Drupal Culture Events・3 min read・Posted on February 20, 2025 # So, we went to a Drupal meetup ![So, we went to a Drupal meetup](/sites/default/files/remediation-media/67b72355504cbd9f1f752b53_Our_First_Drupal_Meetup.avif) Table of contents - [First impressions](#first-impressions) - [Drupal — more than a CMS](#drupal-more-than-a-cms) - [A focus on discussions](#a-focus-on-discussions) - [Not to be redundant—but the people make all the difference](#not-to-be-redundant-but-the-people-make-all-the-difference) - [Final thoughts](#final-thoughts) ![Drupal cms team discussion](/sites/default/files/c3-body-media/4cfbcddb22b2cd6164537caa.avif) After joining QED42, we kept hearing about **Drupal meetups**—what they were like, who showed up, and what kind of conversations happened there. And then, eventually, we walked into one. A room full of people who care about this **open-source tech** at an almost unreasonable level. Well, we were there for a few reasons. To listen. To learn. To see if **Drupal, AI agents, Recipes, and Distributions** are as interesting in conversation as they sound in documentation. Spoiler: they are! ## First impressions Walking into our first **Drupal Meetup**, we stepped into a space filled with **developers, designers, and open-source enthusiasts**. Conversations sparked over coffee, ideas flowed, and within minutes, we weren’t just attendees anymore—we were part of the conversations, part of the momentum—loved it. ## Drupal — more than a CMS Yes, AI is a big deal right now and we love everything about it too, but what really stood out at the meetup was **the people**. The **energy, the passion, the way everyone brought something to the table**—it’s what makes Drupal and any tech community what it really is. That’s the real hook that keeps people coming back to these meet ups. Maybe it’s also the **modularity**, the way Drupal CMS lets you shape content however you want. Maybe it’s the **Entity System**, which doesn’t just store content but **structures it in ways that make scaling easy**. Or maybe it’s the fact that **Drupal isn’t just for websites anymore**. It powers applications, manages content across platforms, and **handles workflows that most CMS platforms can’t** or the fact it's always evolving, accepting changes and being relevant with what people really need today. So that being said, Drupal is **more than a CMS. It’s a way of thinking.** A way of building. A way of solving problems. And behind that? **Thousands of people.** The energy they bring into the room is something you have to experience firsthand. ### A focus on discussions ‍ ![Drupal team discussion](/sites/default/files/c3-body-media/0485e2946bc2e09bfff119f0.avif) **1.AI agents in Drupal: What’s actually happening?** AI is everywhere. But the real question is: **how is it being used in Drupal?** The discussion around **AI agents** wasn’t about hype—it was about **real implementation**. Things like: - **Chatbots** that go beyond basic automation and understand user intent. - **Personalized content** that adjusts dynamically based on user behavior. - **Automated moderation** that filters content efficiently, reducing manual work. AI isn’t something that might be useful in the future. **It’s already here.** The only question is how far teams will take it. **2.Drupal recipes and distributions: Because no one likes starting from scratch** **Abishek Mazumdar (Drupal and Mautic Engineer at Dropsolid)** walked us through **Drupal Recipes and distributions**, which, in simple terms, make **building a Drupal site feel less like setting one up from scratch**. - **Recipes** – Prebuilt configurations that developers can drop into a project to speed things up. - **Distributions** – Full **pre-packaged versions of Drupal** with everything set up for specific industries (**publishing, community platforms, etc.**). If you’ve ever spent hours setting up Drupal from scratch, you understand why this matters. ### Not to be redundant—but the people make all the difference Drupal has been around for years, and there’s a reason it continues to thrive. **It’s not just the software** (while that’s great too)**. It’s the community.** The best part of the meetup wasn’t the talks. It was the **conversations in between**—people sharing real experiences, problems they’ve solved, things they’re still figuring out. **The kind of knowledge you don’t get from documentation.** ## Final thoughts We left with a better understanding of Drupal’s future, AI’s role in content management, and why meetups like this are worth attending. If you’re working with Drupal, thinking about it, or just curious—go to a meetup. It’s where ideas turn into projects, and where open-source really comes to life. Thank you for reading! Written by Omkar Tidke Web developer Intern Editor Ananya Rakhecha, Tech Advocate ## We'd love to talk about your business objectives [ Contact Us ](/contact)