JoomlaDayES 2024, held in Oviedo on October 4th and 5th, was established as a key event for the Joomla community in Spain. With a varied agenda and high-level speakers, attendees enjoyed two days focused on development and innovation in the Joomla! world. From exploring the new features of Joomla! 5 to recognizing the best websites with the JOYA Awards, this event was a true reflection of the continuous evolution and growth of the community.

Volunteer Day and Collaboration with Joomla

The first day, held on October 4th at the Official College of Industrial Engineers of the Principality of Asturias, focused on the active collaboration of community volunteers. At 4:00 PM, after a brief presentation, Carlos Cámara started a workshop on web services development using Joomla! 5, providing an in-depth look at the platform’s new features. The workshop, divided into two parts, allowed participants to experience firsthand the creation of web services, ask questions, and actively participate in the technical discussion.

The day ended with the popular session “Pizza, Bugs & Fun,” where participants worked together to fix bugs, test patches, and translate the CMS, all in a relaxed atmosphere. This type of activity highlights the collaborative nature of the Joomla community, where collective effort is key to advancing the project. Unfortunately, it could not be completed due to server issues hosting the websites, but it still showcased how all Joomla! users can contribute to the project.

Technical Talks and Innovation

On Saturday, October 5th, the event moved to the Oviedo Chamber of Commerce, where a full day of presentations took place.

The first session, led by Isidro Baquero, covered Yootheme Pro, a page builder that goes beyond simple layout design, offering advanced capabilities to optimize Joomla developers’ resources, reducing development time and costs without compromising Joomla’s core integrity.

Next, José Antonio Telleria presented a talk on how to automate Joomla! content using ChatGPT, a topic that captured attendees’ attention by demonstrating the advantages of integrating artificial intelligence into content management. The practical approach, with real examples, helped attendees understand how to leverage this technology in Joomla projects.

Maarten Blokdijk continued with a presentation on the Cassiopeia template, included in Joomla 4’s Core. During his talk, he showcased a customization module that allows users to easily configure this template without writing code or CSS. This tool, Blokdijk explained, enables developers to quickly launch Joomla! 4 and 5 websites with a professional appearance.

Yannick Gaultier then introduced 4Command, an extension for Joomla 3/4/5 designed to facilitate access to commands and navigation within the CMS administration. This tool offers an intuitive interface that allows both novice and experienced administrators to complete tasks more efficiently using keyboard shortcuts.

In the next talk, Julen Calvillo delved into the impact of tools like Figma on creative processes. With over four years of experience using this platform, Julen demonstrated how Figma has transformed the way studios and creative professionals manage and streamline digital design projects. His talk emphasized the importance of collaborative tools in optimizing work within multidisciplinary teams.

Afternoon Sessions: Development and New Technologies

The afternoon began with a session on developing custom modules in Joomla! 5, led by Sergio Iglesias, who explained the files and processes needed to create custom modules tailored to clients’ specific needs.

The day continued with a presentation by Pilar Dávila, who gave a live demonstration on transforming a website using SP Page Builder. Her talk included a case study, allowing attendees to see the practical impact of this tool on Joomla projects.

Salvador Méndez Suárez provided a clear insight into how to leverage artificial intelligence in Joomla, from basic concepts to more complex applications, showing tools that can optimize both content creation and programming.

The event concluded with a talk by Roberto Segura López, who explained how to integrate Vite with Joomla using a Vue.js application. Roberto highlighted the advantages of using these cutting-edge technologies to improve the performance and efficiency of Joomla projects.

JOYA Awards: Recognizing Talent

The closing of JoomlaDayES 2024 came with the Joya Awards, presented for the first time this year. These awards recognize excellence in web development with Joomla! in three categories: best corporate website, best nonprofit website, and most enthusiastic Joomler. The winners were selected for their innovation, technical quality, and contribution to the community, showcasing the effort and dedication that characterizes Joomla developers.

Farewell and Closing

The event concluded with various raffles, thanks to the event sponsors, and an emotional closing that left attendees satisfied with their participation in a professionally and personally enriching experience. JoomlaDayES 2024 not only met expectations but also reaffirmed the importance of collaboration and learning in the community, fundamental values in Joomla! development.

I'm definitely looking forward to JoomlaDayES 2025.