Several weeks after DrupalCon Nara concluded, its influence continues to be felt across the open-source and global Drupal communities. For Genero, Inc., supporting the event was not simply about sponsorship, but about reinforcing a long-term commitment to open collaboration, technical exchange, and community-driven innovation. The decision was closely tied to Nara’s role as host city and to DrupalCon’s significance as a global open-source gathering. Hiroshi Takeuchi, President and CEO of Genero, Inc., explained the motivation behind their sponsorship:
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“We were inspired to support DrupalCon’s historic return to Asia because it was held in Nara, one of Japan’s most culturally significant cities. This presented a meaningful opportunity to participate as a sponsor.”
–Hiroshi Takeuchi, President and CEO, Genero, Inc.
Genero’s involvement in Drupal and open source extends well beyond a single event. The company has consistently worked to advance digital transformation in Japan by supporting technical communities and encouraging wider adoption of open-source technologies. As Takeuchi noted,
Hiroshi Takeuchi
"Our company has long contributed to promoting digital transformation (DX) and fostering technical communities in Japan through initiatives centered around Drupal and other open-source projects. From this perspective, DrupalCon Nara became a natural extension of work already underway. This sponsorship reflects our commitment to deepening our long-term partnership with the Drupal community and demonstrates our intention to continue supporting Drupal’s adoption in Japan, facilitating technical exchange and nurturing talent for years to come.”
Genero’s engagement around DrupalCon Nara reflected a deliberate effort to reach both domestic and international audiences. Within Japan, the company focused on expanding awareness of Drupal beyond engineers alone. Takeuchi described how this approach played out locally:
DrupalCon Nara 2025 |
Genero
“Domestically, we have been promoting Drupal not only to engineers but also to non-technical audiences through announcements at our regularly held meetups and articles published on our Drupal-based media site, DXTimes.”
By framing Drupal within broader conversations about DX, Genero aimed to make open source more accessible to business leaders, content creators, and decision makers.
At the same time, Genero continued to act as a connector between Japan and the global Drupal ecosystem.
“Globally, we serve as a bridge by translating and sharing English-language articles, exchanging insights with overseas communities, and reporting on DrupalCon events,”
Takeuchi said. DrupalCon Nara created new momentum for that role.
“Through DrupalCon Nara, we aimed to further connect the domestic and international Drupal communities and facilitate knowledge sharing across borders.”
Gen Nakagawa, Nara Mayor, speaking at DrupalCon Nara 2025 |
Genero
In the weeks following the event, that exchange has continued through reporting, translation, and collaboration with overseas media and community members.
During the conference itself, Genero’s team was involved across a wide range of activities that reflected both technical and community-focused priorities. They led multiple sessions, supported on-site community activities as volunteers, and collaborated with international media outlets to share perspectives from Nara with a wider audience. Reporting from the event was published through DXTimes, helping capture discussions and insights while they were still fresh. Local engagement was also a priority, including an interview with the Mayor of Nara that highlighted the city’s interest in technology and open-source collaboration. At the sponsor booth, Genero emphasized conversation over promotion, creating space for technical consultation and information exchange where participants from Japan and abroad could connect directly.
The setting of Nara added a deeper layer of meaning to Genero’s participation. The city’s history and openness to external ideas resonated strongly with Drupal’s values. Takeuchi reflected on this alignment by saying,
“Nara is a city that, while being the cradle of Japan, has grown by embracing diverse cultures and external knowledge, a true symbol of an open community.”
For Genero, that spirit mirrored the essence of open source itself. “This spirit closely aligns with Drupal’s philosophy of global collaboration, knowledge sharing, and co-creation.” Supporting DrupalCon in Nara was also an opportunity to reframe how the city is seen on the global stage. “Supporting DrupalCon in Nara allowed us to showcase a new value proposition to the world: History × Open Source × DX.” Looking ahead, Genero hopes this visibility contributes to lasting growth.
“We also hope our participation contributes to Nara’s future development as a hub for IT and creative talent.”
Genero booth at DrupalCon Nara 2025 |
Genero
Promotion and outreach around DrupalCon Nara were treated as an ongoing effort rather than a one-time campaign. Genero published feature articles and pre-event interviews on DXTimes, shared announcements through social media and customer networks, and reached out through domestic communities and related events. Internationally, they worked with media such as ourselves, The DropTimes, to broaden coverage and perspective. Participation reports were also shared internally and are planned for wider release, extending the life of the event beyond the conference dates. A particular focus was placed on explaining Drupal’s relevance through a DX lens, with Takeuchi noting that DXTimes published several articles highlighting the value of Drupal for audiences who may not have previously engaged with the platform.
Weeks after DrupalCon Nara, Genero sees the event not as a conclusion, but as a point of continuity. The conversations sparked in Nara continue through media, translation, community activity, and collaboration across borders. In that sense, the impact of DrupalCon lives on in exactly the way open source is meant to work—through shared knowledge, open communities, and a commitment to building something together over time.
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