkable—I’ve never seen anyone deliver two back-to-back sessions. I look forward to seeing where he takes us in the future.

Laurii opened the Saturday with an early session on how Starshot will change Drupal, making it more accessible for new generations of users and roles. And Drupal 7 is still chasing us everywhere, as there were several sessions on migrating to Drupal 11, including my old Drupal Association colleague and friend, Fran Garcia, on migrating drupal.org, or Hiberus Carlos Romero and Julián Valero on the many options to do it efficiently.

Conclusion and Future

DrupalCamp Spain 2024 was unforgettable, filled with inspiring sessions, innovative ideas, and the warmth of the community. While there weren’t as many sessions as you might expect at a DrupalCon (as it's a more humble event) the ones that were accepted were of exceptionally high quality. There were so many impactful talks that it would be hard to name them all, and I apologize for not being able to include them all.

From technical advancements like Starshot and recipes to sessions that emphasized the human side of our work, Drupalcamp Spain highlighted what makes Drupal special. Workshops, like Alba’s introduction to Drupal theming, and sessions aimed at students showed a strong commitment to bringing new generations into the ecosystem.

José Luis Bellido Rojas reminded us of the importance of staying curious, adaptable, and engaged. The importance of reinventing oneself as a developer —a mindset that enriches the entire Drupal community.

And to finish up, what truly embodies the spirit of this community is the number of volunteers working selflessly to make it all happen. Thanks to the entire team of organizers, who are the ultimate symbol of community dedication. I could not leave anyone outside of this list: Raúl Bordallo, Javier Gómez, Antonio José Fuster, Montaña Franco, Ignacio Sánchez Holgueras, Jose Luis Bellido, Antonio García, Eva Martínez, Pedro Cambra, Oskar Calvo, Fran Garcia-linares, Nesta Guerrero Pancorbo, Sergio Elvira Pérez.

As my friend Rubén Tejeiro aptly said, DrupalCamps are about technology, but even more, they’re about people and connection. I left feeling grateful for the camaraderie and inspired by the innovative future we’re building together. See you soon again.