From AI to Frontend Hosting: A Look Back (and Forward) at 2025’s Optimizely Happy Hours

One of the best things about the Optimizely community? We never stop learning, and we love sharing what we’ve learned. That’s what the Optimizely Virtual Happy Hour series is all about.

Our tech community comes together regularly online to share ideas, showcase new innovations, and learn from hands-on Optimizely implementations. So far in 2025, we’ve explored everything from how AI (Opal) and personalization are shaping digital experiences, to best practices for CMS migrations, tips for earning certifications, and strategies to get the most from your commerce platforms. Each session has offered fresh takeaways for developers, marketers, and strategists alike and now, we’re getting ready to shift gears and go full frontend mode.

But before we dive into what’s coming up next, let’s take a quick look back at the journey so far. 👇

January – Kicking Off with AI

We started the year strong with a deep dive into AI-powered content workflows.

• Luc Gosso showed off updates to the Epicweb AI Assistant Plugin, think image generation, localization, and accessibility improvements.

• Zahiduzzaman from Optimizely gave us a dev-first look at why Opal is different, and how it’s built to make your job easier.

Watch the recording in Academy: January Happy Hour

February – Enhancing CX with Visual Builder & ODP

• Mark Everard showed how to get the most out of Visual Builder in Optimizely CMS.

• Maurice Camara connected the dots between ODP, Content Recs, and Experimentation, revealing how these tools can supercharge personalization efforts.

Watch the recording in Academy: February Happy Hour

April – Frictionless Migrations & Future-Proof Skills

• Linus Ekström walked us through the Epinova Content Migration Tool, making CMS transitions smoother than ever.

• Audreyanna Olson introduced us to Optimizely’s new certifications, helping folks level up no matter where they are in their journey.

Watch the recording in Academy: April Happy Hour

May – Exploring Opal's Edge in Content Marketing & Beyond

• Patrick Lam unpacked how Opal compares to GenAI, showing how it's not just hype, it’s helping teams work smarter.

• Andy Blyth dropped knowledge on teaching AI to “speak” industry-specific languages, whether you’re working in banking or bikes.

Watch the recording in Academy: May Happy Hour

June – All Things Commerce - Insights & ROI

• Lori McDonald shared hard-earned wisdom on maximizing ROI with Commerce Connect, covering UX wins and automation tricks.

• Cecilia Ramirez took us behind the curtain with roadmap updates, AI features, performance tools, and maturity assessments across the commerce suite.

Watch the recording in Academy: June Happy Hour

What’s Coming Up: August 15 – All Things Frontend Hosting

Whether you're just exploring Optimizely Frontend Hosting or you're ready to deploy, this month’s Happy Hour has something for you. We’ve lined up two powerhouse speakers to bring both vision and execution into one session:

👩‍💻 Anna Pleshakova – Product Roadmap & Vision
Get a firsthand look at what’s possible with Optimizely Frontend Hosting today, how it compares to other solutions, and what’s coming next.

🧑‍💻 Szymon Uryga – How-To & Hands-On Implementation
Watch a live walkthrough of implementing Frontent Hosting, including real code, best practices, and Q&A.

📅 Date: Friday, August 15, 2025
⏰ Time: 11 AM EST / 5 PM CET
📍 Location: Online (Zoom link after registration)

👉 Save your spot now – you don’t want to miss this one.

And mark your calendars for what’s next:

• October 3: September’s Happy Hour (rescheduled) – post-Opticon and Summit recap with insights and takeaways you can put into action.

• October 31: Our regular October edition to close the month, with fresh, relevant topics to be announced soon.

Haven’t Been to a Happy Hour Yet?

It’s not a webinar. It’s not a training. It’s a community gathering.
We bring together developers, strategists, product experts, and OMVPs to share what’s working, what’s new, and what’s next.
One speaker from Optimizely. One from the OMVP community. Zero fluff.

If you’re looking to get smarter, move faster, and connect deeper, this is the space

👋 See you on August 15!
Bring your questions, your curiosity, and maybe your favorite beverage.