Training

Learn from the Best

From our start with Capital Camp to the iterations of Drupal Government Days to  Drupal GovCon, we've worked to provide amazing cutting edge training both in-person and virtually during the pandemic. We are so excited to be offering in-person training again! And new this year, we will be offering certificates for PDUs and CLPs for some of the training offerings.

REMINDER- The training ticket code will be shared with registered attendees. If you would like to attend a training, please register to attend Drupal GovCon.

Thursday Training

Storybook to Drupal: Building front-end components (Sold out)

In this training, you'll learn how to design and implement a frontend architecture that is maintainable, scalable, and optimized for rapid development. We’ll define the key principles that matter — from maintainability and single source of truth to community-driven tooling and lean implementation strategies. By evaluating smart practices and migrating confidently to modern workflows like Storybook, attendees will gain the knowledge to streamline frontend development without unnecessary complexity.

August 14th: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Full Day Training
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

Room: Thurgood Marshall Room
Trainer: Chaz Chumley

Empowering WebOps Excellence: Harnessing AI Tools for Modern Project Management (Sold out)

Join us for a hands-on workshop tailored for practicing scrum masters, project managers and product owners, and those aspiring to enhance their skills in Agile project management within the WebOps context. This session will explore how to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Notebook LM to elevate your project management techniques specifically for WebOps environments. Participants will learn essential skills such as preparing a backlog, refining user stories and acceptance criteria, automating workflows as well as testing processes.

August 14th: 8:30am to 12:30pm
Half Day Training
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Room: Crosslands Room
Trainer: Jeramy Gatza, COO at Digital Polygon

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Drupal (Drupal Helps)

If you're brand new to Drupal, then the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Drupal is the class for you.
You'll learn all of the key concepts you need to understand, navigate and use a Drupal site.
You'll learn how to build a Drupal 11 site, from content and user organization, to working with modules and themes.

August 14th: 1pm to 5pm
Half Day Training
Level: Beginner

Room: Crosslands Room
Trainer: Drupal Helps (Rod Martin)

Preparation for the Drupal 11 Back End Specialist Certification Exam

In this training, we will begin preparing for the Back End certification exam, and show you what the rest of the process will look like.

August 14th: 8:30am to 12:30pm
Half Day Training
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

Room: Calvert Room
Trainer: Debug Academy (Ashraf Abed)

Introducing GovCMS: The Compliance-First Next Generation Platform for Government Websites

Join us for an exclusive first look at GovCMS, the revolutionary platform designed to solve government web development's biggest challenges: excessive costs, lengthy timelines, and compliance complexity.

August 14th: 1pm to 5pm
Half Day Training
Level: Beginner

Room: Calvert Room
Trainers: Drupal Forge (Sal Lakhani, Will Kirchheimer)

Friday Training

Drupal AI - Practical AI Integration for Content Workflows (Sold out)

In this training, you'll learn foundational AI concepts within a Drupal context, how to install and configure DrupalAI for real-world applications, and build editorial automations using prompt-based workflows. Explore responsible AI practices—including accessibility, bias, and transparency.

August 15th: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Full Day Training
Level: Intermediate

Room: Thurgood Marshall Room
Trainers: Amazee (Matt Saunders, Rod Martin)

Intermediate to Advanced CSS for Practical Peoples

This training is for people who have to use CSS occasionally (e.g. back-end devs/designers/power editors) or people that have learned the basics but are new to CSS. Our goal is to help attendees feel comfortable styling a page from scratch, knowing what styles work best for different scenarios, and to feel comfortable debugging layout, CSS custom properties, and other styling issues.

We'll be focusing on the "why and how" of CSS, so you'll know what's possible and what tools to reach for, giving your knowledge structure.

August 15th: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Full Day Training
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Room: Calvert Room
Trainer: Wes Ruvalcaba

Branching Out: Create and maintain your own design system

Thinking about building your own design system? In this intermediate training, you'll learn directly from experts who've actively contributed to the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS). We'll show you practical steps and share our insights and tips for creating and maintaining your design system.

There will be code portions, but you don't have to be an engineer to get involved. We'll use tools like StorybookJS, USWDS, and Twig to build and document components.

August 15th: 8:30am to 12:30pm
Half Day Training
Level: Beginner

Room: Crosslands Room
Trainer: Bixal (James Mejia, Ray Estrada)

Sponsor Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Whether you’re a new sponsor or are a returning sponsor, our FAQ page is here to help you navigate the event, answer your questions, and ensure you have a fantastic experience at Drupal GovCon.

I need to ship items for my exhibit booth ahead of the conference. Could you provide the shipping address and the dates when shipments will be accepted?

Sponsors can ship their items no earlier than August 7th.  

As a sponsor, when can I begin setting up my expo booth?

Sponsors can begin setting up their exhibit booth's by Tuesday, August 13th @ 6am.  Drupal GovCon team will arrive by 6:30 but the venue will open at 6am. Registration opens at:

• 8/13 7am
• 8/14 8am
• 8/15 8am

Booths should be closed on 8/15 no later than 5pm

Do I need a Certificate of Insurance (COI) to have an exhibit booth at Drupal GovCon?

Sponsors do not need a Certificate of Insurance to have an exhibit booth.  The venue only requires Drupal4Gov to provide a COI.

What are the size dimensions of exhibitor booth tables?

Exhibitor booth tables are 6 feet x 30 inches.  2 chairs will also be provided.

Will electricity be available at the exhibit booths?

Each booth will have access to electrical. However, the venue recommends bringing an extension cord of up to 6 feet if the table is further from the electrical than the distance of a normal computer power cord.  Gaffer tape will be provided if needed.

How will we receive our early admittance lunch tickets?

A sponsor ribbon page will work as your lunch ticket.

What is the layout of the Riggs Center?  I'd like to better understand the locations of the sessions, training rooms, and expo booths.

Take a look at the Stamp Student Union Map and you will be provided with  logistical information.

Will there be shared wifi access?

Yes.  There will be wifi access throughout the event that is shared with all conference goers.

I am providing training but noticed that lunch starts after training begins. How do I get lunch?

Sponsored are guaranteed lunch. We ensure that Trainers get lunch by serving them 15-30 minutes earlier than general attendees. We also keep a stash of extra lunches available at registration. We promise you will not go hungry!

What is the parking situation?

If you are bringing a car or renting one, please note that there is a parking garage at the Stamp Student Union. You can find more information on the Venue page.

Can we give away Cookies, Ice Cream or Cupcakes (similar) at our booth?

Yes, you can have desserts at your booth throughout the event. If you plan to do this, let us know so we can ensure there isn’t a lot of competition for the same items.

Possible options near UMD are:

• UMD Ice Cream (yes, this is an actual thing) which is only available on the UMD campus.
• Insomnia Cookies
• Pure Sweet Indulgence
• Georgetown Cupcake (delivers)
• Shortcake Bakery (caribbean bakery)
• La Flor de Puebla (traditional latin bakery)

The opening reception will be held at the venue from 3:30pm until 5:30pm.

What kinds of attendees can we expect?

We have had a 24% increase in attendance from 2023 to 2024 and we are expecting a similar increase in 2025. You can expect between 600-650.

Of these:

• 40% are attending Drupal GovCon for the first time.
• 35% are government (state local fed)
• 7% are Higher Education (all are state schools)
• 42% of attendees are local, state and federal government employees.

About 70% of attendees have input into systems purchased by their organizations with less than 20% have no input and 10% having limited input.

Is there a closing event?

Yes. We will have a Sponsor, Speaker, and Organizer Thank You event in the afternoon of the last day of the conference, August 15th. Your sponsorship benefits package or your sessionize inbox will contain more information about the times and location.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Will there be shared wifi access?

Yes.  There will be wifi access throughout the event that is shared with all conference goers.

Are there areas I can work and/or take calls?

There are several public nooks spread around the Stamp Student Union available to use by the public. Drupal GovCon doesn't have a dedicated area for work set up.

Social Events

Acquia's "Step Up Your Game" Community Party

Location:  The Hall CP, 4656 Hotel Dr, College Park, MD 20742 ( 2 minute walk from The Hotel).

Date: August 14, 2025

Time: 6:00-8:00

Details: Open to all Drupal GovCon attendees - Join Acquia and their partners - Carahsoft, CGI, Forum One, Hounder, Palantir, RIVA Solutions, Tactis, Trevital, and WebFirst - for delicious food, drinks, and fun games!  

Space is limited—register today to secure your spot and be part of an unforgettable event. All registered attendees can pick up their party wristband at Acquia's booth on the 14th.  

Evolving Web's Closing Reception

Important Note: Exclusive event for sponsors, speakers, trainers, keynotes, organizers, and volunteers

Date: August 15, 2025

Time: 6:00-8:30

Details: Pizza, beer, and games. What more do you need?

Submission Guidelines

Consider the following recommendations when drafting a topic for consideration:

• Sessions should share knowledge and enhance the community—rather than sell products or services.
• Preference will be given to sessions that aren’t already available online.
• We encourage longtime Drupal4Gov and Drupal GovCon presenters to lift as they climb by partnering with other community members and presenters to bring new speakers into the community.
• To create well-rounded presentations with varied perspectives, we encourage session partnerships between service providers and clients and generally recommend that session presenters represent different organizations.
• Presenters are required to read and adhere to the Drupal GovCon Code of Conduct. 
• Please ensure that your session submissions are thorough, thought out and complete. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.

Merch

Store

Love our t-shirts? Need a mug or a sticker? Grab Drupal GovCon merch to show your support.

Order today and you can be sipping coffee during a virtual training from your very own Drupal GovCon mug — all the way to a Drupal GovCon hoodie.

Buy DGC Merch

You’ll be redirected to our official merch storefront (Spreadshop) in a new tab.

What’s in the shop

Grab something you’ll actually use

Apparel

Conference tees,hoodies,and everyday staples in multiple sizes.

Pet Gear

Let your furry conference buddy represent Drupal GovCon too.

Drinkware & Accessories

Mugs,stickers,and other conference gear for your desk or home office.

Shop Now