Looking Ahead to DrupalCon Lille

Building on the success of DrupalCon Pittsburgh earlier this year comes DrupalCon Lille, and we couldn’t be more excited. Scheduled for October 17–20 in northern France, the event offers a wide selection of panels, workshops, social get-togethers, vendor exhibitions, and program tracks organized by interest and identity. (There’s a track for agencies and another for users and editors, for example.)

For years, Acquia has been a key contributor to Drupal’s development, so our sponsorship of this much-anticipated event extends our commitment to the open source platform. Along with our partner Amazon Web Services (AWS), we’re sponsoring the welcome reception and have lots more on deck. Here’s what we’re looking forward to:

• The DriesNote. Helping kick off the event on opening day, Dries Buytaert, creator of Drupal and co-founder of Acquia, offers a keynote with updates on notable Drupal projects and initiatives that are moving the platform and community forward. Grab a seat early; the DriesNote is a well-attended hallmark of each DrupalCon.
   
• A more efficient end-to-end DevOps workflow. Dev teams regularly grumble about lost productivity due to inefficient toolchains. Which cloud-based solutions can end the grousing? Our own Martin Anderson-Clutz will identify those that can automate testing of your Drupal site, as well as keep it up to date — even the deprecated code in your custom modules. Be sure to add this can’t-miss presentation to your calendar for Wednesday, October 18.
   
• Building and designing human-centered user experiences. With approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide experiencing significant disabilities and 15% of adults in advanced economies having low literacy, incorporating accessibility into digital experiences has never been more urgent. Together with our partner Cyber-Duck, we’ll explore how content strategy and inclusivity can reimagine your CMS and content authoring experience. Join us for this important workshop on Thursday, October 19!
   
• Free exam vouchers for Acquia certification. Through the Acquia Certification Program, individuals can receive validation for Drupal-related skills and knowledge. In addition to Drupal products, certificate holders learn how to build and use Acquia solutions, establishing their expertise in the marketplace. DrupalCon attendees can receive free program exam vouchers (which never expire and are valued between $155 and $350) just by dropping by booth 11 and providing a video testimonial about the program or by giving feedback on it. There are a limited number of vouchers available so come early!
   
• Lightning talks to enlighten Drupalists. Need your info and demos presented in byte-sized chunks? We’ve got you covered. At least once each day, we’ll hold 15-minute sessions on optimizing your Drupal workflows and dev tools, accelerating your Drupal development with Acquia Site Studio, and leveraging the Acquia CMS to manage your headless architecture. Come on through to booth 11 for informative presentations offered in manageable blocks of time.
   
• Dedicated one-on-one time with Drupal experts. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by hundreds of members of Drupal’s open source community — except for the thrill of exclusive facetime with a Drupal expert. We’re offering one-on-one meetings with our Drupalists, and all you have to do is sign up here. We’ll take care of the scheduling for you.
   
• Trailblazers recognized. The successes and contributions of women in the Drupal community will be highlighted for the second year in a row with the Women in Drupal Awards. It’s an exciting way to learn about the developers, entrepreneurs, and builders who continue to push the platform forward, showing us what can be done and galvanizing us to achieve even greater ends.
   
• The claws of cool. Be the envy of DrupalCon and stop by booth 11 to take a turn guiding the fairground-style claw machine. With a bit of luck, you’ll walk away with a pair of Acquia x Drupal Converse or limited edition Acquia-branded socks and T-shirts.
   
• The transformative power of trivia. All those facts about Drupal and the web that are rattling around in our brains can turn us into winners — of Trivia Night, that is. Pair your competitive streak with levity and gather a team of five who can capture the title of champions and win some prizes. Which Drupalists are ready to throw down?
   

As promised, there’s heaps on offer for guests of DrupalCon Lille. Don’t miss out on the insights, camaraderie, and fun this fall — learn more about what Acquia has in store!