The DPDK Governing Board met on July 15, 2025, with quorum established and a packed agenda covering event planning, finances, marketing, technical developments, lab updates, and membership growth.
The most pressing issue was the Bay Area Summit 2025, originally scheduled for September in Santa Clara. Despite receiving 38 CFP submissions, the majority appeared to be AI-generated, leaving only about 10 viable talks. Low registration numbers and travel constraints further compounded concerns, leading the board—by near-unanimous vote—to cancel the summit. Nathan Southern and Ben Thomas were tasked with managing the shutdown process, refunding registrants, and removing related publicity.
Financially, Treasurer Keesang Song reported that the DPDK project is in strong shape. As of May 31, expenses were at 54% of the annual budget and revenues at nearly 94% of projections, with a healthy projected year-end rollover, expected to rise with summit cancellation savings. Additional cost reductions included ending a tech writer contract, with potential future use of AI tools for documentation, and the decision not to pursue a code challenge in 2025.
Marketing efforts, led by Ben Thomas, showed strong momentum: social engagement up 50%, downloads up 17%, and notable growth in the Asia Pacific region. A shift to a quarterly LinkedIn-based newsletter boosted reach, and plans for publicizing DPDK’s 15th anniversary in the fall remain on track.
Technical updates from Thomas Monjalon highlighted the upcoming 25.07 release with several new features and driver updates. A recent survey showed strong interest in AI-assisted code review, prompting trials of CodeRabbit and Sorcery tools. The UNH Lab’s Patrick Robb reported stable CI testing and ongoing efforts to streamline processes across community labs, along with recent DTS development improvements.
Action items were assigned across leadership, including finalizing the summit cancellation, advancing anniversary promotions, exploring a research proposal led by Hilary Carter, and supporting new member outreach. Overall, the meeting balanced a logistical setback with solid financial health, active technical innovation, and positive marketing and membership growth trajectories.
