Tomorrow (Thursday) is the final day of this year’s EuroSTAR conference, but from the events lined up, it’s clear that we’ll be going out with a bang!
The day’s first keynote is a late amendment to the schedule; in a heroic effort, Shmuel Gershon has stepped forward as a substitute, and will be preventing his session titled “Value: Why We Have It Backwards”. In this keynote, Shmuel will be looking at whether we are spending too much time looking inwards at our software, when we could instead focus on looking how that software really delivers value to our users. Shmuel gave a very enlightening track session on Wednesday, so I’m really looking forward to everybody getting the chance to see him in action on the main stage.
There are eight options to choose from within Thursday’s track sessions, with a maximum of two available within that timeframe. That’s tough for me, as I currently have five on my shortlist! I think the session that’s at the top of my list is Janet Gregory‘s “Testing Traps To Avoid In Agile Teams” at 9:45am. Janet is an experienced tester (and author) of much renown, and I’m currently reading her new book “More Agile Testing” (co-authored with Lisa Crispin). I’m looking forward to the opportunity to benefit from her expertise. My prediction is that this will be a very popular session, so get there early!
The last EuroSTAR 2014 keynote presentation is being given by Zeger van Hese. “Everything Is Connected” is a hugely appropriate closing keynote, as it will look at how the three conference themes (diversity, innovation, leadership) are closely interrelated. The keynote will explore how these these themes overlap and interact, and what this means for us as testers. It’s going to be tremendously sad to see the conference draw to a close, but this seems like a particularly good way to do it. Zeger is also renowned for being an excellent sketch-noter, so I’m looking forward to seeing who’ll jump into the role of sketching his talk – I’ve seen a few good candidates on Twitter already during the conference!
After lunch, there’s a wide variety of different activities on offer, each of which have their own distinct angle. I can recommend Graham Thomas‘ “Programming For Testers” workshop, as I participated in it at the UK Test Management Forum earlier this year – it’s a really solid, practical introduction to programming which should help to dispel a few myths that you might have about enhancing your technical skillset. Kateryna Shevchenko is presenting a fun, activity-based workshop to help hone your leadership skills, and Derk-Jan de Grood is hosting an interactive Q&A session with the programme committee – all interesting track sessions in their own right.
The final track is something of a wildcard. The famous “Do-Over Session” is a repeat performance of the most popular presentation from this year’s conference, as nominated by attendees. I’m in two minds as to whether I should vote for something excellent that I’ve already seen (to give others a chance to experience it) or whether to cast my ballot for a session that somebody else told me was great. However the votes are cast, if the presentation in this slot is one that you’ve not yet seen, you should check it out as it’s bound to be worthwhile. Visit the Do-Over Session page to cast your vote!
After the final workshops and sessions have concluded, our time at the Convention Centre will draw to a close, but it’s onwards to something which many (myself included!) have flagged as their entertainment highlight of the week – a trip to the Guinness Storehouse. There’s a reason why it’s one of Dublin’s most popular tourist destinations, and it’s not just the free pint! You’ll get a chance to explore the working brewery, visit its museum which is full of information about the history of Dublin, and ascend to the Gravity Bar at the summit with its panoramic views of the city. Tickets are required; if you haven’t purchased one yet, speak with the blue-coated EuroSTAR staff at your earliest opportunity – you won’t regret it.
