When:
to
Room:
Room 1
Tags:
drupal & open source 101, leadership, management, & business
Track:
SVG
owc icon_new brand
community health

Back Together Again: Lessons from Reviving a Community Post-COVID

Back Together Again: Lessons from Reviving a Community Post-COVID

Nikita Aswani (Nikitaaswani)

When the world shut down, so did our meetups, camps, and energy. But coming back wasn’t just about restarting, it was about rebuilding something better. This is the real story of the Drupal India community revival.

Prerequisite
This session is for anyone interested in community building — whether you’re restarting a local meetup, planning a camp, or simply looking to contribute beyond code. No prior experience in organizing events is required, but a basic understanding of how open source communities work (especially Drupal’s) will help you connect the dots.

Outline
This is a case study of how we brought the Drupal community in India back to life after the pandemic, not just to where it was, but into a healthier, more sustainable structure.
I’ll talk about the post-pandemic silence, the scattered connections, and the moment we realized we didn’t just need a comeback — we needed a reset. What followed was a series of small, intentional steps: one meetup, one sticker, one conversation at a time. And over time, they added up to something bigger than we’d imagined.
Expect a story that’s honest, human, and hands-on. You’ll hear what worked (and what flopped), and how we built momentum that’s still growing — across cities, across communities, and across contributor roles.

I’ll share:
- What actually broke during COVID — and what was already fragile
- How we restarted local meetups and created rituals people looked forward to
- The power of lightweight structure: cross-city collabs, shared docs, open calls
- Experiments that helped re-energize folks and bring in new contributors
- Why Drupal events still matter — and how we made them matter again
- Lessons in pacing, culture, and co-ownership to avoid burnout and grow

Learning Objectives
- Understand practical ways to revive dormant or slow communities
- Learn how to build momentum without over-relying on a few individuals
- Be inspired to restart (or reimagine) meetups, camps, and contributor days
- Reconnect with the value of in-person events and cultural continuity

Experience level
Beginner