After a three-year hiatus, the highly anticipated worldwide Pizza, Bugs, and Fun (PBF) event made a triumphant return. This gathering saw approximately 150 keen Joomlers converge for a session of testing, bug-fixing, networking, and, of course, indulging in some delightful pizza.

The occasion unfolded on the 26th of August in 19 different locations globally, encompassing Europe, Africa, and North America, with a virtual participation from Asia.

Running continuously from 8 am to 3 am UTC across various time zones, the event maintained an energetic pace with a steady attendance of thirty to 40 users online at any given moment. Notably, many were first-time contributors, thereby augmenting the documentation team with fresh members.

A blend of physical and virtual setups facilitated by the reliable IONOS server hosted multiple Joomla instances seamlessly, enhancing the collaborative spirit. In addition, participants were treated to event swag from IONOS and a range of Joomla stickers to keep their spirits high.

Achievements Unveiled

The diligent work of the attendees bore fruit with a staggering 72 pull requests resolved and over 500 documentation edits finalised. This monumental effort promises to inject more features into the stable release of Joomla 5, enhancing its robustness.

Gathering Feedback

To understand the pulse of the event, we collected feedback through a brief survey. The insights were heartwarming:

• - 61.5% attended in-person, while 38.5% joined online

• - A promising 100% expressed eagerness to participate in future PBF events

The Community Spirit

The most echoed sentiment was the joy derived from community participation — be it working synchronously across different geographies, meeting like-minded individuals, or the simple pleasure of sharing a pizza, albeit virtually in some cases.

While the event was a roaring success, we acknowledged the sentiment of those who missed a nearby physical location, a shortcoming we are keen to address in subsequent editions. Encouraged by the ongoing sponsorship from IONOS, we aspire to incorporate more venues in the future, fostering a richer community engagement.

Event Gallery

Acknowledgements

A heartfelt thank you to the veteran team members, especially Christiane Maier-Stadtherr and Phil Walton, who steered us through. Kudos to the new entrants in the team — Olivier Buisard with his rich PBF experience from various Joomladay events, Yann Gomiero for the phenomenal banners and video, Louise Hawkins for managing social media communications, and Rick Spaan for ensuring the swag reached all participants timely. 

A special mention to Hannes Papenberg and Dieter Ziller, our first-time organisers, who curated the invaluable issues list. Your efforts propelled the event to great heights.

Gratitude to Our Main Sponsor, IONOS

A resounding thank you to IONOS for their unwavering support. It really is appreciated.

IONOS is the leading European digitization partner for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). IONOS has six million customers and is active in 18 markets in Europe and North America with a globally available platform.

With its web presence & productivity offerings, the company acts as a "one-stop store" for all digitization needs, from domains and web hosting to classic website builders and Do-It-Yourself solutions, from e-commerce to online marketing tools. In addition, IONOS offers cloud solutions for companies that want to move to the cloud as their business evolves.

IONOS also offer optimised web hosting specifically for Joomla; check out their Joomla Packages 

Stay in the Loop

To keep abreast of the latest updates and to be a part of the next PBF event, join the PBF channel on Mattermost and check out the official website regularly.

Here's to more code, collaboration, and pizzas!