Join Us at DrupalCampNYC 2021

Drupal holds a special place for all of us at Esteemed, which is why we’re proud to announce that our company is a Gotham (Platinum) sponsor of DrupalCampNYC 2021. Several Esteemed colleagues will be in attendance as speakers and panelists, as well.

DrupalCampNYC will take place from Thursday, October 28 to Saturday, October 30. Organizers hoped to offer a hybrid in-person/virtual conference this year, but given uncertainties surrounding Covid, the events will be held primarily online. Attendees can expect hands-on training opportunities, interactive sessions, an engaging DevOps Summit, and the choice between an in-person or online networking social hour. Hundreds of members of the Tri-State Drupal community are expected to attend.

Like last year’s event, DrupalCampNYC 2021 will offer all attendees free general admission. Ticket holders are encouraged to make a donation to DrupalNYC Inc., a local non-profit, and in an effort to reduce no-shows, attendees who wish to attend training classes will be charged a fully refundable deposit ($25 for half-day trainings and $50 for full-day courses). For a complete overview on ticketing and to reserve your spot, visit the DrupalCampNYC website.

Read on to learn more about our six Esteemed colleagues who will be presenting at this year’s DrupalCampNYC.

DevOps Summit: Drupal Static Sites

Thursday, October 28 | 3:15–4:15p ET

Matt Obert, Director of Screening at Esteemed, is a senior Drupal developer and creative technologist with over 20 years of experience. Obert is a panelist for this year’s DevOps Summit and will discuss the various tools and technologies available for converting Drupal 7, Drupal 8, and Drupal 9 sites to static sites. For more information about the Summit, visit the official event website.

Are Drupal ​​9 Compatibility Fixes Really Automated?

Friday, October 29 | 10:30–11:25a ET

In addition to joining Thursday’s DevOps Summit as a panelist, Matt Obert will lead a session on Friday morning, entitled “Are Drupal ​​9 Compatibility Fixes Really Automated?”. Attendees can expect to learn about the ongoing effort to update all Drupal 8 sites to Drupal 9 by November. As of October, there are still more than 4,000 modules and themes which are incompatible with Drupal 9. While an automated Project Update Bot has compatibility patches for many of these projects, others have been orphaned and have no active maintainer to approve of fixes. Obert will share alternative solutions to these compatibility problems in this 55 minute session.

Web Design? No – Atomic Design!

Friday, October 29 | 11:45a–12:40p ET

Lee Quessenberry, an Esteemed web developer and Drupal engineer, will present “Web Design? No – Atomic Design” following Obert’s Drupal 9 Compatibility session. By attending this session, expect to gain a better understanding of atomic design basics, a new perspective on UX/UI development, and how to leverage atomic components, personalized content, and design systems.

Your What Hurts?

Friday, October 29 | 1:15–2:10p ET

Senior Drupal Developer Jamie Valentin will moderate this BOF session, “Your What Hurts?”, on how to deal with ambiguous requests from clients, managers, and other stakeholders. The session will start by addressing common questions and scenarios regarding not-so-successful efforts to communicate with clients, and since this is a BOF, all participants are welcome to share their personal experiences and ask for advice.

Practical Applications of AI Chatbots in Drupal Using TensorFlow.js

Friday, October 29 | 2:15–3:10p ET

Following the BOF session, Esteemed Senior Drupal Developer Rick Torzynski will present “Practical Applications of AI Chatbots in Drupal Using TensorFlow.js.” In this session, Torzynski will explain how to integrate practical applications for chatbots into Drupal sites using the TensorFlow.js module. Attendees will come away with insight into leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning within Drupal, a proof-of-concept for developing a chatbot, and integration plans for your website.

Making Lemons into Drupalemonade

Friday, October 29 | 3:30–4:25p ET

Esteemed Drupal Contractor Sean Robertson will cohost “Making Lemons into Drupalemonade,” a session that will present a case study on how one company leveraged their pandemic grant to diversify its business and expand its online presence. Attendees will learn about a real-world example of a Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 upgrade, content re-architecture and migration, rebranding, and more. If you’re interested in hearing about business strategy and implementation (and possess an intermediate or advanced level of experience) this session is for you.

Navigating UX Strategy During Drupal Development

Friday, October 29 | 4:30–5:25p ET

Join Esteemed UX/UI design guru Rodney Little for his session, “Navigating UX Strategy During Drupal Development.” Participants will learn how to fit UX strategy into a successful Drupal site approach. Little will present on deliverables such as service blueprints, user journeys, wireframes, mockups, and functional prototypes. This talk is recommended to anyone struggling with UX strategy or looking to energize the development process with new insights.