Since 2021 I have been chairing, presenting and the Master of Ceremonies at JDAYUSA.  This was our 5th year of running this amazing few days of learning.  Our commitee is filled with volunteers that are passionate about Joomla and even more passionate about getting all of us together.  This event happens because of the volunteers, sponsors and speakers and our committee!  I'm humbled to be a part of this group.

This year we added a third day of learning.  I also got the opportunity to teach part of the Introduction to Joomla! course.  I love having the opportunity to teach and learn with fellow joomlers.  Each one of the students learned at least one new things about Joomla from our time together, that made it all worthwhile.  We also added a new session this year where we interviewed a client on the spot and discussed their website.  The client was actually the owner of the company that donated their space to us for this event.  There were over 25 sessions where people learned and learned some more.  

Of course there is the social element to these events.  I was thrilled to have Elisa Foltyn stay at my home in NJ so I could show her some of the sites in NJ from Asbury Park, NJ, New Hope, PA, Grounds for Sculpture just to name a few of the places that we visited.  Then we arrived in Washington DC.  Our committee met for our team dinner, then we got to work.  The first night we held our speaker/sponsor dinner.  Here we got to mingle with the speakers and sponsors that made the event possible.  Thursday night we had a full event dinner with all of our attendees.  The last night we went to a dueling piano bar where we drank, danced and sang at the top of our lungs.  Saturday was a day of touring in Washington DC.

So what's happening for 2026?  We are going to Delray Beach Florida!  This event will promise to combine beach, sun, social and Joomla.  The conference will be held in the Aloft Hotel in Delray Beach.  The hotel is walking distance to bars, beach and shops.  Additionally the hotel itself has it's own bar, rooftop pool and beautiful spaces for our participants to hang out in.

Thank you again to everyone for making these events happen and get bigger and bigger each year!