We’re taking a bit more time to ensure the program continues to offer a rewarding experience for all Champions—past, present and future.

How to become a Camunda Champion

There’s no single path to becoming a Champion—we recognize and value a wide range of contributions. Whether you’re writing code, giving talks, creating tutorials, or supporting others, we want to hear from you!

Here are some of the ways you can contribute and we consider key for the program:

• Camunda 8 Expert – Demonstrate deep expertise in Camunda 8
  
• Code Contributor – Enhance Camunda projects with your coding skills
  
• Tutorial Creator – Share your knowledge through engaging YouTube videos
  
• Marketplace Innovator – Build and maintain connectors or blueprints
  
• Blog Writer – Share insights via blog posts, internally or externally
  
• Event Speaker – Present your work and ideas at meet-ups or conferences
  
• Meet-up Organizer – Bring people together by hosting local meet-ups
  
• Knowledge Sharer – Lead knowledge-sharing sessions in your organization
  
• Supportive Mentor – Help others in the community through the Forum
  
• Passionate Advocate – Spread the word and inspire others to build with Camunda
  

If you’re unsure whether you should apply—go for it! When the time comes, fill out the application form when it opens in October.

Learn more about the program and current Champions here: Camunda Champion Program.

Stay Informed

We’ll share more details as the date approaches through the Camunda Developer Newsletter and our social media channels. Be sure to follow us to stay in the loop!

We can’t wait to welcome a new cohort of passionate, engaged, and inspiring Champions this October!

The post 2025 Camunda Champion Program Launching in October appeared first on Camunda.

To celebrate our most active members, we created the Camunda Champion Program. This initiative recognizes our top community leaders and enables them to continue sharing their knowledge and helping others.

This year marks our sixth cohort of Camunda Champions. We received applications from community members worldwide, and we thank each of you for applying. If you weren’t selected this time, we encourage you to apply again in the future!

With that, we’re thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our new Champions joining us this year! We’re equally excited for those returning Champions who continue to lead the way and embody what the Camunda community stands for. To those who are stepping down, we offer our heartfelt thanks for your invaluable contributions.

What it means to be a Champion

	“To me, becoming a Champion means sharing my passion for Camunda in a way that energizes everyone around me. When I talk about Camunda, my enthusiasm inspires others and ignites their curiosity.  It’s about being a driving force that encourages others to explore the possibilities and benefits of Camunda. My goal is to foster that spark of curiosity and motivation, helping others to see the potential for transformation through the power of Camunda.” —Maria Alish, new Champion. Poland, IBA Group/ IBA Poland
	Being a Camunda Champion for me is a great opportunity to contribute to the community, and of course a chance to meet a lot of great people. It is a great joy to be part of such a passionate community. —Tomas Walek, new Champion. Czech Republic, Astomicon
	Becoming a Camunda Champion means that I have the recognition of being a valued contributor in the Camunda community and that I possess both theoretical and technical skills related to the technology and the types of problems it is designed to solve. —Gerard Lapi Emo, new Champion. Belgium, independent consultant
	“I’m absolutely thrilled to be a Champion and to be part of this amazing community! “ —Patrick Wunderlich, returning Champion. Germany, Holisticon

We can’t wait to see what our Champions will accomplish in the coming year. You can learn more about our new Champions and their journeys on our Camunda Champion Program page. Here’s to another great year of growth, collaboration, and innovation! ????

Interested in becoming a Camunda Champion?

We want to hear from you! Find out more about the program and start looking for ways to contribute back to the Camunda community. The next cohort of Champions will start in the fall of 2025. We’ll open up the application period in August 2025. Subscribe to our developer newsletter to be reminded when Champion applications open next!

The post Welcome Camunda Champions! appeared first on Camunda.

Do you have a passion for Camunda? Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge and helping others succeed? Then you might be a Camunda Champion! Read on to learn how the Camunda Champion Program recognizes and supports outstanding contributors in our community.

Why become a Camunda Champion?

As a Camunda Champion, you’ll gain access to exclusive resources, insider knowledge, exclusive swag, networking opportunities, and special events. Plus, you’ll be publicly recognized for your contributions and play a key role in shaping the future of our community.

Who is a Camunda Champion?

A Camunda Champion is a true community hero, someone who goes above and beyond to make a difference. Champions come in many forms, and their contributions are as diverse as our community. They do outstanding work that benefits the wider Camunda community, but also advocate within their own companies. Here are just a few ways in which you might shine as a Camunda Champion:

• Camunda 8 expert: Demonstrate deep expertise in Camunda 8.
• Code contributor: Enhance Camunda projects with your coding skills, either with contributions to the core Camunda product or community-maintained extensions.
• Tutorial creator: Share your knowledge through engaging YouTube videos.
• Marketplace innovator: Develop, share, and maintain Connectors and blueprints.
• Blog writer: Inspire and inform others with your insightful blog posts, whether internally for your company documentation or externally for the larger technical community to benefit from.
• Event speaker: Talk about your work and share your expertise with others.
• Camunda meet-up organizer: Bring people together by organizing local meet-ups.
• Knowledge sharer: Foster a culture of learning within your company by leading regular knowledge-sharing sessions, also known as a community of practice.
• Supportive mentor: Assist others in the community on our forum.
• Passionate Advocate. Inspire and support community members across the Camunda ecosystem.

What’s new this year?

We have added ways to recognize those whose contributions are internal to their company and not publicly visible. Over time, we have seen more and more potential Champions whose contributions are not externally visible. Maybe you are known as the expert on Camunda within your company and create internal trainings, or you organize knowledge-sharing sessions for your coworkers. Maybe you have a mix of internal and external contributions. Whatever your contributions look like, if you live up to the qualities of a Champion, we would love to see your submission.

How to apply

Applying is simple! Just head over to our application page and apply.

Please note that if your contributions are mainly internal (i.e. not visible to our application committee), we will require a 30-minute meeting between you and one of our Developer Advocates to get to know you better. Be sure to do this as soon as possible, and no later than September 30, to secure your spot. This meeting is a mandatory step to be considered by the selection committee.

Do you know someone who embodies the qualities of a Camunda Champion? Encourage them to apply!

The Champion Program is a year-long program, with the next cohort of Champions starting in November 2024. Applications are open until September 30, 2024, and all candidates will be notified no later than November 1, 2024.

Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of something amazing. We look forward to seeing your applications!

The post Are you a Camunda Champion? appeared first on Camunda.

Many within the Camunda Community actively contribute in ways that demonstrate their commitment and generosity, sharing their expertise and shaping our community. Our community members write code that refines the product,  organize meet-ups where local community members get together to learn,  answer questions on our forum, and present to local and international audiences.

The Camunda Champion Program launched in 2021 as a way to formalize Camunda’s acknowledgement and support for those who truly stand out. The intention was clear from the get-go: to recognize, empower, and reward our most dedicated contributors. By doing so, we aim to improve the experience of every community member and make all interactions more meaningful.

Since its launch, we’ve had the privilege to onboard 29 exceptional folks as Camunda Champions. This November, we will onboard the fifth cohort, and there’s still an opportunity for you to become a Camunda Champion, too. Read on for details about what it means to be a Camunda Champion, the benefits of being a Camunda Champion, and where you can apply.

What it means to be a Camunda Champion  

A Camunda Champion is someone who embodies our Community Values. These are the pillars on which our community stands – individuals who are always ready to collaborate, share their knowledge, uplift others, and are passionate about Camunda and BPMN. Their contributions range from addressing questions and to public speaking, to content creation and actively participating across multiple platforms. The Champion program aims to recognize the dedication of these champions, and support them in the area they feel most passionate about.

Embracing the role of a Camunda Champion

Why consider becoming a Camunda Champion? Beyond joining a thriving global community of Camunda Champions, there are multiple benefits waiting for you:

• Grow your network. Create connections with Camunda experts and fellow Champions from around the world.
• Exclusive badges. Showcase your Champion status through special badges across different platforms.
• Insider insights. Stay informed about the latest developments within Camunda, receiving updates firsthand.
• Special access to events. An invitation to the annual Champion Summit, and free tickets to CamundaCon.
• Exclusive swag!

Apply by October 6, 2023

Stepping into the role of a Camunda Champion means joining a community built on knowledge sharing, collaboration, and connection. We are accepting applications now, and we want to hear from you. Apply by October 6, 2023 to be considered for our fifth cohort of Champions in November. The Camunda Champion Program team will review all applications and get back to you via email if you’re accepted.

If you have any questions regarding the program, feel free to contact us via champions@camunda.com.

The post Are you a Camunda Champion? appeared first on Camunda.

There are many great resources out there talking about how to start a user group or meet-up program, like one written a couple of years ago by my colleague, community manager Luca Buchholz: “Six Tips for building a global Meet-up Organizers Program.” This article is for those of you who are looking for suggestions on how to level up your program.

How did it all start?

Back in 2018, some user groups started to appear spontaneously, and Camunda decided to launch a program to support them formally. Many of the actions of this phase were directed at raising awareness throughout the community, letting them know this was something they could do, and helping them to start their own chapters.

As the community continued to grow and new programs were developed, it became clear that another community manager was needed. That is when I came into the picture; I joined in the summer of 2021 to focus primarily on the meet-up program.

Challenges and objectives

These were the challenges I discovered:

• The information and resources for Chapter leaders were scattered.
• Not all processes were documented.
• 41% of the Chapters were inactive.

With this in mind, the 2022 objectives became very clear:

Here are the steps I took to take the meet-up program to the next level.

1. Audit your groups

I had one-on-one calls with all the Chapter leaders with two purposes: to establish a personal connection with them and have a better understanding of their Chapters. These are some of the questions I wanted to clear during our conversations:

• What drives them?
• What language do they prefer to host meet-ups in?
• What are their pain points?
• Do they prefer online, in-person, or hybrid meet-ups?
• Who are the more enthusiastic leaders?
• How often do they like to host meet-ups?

The information gathered was then added to an internal database so anyone from the Developer Relation team could access it.

2. Define key indicators

I was very selective and avoided vanity metrics. They may look impressive but can be misleading and often are not giving us helpful information to either improve the program or measure engagement. I was especially interested in measuring the engagement of the chapters through a couple of objective indicators. Knowing how useful the new resources and support provided to the Leaders was also key, but because this is more subjective, I opted to extract this information from our yearly Community programs feedback survey.

Objective indicators

• <5% of inactive groups by the end of 2022.
• Every active group is hosting two events per year.

Subjective indicators

• Improve perceived satisfaction level of support provided.
• Improve perceived satisfaction level of information provided.

3. Define and document processes

Defining and documenting all processes had many advantages and was a good way to ensure everything ran smoothly. Not only was it easier to make quick changes, but it also meant that everyone involved knew what was happening and could revisit the documentation in the future. This was especially helpful in the decision making process, since I knew I was taking the right steps most efficiently. Additionally, it helped me map the Chapter Leaders journey from beginning to end. Creating their life cycle became key to ensure all leaders were having a good experience in every phase. It was a good way to make sure everyone had the same expectations and understanding of the program and map their happy path. The happy path of each phase is the ideal sequence of events towards what you consider success.

Below is an example of the reactivation phase; in this case success is helping them set up their next meet-up:

4. Create resources

Awareness resources

These are all the resources that help the community know more about the program. We upgraded the information on our website section letting people know how to start a Camunda Chapter,  and added a form for people to apply to become a Chapter Leader.

Enabling resources

These are all the resources specifically created for Chapter leaders. My goal was to create something like “one ring to rule them all” but in the community manager version: one resource to find it all!

With this in mind, the Chapter Leaders Playbook was born. This playbook has all the information needed to run a meet-up. It has topics catering to newbies and experienced organizers. Some of its most important characteristics are:

• One platform to keep all resources relevant for Chapter leaders
• Easy to look for information
• Easy to keep updated

Other benefits of having a single resource where all documentation and resources live include: increased autonomy of Chapter Leaders, you lower the chances of becoming a bottleneck during their activities, and you ensure transparency by giving all Leaders access to information, including the Developer Relations team.

This resource doesn’t mean I am not available for questions or support, I might just not be the first place to look for answers. To keep the relationship with each Chapter strong, I have other touch points with them throughout the year. For example, after a meet-up I reach out to ask how everything went. If a Camundi attended their event, I’ll ask them for feedback and share the impressions with them.

5. Is the platform you use to publish your events working for you or against you?

A quick way of knowing if you have the right platform is whether you can answer yes to most or all of these questions:

• Is it showing all events and chapters at a single glance?
• Can you know the demographics of your attendees?
• Can you follow up on attendance rates?
• Can you integrate it with other tools like HubSpot or CommonRoom?
• Can you demonstrate the impact your program has on the business?

We launched the new Camunda meet-ups page in September 2021. Bevy, the new platform,  allows us to answer yes to all of these questions. The user experience is good for Chapter Leaders and administrators. The dashboard provides useful insights such as platform memberships vs. chapter memberships, memberships’ regional distribution, and virtual engagements, amongst others. The migration hasn’t always been an easy ride, but we are very satisfied with its capabilities and user experience.

6. Talk about the program internally

Talking about the program internally is a great way to find allies that can be laying in plain sight. Partner managers, sales managers, and product managers can often help you out by giving talks, inviting people from their network, or introducing folks that have the potential to become great Chapter Leaders.

It’s important to be mindful of these interactions and state clearly:

• Why is it relevant for them to team up with you? AKA, what’s in it for them?
• What is a meet-up, and what is not? Spoiler alert: it’s not a sales or demand-generation event.
• Meet-up etiquette.

These things might be clear to you, but not all roles are familiar with the meet-up format.

7. Outstanding Developer Advocate team

The Developer Advocates are the experts, they have infinite imagination to present recurrent themes, and they thrive when they interact with the community. They are definitely one of the secret ingredients of our Community Programs.

8. Participate in the meet-ups

If you are anything like me, you might enjoy being behind the scenes and enabling others to succeed. However, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and participate actively in the meet-ups.

I normally try to participate in a Chapter’s first event to welcome everyone into the Camunda Community and organize a themed trivia of the city we are in. Fun fact, I don’t like participating in trivia because my mind goes blank, but weirdly enough, I love to organize them! Did you know that the clip is a Polish invention or that Berlin has more bridges than Venice? True facts.

You might decide to go with something other than trivia; the important thing is that you feel comfortable and authentic with it.

9. Passionate Chapter Leaders

Without passionate people willing to step into the role, this program would not exist. Everything we create must serve them and the space they create within their communities.

Chapter Leaders become ambassadors of our organization, and we want to ensure they have all the resources and knowledge needed to effectively organize meet-ups worldwide.

Camunda Chapter Leaders are some of the most active members of the Camunda Community. They bring together like-minded people by establishing regular meet-ups to discuss the industry’s latest developments, including Camunda’s product contributions. A shoutout to all of them and the amazing work they do!

10. Core skills

Many articles talk about the core skills for folks running programs like this: The soft skills every community manager needs by CommonRoom. I can tell you which skills I’ve found myself leaning into more frequently. Whenever I have a meeting with a Chapter Leader, I try to be fully present. It sounds clichéd, but it makes a big difference in the quality of the conversation and the notes that come out of the session. I try to be perseverant with a good dose of patience to avoid getting discouraged whenever an answer takes longer than I had anticipated. It’s hard to catch people’s attention, but a dose of creativity and humor can go a long way.  Don’t be afraid to bring your whole self into the conversation!

Was it a tough year? You bet! Was it worth it? Absolutely! This is how we closed the year compared to the initial objectives:

I hope you found something new in this article and that you create something extraordinary for your program. We will continue to evolve the Camunda meet-up program to keep serving our fantastic community to the best of our abilities!

The post How We Took the Camunda Meet-up Program to the Next Level in Just 10 Steps appeared first on Camunda.

Where did the idea come from?

Every year the Developer Relations team (DevRel) at Camunda sets a series of goals, all of them directed to serve our wonderful community to the best of our abilities. In 2022, one of these goals was to ensure that as the community grew, its culture and values would follow along. This led us to ask “What is our culture and values?” and “What makes this community exceptional and different from others?”

The Oxford dictionary defines culture as “the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.” This means people and their values drive culture. We know our community is awesome, and we realized nothing was written about why it is like that. The team took the decision to identify these values, celebrate them, and keep using them as a guide. We knew if these values were going to be referred to for years to come, we needed to make them memorable, easy to prompt an action, and relatable to the community.

How did we identify them?

We knew we couldn’t do this on our own; after all, culture is everyone’s responsibility. First, we had a brainstorming session with the DevRel team, then we asked for feedback from the community. We launched a survey during the Camunda Summit 2022, and we engaged in one-on-one conversations with community members. This input helped us outline the core values our community feels most represented by.

Camunda community values

In addition to being shared beliefs, these community values are what guide how we behave and interact. We also know they have the potential to evolve through time. If you have comments or feedback, please share your suggestions with us. The Community Management team will review them and get back to you.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible and for making our community such a special one.

The post Camunda community values appeared first on Camunda.