This selection of recommended talks has been compiled by Chris Loder, Programme Chair of the 2023 AutomationSTAR Conference in Berlin, 20-21 November.
Hi again, everyone! After my last blog post about what I as an “advanced automator” would attend, I was asked to write another from the perspective of someone who is fresh and new to this wonderful world we are all lucky to be a part of called test automation. I will also add the same caveat that I did in my last post, if I don’t mention a particular talk, it doesn’t take anything away from it as ALL of the talks on the program are AWESOME!!!
Newbie Chris’s Hypothetical Agenda for AutomationSTAR 2023.
Day 1
- Tutorial: As a programmer at heart, but a newbie to automation, I would probably choose Andy Knight’s tutorial Awesome Web Testing with Playwright. But if I didn’t have the programming background, I’d probably be attending Anne Kramer’s tutorial Getting Started with Visual Test Design for Automation.
- Keynote Number 1: For this, I’d rush into the hall for the Keynote to get a good seat and ensure I don’t miss anything. Janna is a great speaker and I look forward to her keynote Streamlining Your CI/CD Pipeline with Test Automation.
- Lunch: First thing for conference newcomers to know, it’s all about the food!! Be sure to enjoy some lunch to get fueled up for the great afternoon ahead! And it’s a great opportunity to network with fellow attendees and to take a moment to visit some of the great vendors that are present in the expo hall.
- First Track Session: Just like I mentioned in my advanced agenda, I would be interested in attending Sophie Küster’s talk The Impostor’s Guide to Tooting Your Own Horn. Who of us hasn’t felt like an impostor at some point in our careers. But if I wasn’t’ feeling up for some soft skills instruction, I would then most likely choose to attend Gunesh Patil’s talk Behold MBT: A Guide To Improved Coverage, Collaboration, Mindset & You.
- Break: Like the program says, mix and mingle in the Expo Hall. Grab a snack and a drink and do a little more networking. And don’t forget those vendors!
- Second Track Session: As always, it’s hard to decide. But since AI is all the rage these days, I would most likely attend Marek Lof’s talk Do We Automate Everything for AI Testing!? But if my programmer side is winning on this day, I would then probably be attending Christoph Wolf’s talk Unit Testing for Test Automation Engineers.
- Expo Party: Who wouldn’t want to enjoy “bites, beers and games!” ? This is another great opportunity for meeting new people and doing some excellent networking. And this takes place in the Expo Hall, so all of the vendors will be there for you to see demos and learn about their various services and tools and answer any questions you may have. Oh, and did I mention the bites and beers? Don’t worry, there are non-alcoholic options as well. (Yes, I know I copied this from my other blog post, but I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to put it. 😊)
Day 2
- Morning Keynote: Again, be sure to get there early and get a great seat. Ryan Volker is a great speaker and his talk with Bastian Schürmann about their team’s journey from Confusion to Clarity is not to be missed!
- Day 2 Track Session 1: Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, my inner 8 year old that dreamed of going to space would be attending Andrew Brown’s talk Apollo 13 and the Dangers of Automation Bias.
- Break: Grab a coffee and a snack and continue to build up my network. Or take time to visit some of the vendors if I haven’t already had a chance.
- Day 2 Track Session 2: As a new automation developer, Andrew Knight’s talk What Framework should I use for Web Testing? would be where I’d go.
- Lunch: Remember I mentioned the food? Yeah, more of it today for lunch! And of course, networking as always. These connections you make today could benefit you for years to come.
- Day 2 track Session 3: Like I said in my advanced blog post, it’s all the rage. So my new automation self would be attending Geosley Andrades’ talk Unlocking New Possibilities in Test Automation with Chat GPT.
- Break: Just like in the morning, it’s a great chance to meet some new people while getting a beverage and a snack. Oh, and be sure to check out the vendors while there since this is the last chance to do so.
- Lightning talks: Several speakers, each with 5 minutes to share a mini keynote! Sign me up!! Always a great opportunity to hear a little something on several topics in one go.
- Final Keynote: Be sure to get every last minute from the conference and be front and center for Marie Cruz’s keynote about “intersectionality”. It’s going to be great!
- Closing remarks: This is where that program chair guy Chris gets up and closes out the conference. I hear he’s a great speaker, so I better not miss that! 😉
As I mentioned previously, this is just one combination of talks and everyone’s journey will be different. Whichever path you choose, there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained at AutomationSTAR 2023 and I hope to see you there!
Regards,
Chris
Chris Loder – AutomationSTAR 2023 Programme Chair