It was a big day for me, not least because it was my first DrupalCon, and my first time in Mumbai. Any anticipatory excitement was quickly justified, with both the Conference and the city more than living up to their reputations.
This year, DrupalCon Asia is being hosted at IIT Bombay, from February 18-21. A sprawling, picturesque 550-acre campus, IIT Bombay offers the perfect setting for the Conference.
Registration was quick and efficient. We were given personal handwritten IDs for the event by Event Manager Rachel Friesen, who - although she threatened to steal my phone - was incredibly affable and helpful. We were then handed event tote bags, filled with goodies and DrupalCon t-shirts. IDs: check. Event Memorabilia: Check.
The event itself is spread over three floors of IIT Bombay’s convention center. Apart from the regular sponsorship stalls and keynote halls, the organizers have thoughtfully set up multiple charging stations and water fountains across the event floors.
The energy and excitement among the attendees was palpable. Drupal is a community-developed platform, and seeing that community in person, I realized just why Drupal has been so successful! I also managed to meet some of the attendees, and insightful conversations ensued, on a variety of topics.
It was great to see Adal's Drupal Theming Software demo and to discuss his product ideas. We met other major contributors to Mumbai’s Drupal scene, and gleaned training tips from Drupal vets.
We also met up-and-coming Drupal development firms, and discussed the challenges we faced recruiting the right people, during Innoppl's early days. We were glad to talk shop and help out, drawing from our experience in building expert teams and inculcating the right cultural values – crucial during a company’s formative months.
We will be back tomorrow with more news about Day 2 of the Conference! We are really excited for the talks scheduled during the day, and Dries' keynote in the morning!