Paris, Drupal and the Drupalgängers

Posted on August 25, 2009 by agentrickard

My wife Amy and I are sitting in the Charlotte, NC, airport, waiting for our plane to Paris and DrupalCON 2009. This will be the third year we've gone to DrupalCON Europe, and after great trips to Barcelona and Szeged/Budapest, we're very excited about Paris. And my wife is probably more excited than I am.

Why? Well, let me tell you a little story...

Back in 2007, at DrupalCON Barcelona, I still wasn't a full time Drupaler. I had a day job that involved some Drupal, and worked on a few modules, but wasn't deep in the community. Still, when Barcelona was announced as the location, I knew we had to go. So one of my missions for that confernce was to introduce my wife to other people, so that she could have fun while I was off geeking out.

I wasn't alone. The night before DC Barcelona, we had a meetup for Drupalers and their partners at Moshe Weitzman's apartment. As I recall, there were about 6 or 8 people there when we arrived. There was some wine, some introductions, and a chance to meet a few people.

During Barcelona, Amy spent some time with a few of these folks, and we met a few more people one night at the Place Royale (people we would run into again in Szeged, as it turns out.)

In Szeged, there were a few more fellow travelers, and more ad hoc meetups. Szeged, unlike Barcelona (or Paris) was small enough that people could easily meet at the venue, and then plan a day wandering around, haging out, and generally having a good time.

Starting in Szeged, the idaea was hatched to start a more formal group, one which could help coordinate events, activities and introductions for people travelling to but not attending DrupalCON. And thus the Drupalgängers group was born. Their mission is simple:

The primary goal of the Drupalgängers, defined as friends, partners, spouses, and other associates of Drupal community members, is to have a contingency of awesome individuals with whom we may enjoy the "con" - without ever having to participate in the geekdom of the event - by traveling around the town or city together.

For Paris, they have gone all out. There was an activity survey (with over 25 responses), some serious planning, and an effort to be as inclusive and casual as possible. From all that work has come the non-attendee track for DrupalCON Paris, which is dedicated to providing social opportunities in the heart of Paris.

A few extra words about the makup of the Drupalgängers, and the kinds of interaction you can expect. In true Drupal fashion, they are best described as a Birds of a Feather (BoF) group; an ad hoc collection of individuals who are committed to making the most of their time together. While the group has some scheduled events, there are always opportunities to just hang around a cafe, or to suggest alternative trips or side excursions, or to just stop and have an ice cream in the park.

In essence, the group's character will be defined by the people who attend the events. You don't have to know anyone, know anything about Drupal, or pass any membership tests. Just be yourself, come on over, and be open to meet some new friends.