What happens when you organize a massive PBF event at not one, but two of your workplace locations, with 30 participants? Read and find out!
My name is Vishal Adheli, and I work at Tekdi Technologies where I serve as the Tech Lead and manage Techjoomla Products. This year, we expanded the Global Joomla! PBF event across two distinct hubs in Maharashtra: our corporate headquarters in Tekdi Technologies, Pune Office and Walchand Institute of Technology, Solapur. Our mission was to bridge the gap between classroom theory and global open-source contribution using the latest in AI and community mentorship.
The IST Challenge: Racing the Sun
Operating from India, we worked strictly on IST (Indian Standard Time). This meant starting and ending our day much earlier than the European and American hubs. While we missed out on some of the "real-time" global community chatter and midnight fun, we gained a high-focus environment. We enjoyed the quiet intensity of fixing bugs, testing patches, and diving deep into the inner workings of Joomla 5+. For us, the "fun" was in the code and the learning.
Background: The Luma Surge vs. Attendance Reality
To manage our outreach, we used Luma for registrations, which helped us create a professional landing page that resonated with both students and pros. The response was massive, securing over 80 registrations. However, the "on-the-ground" reality gave us a more focused and dedicated group:
| Location | Luma Registrations |
Actual Attendance |
Participant profile |
| Solapur | 50+ | 20 | 8 Working professionals, 12 students |
| Pune | 30+ | 10 | 8 Working Professionals, 2 Students |
While the turnout was about 40% of the digital sign-ups, the mix of participants created a unique dynamic. Pune provided a high concentration of experts, while Solapur offered a vibrant laboratory where industry mentors worked side-by-side with engineering students.
The "Aha!" Moment: A Student's Perspective
The impact of this event was best captured by one of our participants, Pranita Zalli, who shared her experience on LinkedIn. She highlighted how the event was a "transformative journey," taking her from a newcomer to someone who understands the weight of a global open-source contribution. Seeing students like Pranita gain confidence is exactly why we continue to host these hubs.
Fueling the Mission: Pizza & Camaraderie
You can't have PBF without the Pizza! In both Pune and Solapur, we made sure the energy stayed high with a massive local order.
- The Ritual: We took a collective break from our screens to let the aroma of fresh pizza take over the Network Lab and the Pune office.
- The Enjoyment: This wasn't just a meal; it was the ultimate networking hour. In Solapur, the 8 working professionals sat with the 12 students, sharing slices and stories about industry life. We discussed everything from the future of PHP to our favorite pizza toppings (yes, the pineapple debate reached India too!). It turned a high-pressure coding sprint into a celebration of the community.
Preparation & The AI Edge
Our preparation was dual-track. We utilized the official Joomla! PBF resources for technical guidance while deploying AntiGravity AI as our "Digital Mentor." We coordinated with the CSE department at WIT Solapur to ensure the Network Lab was optimized for a high-bandwidth, AI-assisted sprint.
What We Did
The event flow was tailored to the experience levels at each hub:
- The Pune Sprint: With 80% of the room being working professionals, Pune focused on high-velocity bug fixing and submitting complex Pull Requests (PRs).
- The Solapur Education & Test Drive: In Solapur, most students were new to PHP and Joomla. We spent a significant portion of Day 1 on foundational education—explaining CMS architecture and why open-source contribution is a career milestone.
- The Pivot to Patch Testing: Recognizing the learning curve, we pivoted the students toward Patch Testing. Using AntiGravity AI, they followed automated "Step-by-Step Test Guides" to verify fixes.
Recognition & Rewards
To celebrate the hard work put in over the two days, we held a closing ceremony to honor our top contributors. We awarded physical trophies and digital certificates in three key categories:
- Most PRs Submitted: Recognizing the technical heavy-lifters.
- Most Patches Tested: Honoring the QA heroes who ensured code stability.
- Most Enthusiastic Members: Rewarding those who showed exceptional curiosity and a "never-give-up" attitude.
Expectations vs. Real World
- The Expectation: We hoped the 80+ Luma registrants would all show up ready to submit code.
- The Reality: We learned that in a student-centric city like Solapur, the "Day 0" education requirement is immense. It took significant mentor energy to teach the basics before looking at a bug.
- The Insight: Having 8 working professionals in the Solapur room was a lifesaver—they acted as sub-mentors, helping bridge the gap for the students.
What Have We Learned?
Experience over Numbers: While Luma helped us get 80+ sign-ups, our future strategy will focus on inviting people with baseline experience. This saves mentor energy for innovation rather than basic education.
Shift-Left Education: For future student-heavy hubs, we will conduct training sessions one week prior to the event so the PBF days are strictly for action.
AI as the Great Equalizer: AntiGravity AI allowed our students to perform professional-grade QA testing, which would have been impossible for them to achieve manually on their first day.
Conclusion
PBF 2026 proved that whether you are a pro in Pune or a student in Solapur, you have a role in the global ecosystem. We are proud of the 30 participants who showed up, contributed, and earned their trophies. We are already planning our next event with a focus on "Pre-Event Training" to make our next contribution sprint even more impactful!