Fun in the Sun with Drupal - Drupal Camp Central America

Fun in the Sun with Drupal – Drupal Camp Central America

San Diego, CA - Achieve Internet is sponsoring one of its own, Lead Developer Roberto Montero, as a team member of the third annual Drupal Camp Central America, scheduled for June 2 through 4, 2011, on the beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Roberto has spearheaded camp organization efforts from the beginning and is a key member of the camp’s marketing team. He currently handles camp inquiries from people located in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and he worked on the camp’s website www.drupalca.org., which is in both Spanish and English.

Roberto was born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, and graduated from the Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACIT or Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología). In travelling back to Costa Rica for the camp, Roberto will be able to renew connections and represent Achieve, which will also serve as a camp sponsor.

The camp, hosted by the University of Costa Rica, will feature sessions on a variety of Drupal topics, with a specific focus on serving the Latin American Drupal community. Sessions will be conducted in English and Spanish, according to speaker preference, with translation services available.

The Central American Drupal community is growing rapidly, as the camp numbers show. 50 Drupalers attended the first Drupal Camp Central America two years ago, and 150 attended last year. 2011 organizers expect 300 attendees, which would make the camp similar in size to those in most major U.S. cities. Attendees are expected from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Spain, and the U.S.

In Costa Rica specifically, the Drupal community is thriving. Drupal After Dark sessions, led by Pablo Aviles (http://paviles.net/), allow developers with day jobs to gather at night in restaurants and other public gathering spots to talk Drupal. Another Drupal group is led by Eduardo (Enzo) Garcia, who conducts two-hour Drupal training sessions once a month at various universities and provides lecture podcasts in Spanish.

Achieve Internet’s corporate culture has been greatly influenced by its connections to Latin America. In 2008, Roberto managed a team of developers for Achieve in Costa Rica. In addition to Roberto’s history and background, three of Achieve’s developers are fluent in Spanish. Achieve has also completed high-profile projects for Latin American clients, including a data mining application for the popular television station TeleMun2. (http://achieveinternet.com/blogs/nbcu/drupal-data-mining-holamun2com) Such projects are a natural fit for Achieve, whose offices are located in San Diego, CA, about 30 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border.

In sponsoring Drupal Camp Central America and sending Roberto to organize and participate, Achieve Internet will be continuing its investment in Drupal in Latin America, where improving internet infrastructure and the success of world-class corporations and governments are laying the foundation for a rise in Drupal adoption rates.

For more information about the camp, including specials on airfares and lodging, see www.drupalca.org.