Something we’ve long known at Mozilla is that our localization community thrives on personal connections. For years, regional meetups brought volunteers and staff together multiple times a year — forging friendships, sharing knowledge, and collectively advancing the mission of a multilingual, open internet.
After a five-year pause, we’re thrilled to share that in June 2025, we re-ignited that tradition with a pilot localization meetup at the Mozilla Berlin office; it was everything we hoped for, and more.
A Weekend of Community, Collaboration, and Fresh Energy
Fourteen volunteers from 11 different locales gathered for a weekend full of shared ideas, meaningful conversations, and collaborative problem-solving. For many, it was their first time meeting fellow contributors in person, people they’d worked with for years, but only ever known through usernames and chat windows. For others, it was a long-awaited reunion, finally bringing back to life connections that had existed solely online since the last wave of community meetups.
“We now feel more connected and will work together more closely,” shared one participant, reflecting on the emotional impact of finally connecting face-to-face.
Throughout the weekend, we dove into topics ranging from community building to localization tooling. Some standout moments included:
- Candid discussions about what it means to lead within a localization community, the challenges of maintaining momentum, and what kind of support really makes a difference.
- David’s lightning talk on the Sicilian language and community, which sparked conversations about linguistic diversity and revitalizing regional languages through digitalization.
- Collaborative Pontoon brainstorming session, where localizers took the lead in proposing enhancements, suggesting new features, and sharing pain points — and some even supporting each other with development setup and hands-on exploration.
And of course, there was time for laughter, great food, and spontaneous late-night ideas that could only come from being in the same room together.
As one localizer put it: “The event gave me fresh energy and ideas to contribute more actively to Mozilla.”
Behind the Scenes
Organizing this meetup — especially after a multi-year hiatus — was a complex endeavor. Though we were eager to bring people together in the first half of the year, it took nearly nine months of planning. In the end, only two weekends aligned with enough staff availability to make the event possible.
To keep things focused and manageable for a pilot, we made a few strategic decisions:
- Location: with a local staff member on the ground and access to Mozilla’s Berlin office, we could streamline logistics — from restaurant bookings and lunch deliveries to helping attendees navigate international travel with clear guidance and local support.
- Participant selection: we prioritized inviting contributors who were highly active in Pontoon, and whose travel would be cost-effective and visa-free. This helped reduce uncertainty and made the event more accessible.
- Budget-aware planning: we extended invitations to 34 community members and received interest from 27. Due to scheduling overlaps, 14 were ultimately able to attend.
Why This Matters
Events like this don’t just strengthen Mozilla’s localization work, they strengthen Mozilla as a whole. Contributors left Berlin feeling recognized, energized, and motivated, and organizers left with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity about how vital it is to invest in human connection.
It also gave us space to hear directly from contributors — not in surveys or chat threads, but in real time, with nuance and context. Those conversations helped surface both immediate ideas for improvement and deeper questions about what sustainable, meaningful participation looks like in today’s Mozilla. It was a reminder that strong localization doesn’t just come from good tools and processes, but from mutual trust, shared ownership, and space to collaborate openly.
Looking Ahead
We’re now regrouping to reflect on lessons learned and to explore if it’s possible to scale these meetups going forward. That means thinking carefully about aspects like:
- How do we support communities in regions where Mozilla has no local staff?
- How do we navigate unknowns, like visa requirements, more complex traveling logistics, etc.?
- How do we sustainably host more meetups per year and ensure they’re just as impactful?
One thing is certain: this pilot proved once again the value of in-person community building. It re-affirmed something our community has said all along — that being together matters.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who participated, and we’re excited about the possibilities ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned localizer or just getting started, we hope this story inspires you. Your contributions make Mozilla possible and we truly hope we can celebrate that together, in more places around the world.
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