For the fifth year in a row, Lemu Santos, a Senior Web Designer & Developer for CommonPlaces, will be making his way to DrupalCon New Orleans next week. I sat down with Lemu to get his take on DrupalCon and get a feel for what it’s like and what makes him keep going back for more!
Lemu’s first DrupalCon experience was back in 2012, in Denver, CO. To this day, this is still one of his most memorable and favorite experiences he’s had. When I asked why, he responded “I didn’t expect something so well organized. The Drupal Association and all the volunteers created a very happy, fun, and welcoming atmosphere. It also helped that it was in Denver. They don’t call it a Rocky Mountain state for nothing. It was amazing to see the red rock mountains covered in snow and the people in Denver were very welcoming to all the Drupalers ‘invading’ their city.”
Preparing for DrupalCon
Now a DrupalCon attendee veteran, I was interested in hearing what advice he wish he had back in 2012 before he attended his first event. He said, “Make sure you pre-select the sessions that you’d like to attend according to your area of interest. It’s important to read about all the sessions and plan ahead so you aren’t hopping from one session to another, after it’s already started. Also, most importantly, make sure that between sessions and on breaks, you take full advantage of making new friends and sharing experiences about your work and Drupal. It’s amazing what you can learn.”
With that, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make sure he was following his own advice in regards to planning ahead and asked him what sessions he was most interested in checking out this year. Immediately he responded, “As a site builder, the ones I am most excited about are the ones related to site building and front end development. I am always looking to learn new things.” Clearly he has done his homework!
Take Advantage of Down Time
Lemu also is no stranger to New Orleans and is excited it’s being held there this year since he hasn’t visited since 2012. He said the vibe in NoLa is so different and unique, it’s almost like you aren’t in the United States. He’s also pumped to visit Bourbon Street, eat some french food and check out some Jazz bars as the music scene is fantastic. If you see him in the streets, make sure you give him a high five!
To learn more about the conference, visit DrupalCon: New Orleans 2016.