Fiona Nic Dhonnacha

Are you ready for EuroSTAR 2023? The conference kicks off in just a few weeks, with 4 awesome days of testing, learning, and connecting with the global testing community.

The EXPO hall is at the heart of EuroSTAR, and draws some of the biggest companies in the world! Meet one-on-one with pioneering organizations, explore the latest solutions and tools in testing, see live demos, and find new ways to solve your testing problems. Bring all your questions too!

It’s also a great way to get yourself out there and meet new people during the session breaks. Network with your fellow attendees – and of course, visit all the EXPO booths throughout the conference to find out how you can get your hands on some of the incredible prizes below!

A big thank you to our Platinum Partners Jetbrains, Karate Labs, LambdaTest, SauceLabs and Xray; and our gold partners, along with all our brilliant exhibitors. Check out all our 2023 partners.

*Photos are representations only. All prize details will be provided by each partner and these photos do not indicate the exact make or model of what is being provided.

That’s just a taster of what to expect – there are lots more prizes to be won, including:

• iPad from Applitools
• Lego Antwerp set from CTG
• The Atari Flashback console from Curiosity Software
• €100 Amazon voucher from Hexaware
• Airpods from Inflectra
• A Lego rocket set from PII Guard

It’s going to be an unforgettable 4 days, so grab your ticket now and we’ll see you at Antwerp Zoo.

The 2023 EuroSTAR Testing Excellence Award is open for nominations!

Take a moment to consider who you would like to see recognized for their outstanding dedication and contributions to the world of software testing. It might be your colleague, your mentor, team-leader, or an author whose knowledge sharing has helped you in your career.

Community recognition

The Testing Excellence Award is the highest honour awarded by our community each year. It highlights outstanding achievements by the exceptional people in our community: those who help us achieve more, be more, and aim for more by continuously striving for excellence in their work.

Who can nominate?

Anyone can make a nomination for the EuroSTAR Testing Excellence Award, but you will need input from others in the community to demonstrate your nominee’s contributions to the overall software testing community.

Who to nominate?

Think of your colleagues, friends, managers or mentors. Who through their passion, learning and willingness to share, significantly helps to move our industry and community forward?

They are usually driving innovation, research ways of advancing testing as a craft (and openly share their research!), and/or perhaps they are eternally supportive of others in the industry and help others grow.

They may have:

• Increased public awareness of the importance of software quality & testing
• Contributed to the improvement of software development and testing processes
• Advanced the publication of research findings in the field of software quality and testing
• Or it’s likely they will have promoted a love of further education and lifelong learning in software quality and testing

What to include?

• About the Nominee – who they are, what they do, some biographical info
• Highlights of Contributions to the wider Testing Community
• Why they deserve this Award
• Testimonials from members of the Community
• If they have LinkedIn recommendations, you can also add these

Celebrating testing legends

The existing winners of the EuroSTAR Testing Excellence Award are some of the most influential members of the global testing community, from AnneMarie Charrett to Martin Pol. Each winner has made a difference to our community.

Commemorating achievement

Every year, we present the winner with a pdf of their nomination as a keepsake so the more you can include, the more they’ll see how much they are appreciated within the community. Here are some of the lovely testimonials given to Award winners in the past:

• “a well-known expert who is recognized as a renowned thought leader in global Software Testing Community.”
• “part of the role of a tester is to make people think – think about how something could be tested, think about the risks they may face, think about how to communicate that information and this year’s winner must he thanked for their continued efforts in making thinkers out of all of us.”
• “has always been a supportive and challenging friend in testing. I know that I am far from alone in being able to say that she has helped many testers around the world to become better.”
• “Nobody knows more practical things about testing, test management, test strategy – all things testing, than her”.
• “There are many, many people in the testing community whom I respect and from whom I can learn. However, there are only a handful I regard as truly guiding influences.”

When to submit

Entries must be submitted by 21^st May, so start your nomination today. If you have any questions at all, please get in touch.

EuroSTAR 2023 is just a few weeks away, and we’re gearing up for an incredible 4 days of learning, community, and connections. Get your conference ticket now for an all-access pass to an inclusive, friendly, and memorable experience at Europe’s best software testing event. Think career-defining learnings, building new skills, having chats with a community of testers similar to you, and helping others to learn and grow.

EuroSTAR is bringing together the world’s leading experts in software testing – 66 of them, in fact. They are coming to Antwerp Zoo armed with ideas, insights, innovation, experience and their passion, to share it all with you.

With 65+ sessions all about software testing, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to attending talks. We’ve got inspiring keynotes, in-depth tutorials and interactive track talks. The EuroSTAR tracks talks is your chance to get insights and ask questions at the 15 minute Q&A.

Want a little taster of what to expect? Here are just 20 things you will learn at this year’s track sessions.

1. See why tools are just helpers, not the main actors in our work – and how minimilism builds high quality products.
2. Get a practical introduction on how you can introduce several different techniques to visualize and clarify workflows and user needs in a practical and easy, documented manner.
3. Learn how you can automate some of the 10 Usability Heuristics, and how a tool could support testers to do manual UX testing.
4.  Enhance your critical thinking skills and find ‘true knowledge’”’ about software based on the principles of Nyaya Shashtra.
5. See how browser automation works behind the scenes, and get to know the WebDriver BiDi project and its current progress.
6. Find out what a personal knowledge management system is, and why it’s essential for any career in the tech industry.
7. Learn why you need to start with ‘why’ for quality standards awareness and improvements.
8. Get a 10-step recipe in exploratory unit testing of a program created using computer-assisted software authorship.
9. Use the Quality Delta concept to avoid doing unneeded work and map out the right questions to ask.
10. Success stings if it comes at the expense of the hive – see why working well together requires dismantling competitive and hierarchical structures
11. Change is both constant and unpredictable – learn how to adapt to change by creating a learning culture.
12. Make yourself future proof and learn 4 key skills needed in the 21st century.
13. Revisit how you work, communicate, test and build software in a remote first working world.
14. Avoid unnecessary release disasters by recognising symptoms and taking appropriate action.
15. Learn how to delegate meaningful tasks, how to communicate with trust and empowerment, and how to make sure you’re not micromanaging.
16. Rock on! See what it takes to be a rounded rock star tester, and what skills to target to enhance your career.
17.  Learn about test gap analysis, a novel approach that combines static and dynamic analyses to discover untested changes.
18. Take important steps to improve the health of your team, and create an environment where you can serve both internal and external customers effectively.
19. See what it takes to make the transition from Senior Tester, Test Lead, or Tester, into a fully-fledged Test Manager Role.
20. Learn the ten commandments of automation, and ways to start driving automation to more collaborative action.

Whatever your testing goals and challenges, get the answers you’re looking for, along with lots of new perspectives, at EuroSTAR.

Europe’s best software testing conference is just a few weeks away! The whole software testing community will gather together in Antwerp, 13-16 June. Don’t miss the 2023 experience at Antwerp Zoo: four days of infinite inspiration, networking, and career-defining moments.

Right now, you can book your tickets at the best price with our Early Bird offer – the more you bring, the more you save! Check out our group bundles and get your EuroSTAR 2023 ticket now.

We’ve got so much in store for you this year, from the valuable learnings, to the networking, to the impromptu chats at coffee and networking breaks. Here’s just some of what you can expect from the conference this year…

66 Expert Speakers

Industry leaders, innovators, hackers, problem solvers, gamers, team leaders, entrepreneurs, engineers and lots more will be sharing their knowledge with YOU! With in-depth tutorials, interactive track talks, and inspiring keynotes, it’s a melting pot of creativity and knowledge like you haven’t seen anywhere else.

Topics to cover all areas of testing

The 2023 conference theme is ‘Software Development is a Social Activity’, and we have a packed programme of top quality content for you. Topics include test management, team building, QA strategy, test automation, and lots more.

1000+ testers across every spectrum of testing

Join QA engineers, test managers, DevOps engineers, test analysts & more from 50 countries, all coming together to spark new ideas. This is your space and your community – jump into conversations with people who are having the same problems as you, and spark ideas together.

300 global companies

Connect with fellow attendees in banking, government agencies, telecoms, manufacturing, automotive, security, tech and more – all coming to EuroSTAR 2023. Get new perspectives and fresh insights from all areas of testing and quality assurance, and benefit from the experiences of your peers.

Chats and games in the Huddle Community Area

Located in the heart of the EuroSTAR EXPO hall, Huddle will play host to a variety of activities and networking events, run by the Huddle team of volunteers. It’s aimed at connecting diverse and international delegates, and enabling knowledge sharing outside of the official talks. Take a break from the busy day and make some new friends!

47 leading test tools & service providers

This is Europe’s biggest testing EXPO – meet with the leading tools & services providers under one roof. Compare solutions or find new ways to improve your testing, check out cool demos, get 1:1 help, & win swag and prizes.

Don’t delay – book your ticket now and we’ll see you in Antwerp in June!

Next up from Programme Chair Kristoffer Nordström’s recommendation on which talks you should attend based on your role in testing – sessions for veteran testers! Check out the previous blog here.

Prefer to listen instead? Check out the audio version below:

As a veteran tester, I know it’s easy to feel like you’re stuck in a rut, unsure of where to go or what to do next. That’s why I wanted to write this next installment of the blog post series of recommended sessions and tutorials for various roles when attending Eurostar 2023. This time I’m writing for all of you hardened and seasoned veteran testers.

EuroSTAR 2023 is a large conference, and the programme committee is proud of the diverse set of speakers from different backgrounds, topics, and experience that we have assembled. While I’m highlighting some talks, it’s important to note that it doesn’t mean that the other sessions are sub-par; these are just the ones that may be particularly relevant to the roles I’m writing for.

Inspiring Quality: Becoming an Exceptional Quality Leader

First up, we have my very good friend Fiona Charles’ tutorial, ‘Inspiring Quality: Becoming an Exceptional Quality Leader‘. When people ask me for advice on testers to listen to, Fiona is with few exceptions one of the first persons I bring up. If she’s ever giving a tutorial at a conference I tell people it’s a must for me to attend. And if you find me at the conference and ask, I’ll even let you in on the tutorial she gave many years ago that literally changed my life and career. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to lead by example, inspire your team, and build a culture of quality within your organization. There will be questions asked such as “What does it take to be a leader?”, “Where do exceptional quality leaders focus their energies?”, “How can you get to be an exceptional quality leader?”, and “What does “leadership” mean in an Agile context?”  

An Ancient Science for Advanced Critical Thinking for Testers and Teams

Next, Lalitkumar Bhamare’s session, ‘An Ancient Science for Advanced Critical Thinking for Testers and Teams‘, will teach you how to apply ancient Indian philosophical principles to your critical thinking in testing. By learning how to question assumptions, recognize biases, and think outside the box, you’ll be able to approach your customers and ask critical questions on what they expect and need to be delivered. Lalit will help and guide you into the Indian philosophical school of ‘Erotetics’. Don’t miss this chance to attend a session given by a long standing member of our community and the long time chief editor for “Tea-time with testers”.

That Which Isn’t Good for the Hive Isn’t Good for the Bee

Sanne Visser’s session, ‘That Which Isn’t Good for the Hive Isn’t Good for the Bee‘, will explore how to build a more collaborative and inclusive testing environment. By recognizing and addressing power imbalances, you’ll see the problems attached to ‘addicted to gold-stickers’ in your work and organization. Sanne asks questions such as “Someone has to ‘run the hive’ and tell us what to do. Don’t they?”, “If competition disappears, won’t people stop buzzing around?”, and “When I don’t have clear goals, nectar to collect. How will I tell if I’m successful?”. Sanne is a delight to listen to and one of the founding members of the podcast “9 out of 10 Testers”.

Hope is Not a Plan

Fredrik Håård’s session ‘Hope is Not a Plan‘ addresses the need for leaders and managers to recognize the dangers of optimistic thinking in an organization and to focus on solutions rather than problems. In roles such as tester, security analyst, or similar, it’s easy to come across as a naysayer and doomsday prophet. As organizations, we have a tendency to remain optimistic about outcomes and stick our heads in the sand until it’s too late. In this talk, Fredrik will discuss how to communicate risks and allow for informed decisions before your organization becomes the next headline in international news for leaked user credentials and credit card information. So far I’ve written four installments in this series for different roles, and this is the third time I’m mentioning Fredrik’s session, why? Well, because Fredriks insights and way of presenting is simply a session you can not miss. Fredrik always delivers his talk with a touch of mirth and humor and draws extensively from his experience working as an international consultant across three continents (and still counting).

We’re Off to Rehab: Communicating in an Isolated, Decoupled World

Finally, Anne-Marie Charrett’s session, ‘We’re Off to Rehab: Communicating in an Isolated, Decoupled World‘, will explore how to communicate effectively in a distributed testing environment. A lot of us have gone through the last years experiencing how it is to work remote. Some love it, myself included, while others have found challenges and perhaps not the rose garden they were hoping for previously. Anne-Marie who won the testing excellence award at EuroSTAR is a beloved member of our community and in this session learn how to build relationships, establish trust, and leverage technology in the context of remote working. Go see Anne-Marie as it is not every day that this tester comes to Europe from down under where she lives in Australia.

In summary, attending the Eurostar 2023 software testing conference is a great way to break out of your rut as a veteran tester. Whether you’re looking to become an exceptional quality leader, improve your critical thinking skills, build a more collaborative testing environment, create a comprehensive testing strategy, or communicate more effectively in a distributed team, there’s a tutorial or session for you. So why wait? Register now and take the first step towards your next great adventure!

Right now, you save 10% on EuroSTAR tickets with our Early Bird offer – and over 35% if you bring a team. Secure your tickets, and we’ll see you in Antwerp in June!

Next up from Programme Chair Kristoffer Nordström’s recommendation on which talks you should attend based on your role in testing – sessions for test managers! Check out the previous blog here.

For EuroSTAR attendees working in testing roles, such as testers, test developers, or other hands-on testing positions, it’s seldom a problem to find suitable sessions to attend. As an attendee in a leadership role, it’s hardly a challenge to find sessions that can benefit both your organization and co-workers, but sometimes you may want to attend something that caters specifically to your role. This blog post aims to give leaders and managers some recommendations of sessions and tutorials that they should keep an eye on.

That Which Isn’t Good for the Hive, Isn’t Good for the Bee

In this session that everyone is buzzing about (pun definitely intended), Sanne Visser discusses the importance of collaboration within teams and how it can impact overall success. As a leader or manager, it is essential to understand how teamwork can affect your organization’s productivity and profitability. More importantly, it can help attendees to see how some practices that encourage competition and reward hunting in an organization can have a negative effect on the beehive overall. Sanne’s insights can help attendees build stronger teams and foster an environment of collaboration.

Hope is Not a Plan

Fredrik Håård’s session addresses the need for leaders and managers to recognize the dangers of optimistic thinking in an organization and to focus on solutions rather than problems. In roles such as tester, security analyst, or similar, it’s easy to come across as a naysayer and doomsday prophet. As organizations, we have a tendency to remain optimistic about outcomes and stick our heads in the sand until it’s too late. In this talk, Fredrik will discuss how to communicate risks and allow for informed decisions before your organization becomes the next headline in international news for leaked user credentials and credit card information. Fredrik always delivers his talk with a touch of mirth and humor and draws extensively from his experience working as an international consultant across three continents (and counting).

Inspiring Quality: Becoming an Exceptional Quality Leader

You’re in for a treat as we have Fiona Charles from Canada running a tutorial. No lies, whenever I attend a conference and see Fiona on the program, I make it a point to attend not only her talks, but more importantly, her tutorials as she is simply one of the workshop facilitators I know of. As a leader or manager, it is crucial to set an example for your team when it comes to quality assurance. Charles’ tutorial offers guidance on how to become an exceptional quality leader and inspire your team to do their best work. Attendees can gain valuable insights on how to develop a culture of quality within their organization. Questions such as “What does it take to be a leader?”, “Where do exceptional quality leaders focus their energies?”, “What does ‘leadership’ mean in an Agile context?” and more are discussed. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend a tutorial with Fiona.

How to Prevent Your Next Software Release Ending in Disaster

You have a major release scheduled. You have prepared a comprehensive plan, including contingencies, back-out routes, and go/no-go decision points. Yet, despite all your preparations, it all ends in disaster. You could even see the disaster approaching but were unable to prevent it. Instead, you watched in fascinated horror as unfolding events sucked you and your release into calamity. Software releases that fail can be costly for organizations in terms of both money and reputation. Andrew Brown’s session offers practical advice on how to avoid software release disasters. Attendees can learn valuable lessons on how to mitigate risks and ensure successful software releases. Andrew is a long-standing member of our test community and always presents his sessions with clarity, drawing in his audience.

Embracing Adversity: A Learnership’s Story

As a leader or manager, it is important to know how to navigate difficult situations effectively. Ezanne Grobler’s session focuses on her own experiences with adversity and how she overcame challenges when recruiting and training her own automation engineers. Her story is drawn from real life and is sure to give you insights and tips on “how to create” your own test automation engineers. After all, those roles don’t exactly grow on trees, now do they? Attendees can gain insights on how to handle tough situations, inspire their team, and build resilience.

Learning Culture: Adapt or Die

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing software testing industry, it is essential to develop a culture of continuous learning. We always hear about and want to build our own organization with a culture of learning. Phil Royston’s session offers advice on how to create a learning culture within your organization. Attendees can learn how to encourage professional growth and development, leading to a more knowledgeable and productive team.

In conclusion, attending the sessions and tutorials offered at Eurostar 2023 can provide valuable insights and lessons for leaders and managers in the software testing industry. By participating in these sessions, attendees can improve their leadership and management skills, develop a culture of quality and learning, and better prepare their teams for success.

Right now, you save 10% on EuroSTAR tickets with our Early Bird offer – and over 35% if you bring a team. Secure your tickets, and we’ll see you in Antwerp in June!

Next up from Programme Chair Kristoffer Nordström’s recommendation on which talks you should attend based on your role in testing – sessions for new testers! Check out the first blog here.

EuroSTAR 2023 is a large conference, and the program committee is proud of the diverse set of speakers from different backgrounds, topics, and experiences that we have assembled. While I’m highlighting some talks, it’s important to note that it doesn’t mean that the other sessions are subpar; these are just the ones that may be particularly relevant to the roles I’m writing for.

If you are new to testing and just starting out in your career, attending EuroSTAR 2023 conference could be a great way to accelerate your learning and gain insights from some of the leading experts in the industry. There are many sessions and tutorials to choose from, but in this blog post, I will highlight six that could be particularly useful for newcomers to the field.

Social Software Testing Approaches

Maaret Pyhäjärvi’s tutorial on social software testing approaches would be a great starting point for anyone looking to learn more about testing in a collaborative environment. Maaret has been preaching and teaching mob testing for many years. In this tutorial, attendees will learn about how to use various social software testing techniques to improve collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing among testers, developers, and other stakeholders. There are many different specialists in an agile team; here, you’ll learn how to cultivate collaboration through examples like testing-ensemble testing and ensemble programming-bug bashes.

Critical Thinking Skills for Testers

I can guarantee you that you’ll never walk away disappointed after a session with the legendary Michael Bolton. Critical thinking is a fundamental skill for testers, and Michael Bolton’s tutorial on the topic could be an excellent opportunity to learn how to develop this skill. In this tutorial, attendees will learn about the different types of critical thinking and how to apply them to testing problems. After all, it’s not just about innate talent and intelligence; this is a skill that you can learn.

The Lost Art of Taking Good Notes

For some of us, it took an embarrassing amount of years before we realized the power of something as mundane as note-taking. Taking good notes is an essential part of any testing process, but it’s often an overlooked or undervalued skill. Nicole van der Hoeven’s session on ‘The Lost Art of Taking Good Notes‘ will be an excellent way to learn how to take better notes and use them effectively in your testing work. It should prove to be a good investment in yourself for years to come.

Why Testers Are the True Rock Stars of IT

Have you ever wondered why you started in testing, how you can become a better testing, and if there is more to this gig than what you’re doing now? In his session, ‘Why Testers Are the True Rock Stars of IT‘, Bryan Jones will make the case for why testing is a crucial part of any successful software project. He will demonstrate all the ways testers bring so much more than “just testing” to an organization and teams. This session could be an inspiring and motivational experience for newcomers to the field, helping them understand the important role they play in ensuring the quality and success of software products.

Testing with Purpose: How Stories, Values, and Kindness Make Testing Better

During her keynote speech, Kristel Kruustük will discuss how stories, values, and kindness can make testing more effective and meaningful. This keynote will be an excellent way for newcomers to gain a broader perspective on the importance of testing in the software development process. Kristel is a passionate tester from our test community who founded and built her own testing company years ago. You definitely do not want to miss out on this keynote.

Hope Is Not a Plan

In his session, ‘Hope Is Not a Plan‘, Fredrik Håård will discuss how to move beyond hoping that a software project will be successful and instead create a plan for ensuring success. This session could be particularly useful for newcomers who are still figuring out how to approach testing and ensure that their work and findings are communicated effectively and efficiently. This talk is about speaking truth to power, not sticking our heads in the sand, and how to avoid being labeled a naysayer and doomsday prophet within our organizations. Fredrik uses examples from his decades-long experience as a consultant on at least three continents, all given with a touch of humor and mirth.

In conclusion, attending the EuroSTAR 2023 conference and participating in the sessions and tutorials highlighted above could be an excellent opportunity for newcomers to the testing field. By learning from leading experts and gaining new insights and perspectives, attendees can accelerate their learning and set themselves up for success in their testing careers.

Right now, you save 10% on EuroSTAR tickets with our Early Bird offer – and over 35% if you bring a team. Secure your tickets, and we’ll see you in Antwerp in June!