As part of the EuroSTAR Software Testing experience, we have asked Sowmya to join the team as a community reporter. She will be giving you the fresh highlights in the form of content and images of the conference so that you are fully updated! Here is her first update of the overall pre-conference experience with personal thoughts.
Dear Members of the Testing Community,
It is with sheer excitement and delight I wish to share my thoughts as a reporter for EuroSTAR 2018. It is truly a dream come true to get an opportunity to be a part of this coveted testing event. To be there for the first time in a role I thoroughly enjoy is double the joy and I am looking forward to be there in person to experience the conference.
This year’s line up is looking incredibly impressive with the who’s who of the testing world expected to be there and this conference is at a truly global scale attracting testing professionals from around the world (and the name of the venue happens to be World Forum!). With a growing audience to the output from this conference, it is one of the most followed events in the calendar for the testing community.
Having experienced UK Star conference earlier in the year in the role of a reporter, which was one of the most exciting tasks I have done till date, I am thrilled to get an opportunity to meet nearly 800 delegates, with a choice of over 60 talks from testing practitioners to attend, to network with fellow testers facilitated by 20 networking events, including a covered community dinner which will further offer opportunities to liaise with fellow testing professionals.
When I look at the programme for this year, I am impressed by the range and variety of the topics. The coverage is very well balanced between current and future trend setters in the world of testing. Each day has a different structure in terms of topics covered which will cater very well to a various backgrounds of today’s testers.
Day One:
The opening day of the conference will see some of the biggest names in testing deliver day long tutorials on topics which are highly relevant and timeless. This very interesting format would allow the participants to be soaked in specialist topics and to hear from these incredibly knowledgeable speakers. The gurus of testing like Michael Bolton and Isabel Evans are taking to the stage which should be a highly thought provoking day for the participants.
Day Two:
The first half of the second day will see some amazingly seasoned speaker like Dot Graham deliver tutorial sessions. The track talks further on this day have been divided into five categories – Bitcoin & Micro-services, Security / Integrity, IOT, Creativity and Data. While each of them seem equally interesting, personally I am drawn to the session titled ‘The Value of Options’ within the creative category.
Day Three:
With the categories of ‘Thinking Like A Tester’, Testing Practices, Automation, Stories, Modelling, Large Organisation and Communication this day seems to have an amazing variety in what the delegates can look for. It will be difficult to choose between sessions and it is to be noted that maestro Michael Bolton will be back on stage with his topic ‘Higher-value checking’ which should be an excellent session to attend, so will be the session titled ‘Testing with Good Intentions’ by Shmuel Gershon, the chairman of the last year’s EuroSTAR conference.
Day Four:
Last but not the least the final day seems to have categories which can pack a punch. The talks have been divided into categories of AI, Performance, Stories, Soft Skills. The sessions that seem most appealing to me are around artificial intelligence and machine learning which is proving to be not too far in future any more!
The programme comes across as incredibly comprehensive and structured in terms of coverage. There is an awe inspiring range of key notes to be delivered on each day from highly seasoned speakers which would be a treat to experience.
So, my top 3 takeaways from this conference are meeting testers from diverse backgrounds, exposure to new ideas and finally to experience testing being celebrated in a conference of this scale. I bet it is creating immense excitement amongst the delegates to be there but all the same I believe there is a reason for all testers to follow the conference happenings – this is bound to bring out some amazing thoughts and conversations which will be relayed through many channels. You can count on the reporters of this conference to give you an insight into the happenings. I will put my best foot forward to capture the event in my blogs, giving you a narrative of all the action straight from the venue – do watch this space!
For the huddle team, who work round the year to make this event come together, it is going to be very hectic days making it all happen and I wish them very best! I am eagerly looking forward to this amazing festival of testing – to celebrate it in all its splendour, which to me is what this conference stands for. For now, all I can say is ‘hier kom ik Den Hague!’ – can’t wait!
Author
Sowmya, Community Reporter for EuroSTAR Conference 2018
