On October 18 and 19, 2024, Metz played host to JoomlaDay France, a flagship event for French-speaking Joomla! enthusiasts and users. Organized by AFUJ (Association Francophone des Utilisateurs de Joomla!), this annual event once again demonstrated its essential role in federating, informing and inspiring the community.

An Hybrid and Accessible Format

This year's event marked a turning point, with the conferences broadcast free of charge on the AFUJ YouTube channel. This initiative enabled us to reach a much wider audience, thanks in particular to sessions offered exclusively live. The choice of free and open broadcasting proved to be a real success, confirming the importance of widening the event's accessibility.

For the future, ideas are emerging to perfect this hybrid format:

• Integrate live interactive exchanges for online participants.
• Offer a virtual platform to facilitate discussions and contacts at a distance.
• Combine short online sessions with more in-depth face-to-face workshops.

A Rich and Relevant Program

The 2024 program was distinguished by the diversity and quality of its interventions, adapted to all levels of expertise.

• Yannick Gaultier presented 4Command, an innovative approach to efficient Joomla! management.
• Carlos Cámara unveiled the basics of web services development for Joomla! components, a key topic for developers.
• Emmanuel Lemor captivated the audience with his tips for optimizing Joomla! site performance.
• Yannick Berges demonstrated the power of his tool for creating PDF files from Joomla! articles.
• Eric Lamy talked to us about accessibility and the solutions to be implemented in Joomla
• Marc Dechevre and Christophe Avonture explained how to use docker simply to deploy your joomla sites in three clicks.
• Olivier Buisard presented the new personalized guides in Joomla 5.2.2
• Angelika Prox-Dampha had travelled a long way to present Open Source Matter and lead the discussion on Joomla's future in the coming years.

At the same time, practical workshops enabled participants to put techniques into practice immediately, such as installing sites locally with Docker or restoring JPA archives.

All conferences were broadcast live, and then put online so that those unable to attend could view them from home.

Networking and People at the Heart of the Event

Despite the success of the online sessions, the face-to-face experience remains irreplaceable. The informal exchanges, spontaneous encounters and shared energy between participants proved once again that JoomlaDay is much more than a series of conferences. The event is a veritable melting pot, where ideas cross paths, partnerships are formed, and the community is strengthened.

Ambitious plans for 2025

In light of the enthusiastic feedback, AFUJ is already planning improvements for the next edition:

• Develop interactive workshops combining online and face-to-face sessions.
• Introduce specific areas for beginners, to make the event even more inclusive.
• Offer a variety of formats, such as debates and roundtables, to diversify interaction.
• Create a forum dedicated to professionals, to encourage collaboration within the Joomla! community.

A Special Mention to Speakers and Volunteers

AFUJ would like to extend its warmest thanks to the speakers who shared their expertise and ideas, enriching the event. Their passion and commitment made this JoomlaDay a complete success. Thanks also to the volunteers whose hard work behind the scenes made this event possible.

With an increasingly dynamic community and a constantly evolving format, JoomlaDay France continues to establish itself as a key event for Joomla! users.

See you in 2025 for a new, even more ambitious and rewarding edition!