You know that kind of event that makes you come back with your head buzzing with ideas, an extra dose of motivation, plenty of memories, and good stories to tell? That’s exactly what DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 was like.
Together with Luiz Petri, our Solutions Director, we set off for the United States to take part in the most important conference in the Drupal universe.
It was an intense four days in Atlanta, full of content, exchanges with the global community, and that great feeling of knowing we’re on the right track at Dexa.
Curious about what we experienced and what stood out the most? Follow the thread.
A warm community: learning, connections and common purpose
DrupalCon is the kind of event where every conversation can spark a partnership.
It’s a vibrant ecosystem of people who believe in the power of open source, who show up, and who truly want to build better digital experiences.
Being there gave us the opportunity to strengthen ties with the global community, show that Dexa is active and engaged, and learn from cases and solutions from all over the world.
It was also a great chance for visibility, and to reinforce that we’re still one of the leading Drupal references in Brazil.
Here are 3 highlights that show what to expect from the future of Drupal:
- The Experience Builder is official!
During the now-traditional DriesNote (the keynote from Drupal’s creator, Dries Buytaert, always the highlight of any DrupalCon), the star topic was the Experience Builder. And it really looks promising. The idea? Make Drupal more accessible and visual, almost like building with Lego, but for websites.
As Dries summed it up:
“People will migrate to Drupal because of the Experience Builder.”
The goal is clear: simplify the platform without losing the flexibility that makes it so powerful. This changes the game for smaller or less complex projects that might otherwise go with different solutions.
Watch an introductory video of the Experience Builder ⟶
- AI + Drupal = a new chapter
Another exciting development for us has been the growing integration of Artificial Intelligence with Drupal. We are witnessing a new generation of intelligent websites, offering dynamic content, automation and truly personalized user experiences.
This evolution is expanding the boundaries of web development by enabling the delivery of adaptive, responsive and increasingly human-centered experiences. For developers, it represents an opportunity to create strategic solutions, with data-driven decisions and interfaces that evolve through real use.
Combining Drupal and AI changes the game completely, both for those who build and those who use. It is like having a digital assistant that understands user behavior and adjusts the experience in real time. This marks the transition from websites that simply respond to those that learn and continuously deliver value.
For example, on a financial portal built with Drupal, if a user browses pages related to vehicle financing, AI can begin to suggest calculators, FAQs, client stories and even direct contact with a consultant. Without manual rules, the system learns and personalizes instantly. This takes the experience to a whole new level: more useful, smarter and far more relevant.
- Drupal Marketplace
Finally, the proposal for a Drupal Marketplace was presented, an initiative with three main goals:
- Facilitate the adoption of Drupal by new users and small businesses;
- Provide ready-made starting points for different types of projects;
- Create a sustainable monetization model within the ecosystem.
The goal is to distribute complete site templates built with recipes (sets of features), themes, sample content and good architectural practices. Earlier, we talked about modules and recipes. Now Drupal is entering the era of "pre-built worlds", with complete templates that speed up delivery time without sacrificing quality.
Lego analogy
During DriesNote, Dries made a comparison between Drupal and Lego, where Drupal modules are like pieces and Lego sets are like recipes for building websites. Into this scenario comes the Drupal CMS, which offers complete website templates, making it easier to build without compromising scalability. A transition from "loose parts" to complete solutions.
Learn more about the Drupal Marketplace here ⟶
Atlanta: far beyond the event
A vibrant, welcoming city full of contrasts, from the historic to the futuristic, from soul to tech. It was a spectacle in itself during our trip to this year's DrupalCon.
We made a gastronomic (and strategic) stop at the iconic Mary Mac's Tea Room, where we sampled the best of Southern cuisine (the kind of food that embraces the soul and weighs down the plate deliciously).
In the evening, the city took on a different tone as we joined members of the Drupal community for a fun and memorable gathering where we toasted and shared good laughs and experiences.
We recharged our batteries by taking in some marine nature. We visited the Georgia Aquarium, which fortunately was just two blocks from our Airbnb.
And saving the best for last, I can't forget Petri at the Coca-Cola Museum, where you can taste about 80 different soft drinks from all over the world. A strange and intense sensory adventure.
What did we take away from all of this for Dexa?
We came back from DrupalCon with the certainty that we are on the right track. The lessons we learned have helped us refine Dexa's vision for the future, particularly in terms of:
- Creating more accessible and scalable digital experiences;
- Leveraging AI applied to content and personalization;
- Active participation in the community as a driver of development;
- A business vision that is more in line with what the global market is looking for.
This is what Dexa is made of: knowledge, partnership and the courage to innovate responsibly.
DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 was a milestone that provided us with valuable insights. If you want to understand how all of this can transform your brand's digital presence, give us a call. Let's build together.
