Neos Conference 2023 - A field report

The conference offered not just one, but two stages with a wealth of interesting presentations. In addition to topics relating to the Neos framework, including the hotly anticipated version 9.0, there were also exciting presentations on other relevant areas. The variety of content left me spoiled for choice, as there were always two talks being held in parallel. Fortunately, however, all the talks were recorded and could later be watched conveniently on YouTube.

I was really impressed by the stage show. But the very best thing about it was the opportunity to talk to the presenters immediately after the presentations and ask lots of questions. I was even lucky enough to be able to speak to the core members in person. They were absolutely friendly and open to any questions. It was a great opportunity to meet so many community members in person and feel their enthusiasm first hand.

Not only was I able to discuss ideas and make suggestions at the conference, but I was also encouraged to present new ideas at any time and actively participate in the code development process. This openness and hands-on mentality at Neos really impressed me. It was refreshing to see that even as a newcomer, active participation was possible and even explicitly encouraged.

The speakers took time after their presentations to answer questions or hold further discussions. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was to make new contacts. You felt warmly welcomed into the community and it was nice to meet the people behind the names you interact with in the community.

The whole event was excellently organized and I have a lot of respect for the work that the community, mainly sitegeist itself together with the Sandstorm team, put into the organization. Although you can watch the presentations later on YouTube, it is still something very special to experience the unique atmosphere on site and to have the opportunity to exchange experiences with other participants who have been using Neos for a long time or are just starting out. The live atmosphere is simply incomparable!

I also thought it was a great idea to be able to ask the speakers questions via app, which they then answered directly. It worked really well and contributed to the interaction. And the party on Thursday evening was a wonderful way to end the event, where you could have small talk and ask further questions in a relaxed atmosphere.

It was particularly impressive that sitegeist was not only co-organizer of the event, but was also represented on stage by two speakers, Martin and Bernhard. They presented extremely interesting topics and thus contributed to the diverse program.

Bernhard dedicated his talk to the topic:"Speaking Graphish: The PHP API of Content Repository". In this talk, he delved deep into the PHP API of Content Repository and explored how the structure there has become clearer and easier to understand. In particular, he talked about the breakdown of the powerful Node object into a read model, commands and repositories that you should be aware of if you want to interact with the Content Repository at a lower level, especially when developing import functions or similar. This talk presented a fascinating insight into the new Content Repository that will be introduced with Neos 9.0 and provided valuable knowledge for developers.

Martin, on the other hand, gave a presentation entitled: "Fusion-Forms and how to extend it". This talk was aimed at developers interested in using Neos.Fusion.Form to create flexible and customizable forms. He presented a demo of the"PaperTiger" package developed by Sitegeist, which allows editors to define simple forms and their submit action using nodes. This functionality is extremely useful when creating forms. Martin's presentation provided exciting insights and was very interesting for developers working with Fusion.Form.
 

I highly recommend anyone involved with Neos, whether beginner or advanced, to attend Neos Con. It doesn't matter if you already use Neos or are just interested in contributing to its further development - this conference offers a unique opportunity.

The opportunity to benefit from their experience and knowledge was truly enriching. The energy and enthusiasm of the Neos community was palpable throughout the conference. Although the two days were exhausting, they flew by. It was definitely a worthwhile experience that will pay off for any Neos enthusiast.