The Community Huddle at the EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2018 will play host to a variety of activities and networking events aimed at connecting people, solving problems, exchange of knowledge, sharing insights and in general, is a nice place to meet some friendly people!
Continuing on from the success of the Community Huddle at previous EuroSTAR Conferences, this year promises to give delegates more opportunities to share stories, compare testing experiences and simple hangout and chat with other software testers.
This year there will be Lean Coffee, the addition of an Open Space event, our software testing book-swap as well as a First Time Attendees Network session, Soap Box events, Couch sessions, Board Games and more.
Whether this is your first conference or you are a seasoned veteran, the Community Huddle is aimed at offering something for everyone. It’s the best place to come and have a chat with the EuroSTAR team or indeed get some advice and help from the Community Huddle team (see below). We can’t wait to meet you.
So what’s on the agenda?…..
Soap Box Sessions
A soapbox is a raised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech. The term originates from the days when speakers would elevate themselves by standing on a wooden crate originally used for shipment of soap or other dry goods from a manufacturer to a retail store.
The Soapbox Sessions are now a staple of the EuroSTAR Conference. This year there will be a number of different soapbox sessions throughout the conference occurring at the regular breaks on both Wednesday and Thursday. Some of these sessions are impromptu….some not so much. We welcome any delegate to take part so just give us a nudge in the Huddle and the box is yours (for 5 mins or so anyway!)
Your time on the Soapbox is limited to 5 minutes on a ‘testing’ topic (whatever you want – ‘how Agile worked for us’, ‘the best tester I never worked with’, ‘I knew we were not ready’ etc. ……). Many slots are allocated before the Conference but there will be two additional sessions allocated by random selection on the Tuesday from those applying at the conference. These soap-box talks have had a wonderful variety at previous conferences, and some high-profile testers have had their 5 minute allocation, as well as great, unsung heroes from conference attendees. Look out for the e-mail or follow us @testhuddle for more.
Check out some of the soapbox sessions from last year’s conference here.
Couch sessions
The Couch sessions are run in conjunction with the Soapbox sessions. There are four chill-out sessions spaced through-out Wednesday and Thursday – an opportunity for anyone who is ‘conferenced out’ to try something a little different. These events will explore wider issues around testing and often feature discussions on topics like:
- Becoming a test consultant
- Communication for testers
- The role of DevOps
- And more
These talks are interactive (question and answer, perhaps, or discussion), and are led by an expert in the area. Check out the timetable at the Community Huddle once you arrive to see when the events are happening.
Lean Coffee
If you are an early riser, or just really like talking about testing, the Lean (test) coffee session is for you. Led by our Community Huddle team , the Lean coffee is structured similar to a Lean Coffee event where you can discuss the testing topics you want to talk about. There will be special guests from the Conference programme attending so come along, bring ideas. And yes, there will be coffee too.
Open Space
Returning again this year to the Community Huddle is Open Space. Open Space is open to everyone at the Conference. The timetable is YOURS to influence, the sessions are YOURS to lead. Like an ‘unconference’, the Open Space at EuroSTAR will allow you to discuss whatever YOU want to discuss….as long as it’s related to software testing – that’s about the only restriction there is!
To take part all you have to do is to think of a topic you want to discuss, find the Open Space Idea’s Whiteboard at the Community Huddle from Tuesday, write your idea on a Post-It Note and stick that note on the White board. The most popular will be put forward for suggestion for discussion on Thursday. There will be three sessions on Thursday with a brief summary. So if you want to influence what is discussed at EuroSTAR, this is your opportunity.
1st Time Delegate Session
Will this EuroSTAR be your first? Do you want to get some advice from seasoned veterans on what sessions to attend, what to look out for. Perhaps you just want to meet and get to know your fellow delegates. Each year we introduce those new to the EuroSTAR experience an opportunity to gain insights from Conference veterans. Led by seasoned delegates of the EuroSTAR conferences, this session will give you the opportunity to gain some very useful tips on what you should be doing in sessions to get the most benefit from them, how to solve your testing issues at the Conferences and more.
Book Swap, Games and More
Have you a number of testing books at home that you would like to share but not sure how? Well the Great EuroSTAR Book Swap at the Community Huddle gives you the opportunity to do just that. Bring your old testing books (or if you are an author, bring your own book), stick it on the shelf with an inscription and see if you can find a book to borrow.
This year we have all the Games you could wish for: Fluxx, Sett, dice game, Exploding Kittens and more. There will be a special games table so join us at the Community Huddle at any of the breaks and play with your fellow EuroSTAR delegates.
Plus we will have a few more surprises this year, some crazy games, random giveaways and more. Find us in the Expo hall from Tuesday to Thursday. See you there.
Last Year’s 2017 Huddle Team
This year’s Community Huddle team are bringing something new to the Conference. They are bringing new ideas and thoughts to the Conference and want to share them with you. Meet the team:
Unzile Algul
Unzile Algul is currently working on Data Process as a software testing consultant. She is concerning test automation and her colleagues enthusiastic. She has a special interest in project management and business analysis. She is a strategy committee member of TestIstanbul Conference and was on the working party for the ISTQB Advanced Level Syllabus in Turkish and some of Turkey Software Quality Reports (TSQR) through Turkish Testing Board. She is a member of Istanbul Asia Toastmaster as well.
Chris Armstrong
I am a husband to my wonderful wife, father to two highly energetic young boys, a fan of football (soccer and handegg), (debatably) good films, TV and music; as accentuated by a fascination of the Eurovision Song Contest. But more importantly (in this context at least), I am a professional software tester. I have worked through the last thirteen years in the games industry, smart energy sector and now in test, measurement and diagnostics.I have experienced the breadth of the software life-cycle, participated in manual and automated test (or checks, if you prefer), designed and implemented automation frameworks, and even been release manager.
And yet, I still know nothing…..I have so much to learn and here you will hopefully join in my journey.
Miroslava Nikolova
I am QA Lead at Object Systems International with more than 8 years of experience in the IT field. I am passionate about automated testing, high-quality code and continuous improvement. In my free time, I love attending rock concerts, travelling and exploring new countries. I love meeting new people, sharing experience and volunteering.
Have an Idea?
We always want to improve the EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference Experience and greatly value your feedback.
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