I want to become better at why I do, and besides following trainings, reading books recommended to me, etc … conferences seem like a great place to meet like-minded people, discuss relevant topics and attend talks on various topics which could provide new insights and ideas to apply in my role and career.
There seems to be multiple test and quality related conferences out there: EuroSTAR, AgileTD, HUSTEF, …
As a first-timer with the opportunity to attend one event next year, which one would you recommend and why?
Have you heard of ’ TestBash '? Supposed to be the most legendary event there is! =)
Tbf: I think EuroSTAR is a bit “overkill” the vibes are not always there and some of the content not on point, we send many people there last EuroStar and all had a negative review except for a few talks.
AgileTD Open Air is pretty nuts, just due to having the open air concept, it’s a totally different vibe, not straight up 9-5.
You are right there are a ton of testing conferences. That’s one reason why I run a list of conferences and workshops which you can find at https://testingconferences.org/. I like to be in the know. lol.
Seems given those answers you are somewhere in Europe? I generally like to find something close, happening at the right time and with a good reputation.
Medium to small conferences I think are the best for meeting and actually talking with like minded testers. Bigger conferences can be overwhelming but they also have a huge selection. Lots of trade offs involved and you’ll probably have to try a few to see what you like.
What a shame! I was aiming for that one next year (AgileTD Open Air)
I like expoQA in Madrid, I have been most years. The only problem is that English tracks are limited, so if you don’t speak Spanish you’re stuck in only 1 track. However when I brought people with me that can’t speak Spanish, they still enjoyed it a lot (most were first-timers in a conference)
I went to a couple of them many years ago, but then stopped for a few reasons:
cost from my budget and lack of company support (I was asked to make a presentation to a conference instead so that I could get a free entry); One conference would cost 1500-2000 $/E/GBP;
low level of discussions and people;
almost 0 things to gain.
I preferred then to spend my money doing the courses: 4xBBST/2xRST which were 1500 total I think.
First and foremost I’d just like to experience going to such a conference, as this is something I’ve never done. The company I work for can cover the costs (to a certain degree).
My hopes are to be inspired, learn, meet like minded people to have open discussions with on experiences, struggles, lessons learnt, etc…
I’ve been at TestBash 2022 as an attendee and 2023 as a speaker so I think I’ve got some experience to share.
It’s an awesome event. Really. As an attendee, I loved the multi-track format full of not just talks but also hands-on workshops and activities. You can always choose which mode of learning is best for you. It’s also much easier to connect with people if you spend two hours in a workshop sitting at one table working together on exercises On the other hand, FOMO is real - there’s just too much happening in parallel and you have to prioritise. You can always catch up later on talks, they’re recorded - but when you miss the workshops, they’re gone.
As a speaker, I have to admit that the format was a bit too intense for me - with delivering the talk, workshop, activities and AMA I barely had any mental bandwidth to enjoy the event. But I knew what I was signing up for And as I said, for the attendees it’s amazing.
The hallway conversations and evening socials were great, people were extremely inviting and friendly and even for me as an autistic person it was easy to find somebody to have a lovely chat with.
I especially appreciated how welcoming, accepting and inclusive the event is.
And as I said, for the attendees it’s amazing.