“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort. And a trip to Prague.”
-John Ruski
Software bugs of Prague, we suggest you lay low for a while. The 27th annual EuroSTAR Conference is coming to town and with it, thousands of the world’s best testers and QA professionals.
Held over four days, the conference will take place from Nov 11-14, with full-day & half-day tutorials, active workshops, dozens of track sessions, networking & social events, an interactive Test Lab and software testing exhibition.
Looking back reminds us how amazing #EuroSTARConf was last year - and this year we've outdone ourselves.
— EuroSTAR Conferences (@esconfs) November 1, 2019
Join us in Prague: https://t.co/KXWZIE5IeN pic.twitter.com/mfUgdxogtf
EuroSTAR aims to create an independent, all-inclusive community, encouraging software testers to collaborate and work together, evolving their profession while meeting other amazing people in the process.
And what better place to host it than Prague. Home to many innovative startups and a number of investors looking to fund the next big project, some experts believe it to be one of the next tech giants of the future.
We can’t wait to get out there. In the meantime, we’ve created this complete guide to help you decide where to go, what to see and how best to spend your time in this incredible city.
1. Unmissable Programme Events
With over 60 events, workshops and talks to choose from, you’re spoilt for choice. We’ve highlighted one unmissable event from each day to help you decide.
Monday - 11th Nov
Event: Work and Play: Games to Help your Team Think about Testing
Speakers: James Lyndsay
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:30
“In this full-day workshop, James will share purposeful games that he plays with teams at corporate clients. Each game is directly relevant to software testing, and each has online materials available, from software to instructions. The games are built to be taken into your own workplace for use in an informal lunchtime learning session."
Book your place here.
Tuesday - 12 Nov
Event: Using Quality Characteristics for Powerful Testing and Reporting
Speakers: Henrik Emilsson & Rikard Edgren
Start Time: 08:30
End Time: 12:30
“Have I really understood who the stakeholders are? Do I know what they value? Are my test strategies aligned with that? What information can I give them? Reflecting on qualities and values is an approach that (hopefully) will give you new or more powerful test ideas. And it will also be a reminder to you that you might need to adjust your message and tell a compelling story that a stakeholder can understand.”
Book your place here.
Wednesday- 13 Nov
Event: Rediscover Exploratory Testing
Speakers: Ingo Philipp
Start Time: 10:15
End Time: 11:00
“Ingo Philipp outlines the most common confusions and controversies on this topic. He explains what exploratory testing is, why to use it, and when to practice it. Ingo discusses specific heuristics and techniques of exploratory testing, especially useful in fast-paced development environments, to get the most out of exploratory testing in your daily work.”
Book your place here.
Thursday - 14 Nov
Event: Learning From Bugs
Speakers: Henrik Warne
Start Time: 09:45
End Time: 10:30
“Bugs are great learning opportunities. So how do we make sure we learn as much as possible from the bugs we find and fix? One way is to reflect on what made the bug hard to solve, and how we could avoid this type of bug in the future. For the past 15 years I have written down short descriptions of the trickiest bugs I have solved. I have included the symptoms of the bug, the steps I took to find it, the fix, and the most important lessons I learned from it. This simple method has helped me distill patterns that have influenced how I write, test and debug code.”
Book your place here.
There are lots of amazing things happening over the four days. Click here to see the official programme in full and don’t miss out.
2. Unmissable Speakers
From unmissable events to unmissable human beings. Here are 5 talented speakers you need to see.
Claudia Badell - Senior Quality Engineer
“As technology, methodologies, and processes evolve and teams and communities mature, it is important for us as testers to have a proactive attitude to adapt to such changes”
Claudia is an agile enthusiast with a strong background in software testing and more than 13 years of experience. She is particularly passionate about building and fostering a whole-team approach towards testing and quality.
Click here to view Claudia’s sessions.
Michael Bolton - Consulting Software Tester and Testing Teacher
The more specific your plan, the more vulnerable it is to events and changes for which you’re not prepared. The more extensive your preparation, the less specific your plan needs to be, and the more resilient it can be to events and changes. Adaptability beats predictability.
— Michael Bolton (@michaelbolton) July 16, 2018
Michael delivers a mind-set, skill set, and classes on how to do excellent software testing in a way that is very fast, inexpensive, credible, and accountable. He is passionate about not just helping people solve testing problems, but also teaching them how to do it for themselves.
Click here to view Michael’s sessions.
Fiona Charles - QA Consultant & Co-Founder of Speak Easy
“We need to be able to say things that nobody wants to hear, because that’s our job”
Fiona consults, writes, speaks and conducts interactive workshops on software test management and testing, to help clients in large and small organisations address their unique software testing opportunities. She is also co-founder of Speak Easy, a volunteer organisation designed to increase gender diversity at tech conferences and help new speakers find their voice.
Click here to view Fiona’s sessions.
Rob Lambert - Director of Cultivated Management
“The important point is that you need to keep learning; it is the learners who are standing out no matter what topic they are choosing to learn.”
Rob is on a mission to make management in the Tech world more interesting, rewarding and fun. After working as a software tester and an Engineering manager.
Click here to view Rob’s sessions.
Rohit Singhal - Automation Engineer & Agile QA Tester and Speaker
Rohit is on a mission, and that is to make your customers happy. He does this by focussing on building a value-oriented team with the right mindset and a world-class feedback culture.
Click here to view Rohit’s sessions.
With tickets selling out fast, you need to be quick. Get online and book your place now, there are over 60 industry-leading speakers to choose from.
From talented speakers to talented testers. Next we got in touch with our crowd in Prague for some truly local insights.
3. Local Testing Insights From Prague
Here at Global App Testing, we currently have a crowd of over 25,000 highly-skilled QA professionals, testing apps around the world. Each and every one of them on a mission to dig up gold-plated bugs and provide valuable insights for our customers.
With the EuroSTAR Conference just around the corner, we asked our testers in Prague to send us some localization tips they would give to developers launching an app in Prague or the wider Czech Republic. The feedback was indeed golden. These two are on us ;)
Localisation Tester Tip #01
“Developers must take into account the characteristics of the Czech people. For example, generally, Czech people are shy and highly individualistic people. They don't talk to you unless you talk to them. They may like the new things but they don't like changes. Generally, they usually prefer everything to be stable.”
Localisation Tester Tip #02
“In Czech Republic people like their nationals holidays and pay very close attention to events, disasters and politics. So my advice will be to check this news and don't launch apps in that period.”
From time differences to cultural anomalies, there is a never-ending list of considerations to make when releasing an app globally, some of which you can't know unless you've actually lived in there.
For more localization tips from around the world, come and visit us at the Global App Testing booth. We're number 34.
One of the biggest challenges we face with localization is language barriers. Next we have a phrasebook to help get you started.
4. Czech Phrasebook
The Czech language is universally understood to be one of the world’s most difficult languages to learn. Luckily for you, most native speakers also speak English. That said, here are a few key phrases should you wish to (try and) impress a local.
One beer, please – Jedno pivo, prosím
Two beers, please – Dvě piva, prosím
Ten beers, please – deset piv, prosím
My name is… – Jmenuji se…
How are you? – Jak se máte?
Do you speak English? – Mluvíte anglicky?
I don’t speak Czech – Nemluvím česky.
I don’t understand – Nerozumím.
Thank you – Děkuji.
Hi / Bye – Ahoj
Yes – Ano
No – Ne
Excuse me – S dovolením.
How much does it cost? – Kolik to stojí?
Where is…? – Kde je…?
Have you seen any bugs? - Už jste viděli nějaké chyby?
Now that you’re fluent, it’s time to explore the city. If you can spare a moment from the conference, make sure you czech out some of what Prague has to offer.
(Please be careful when catching a taxi)
5. Things to See in the City
The National Museum of Technology
The National Museum of Technology is a haven for testers, tech-heads and computer scientists. Established in 1908, the museum boasts a vast collection of artefacts, documenting the country’s rich technical history, covering everything from astronomy to measurements of time. With 14 permanent exhibitions, there’s something for everyone to geek out on inside.
Geekårna - Tester Recommended
Geekárna is a science fiction and fantasy cafe-bar for self-confessed geeks, enthusiasts and fandom. Inside, you’ll find boards to play on, comic books and magazines to read, packs of cards and several themed drinks, including the ‘Sonic Screwdriver’, the ‘Jet Pack’ and the infamous ‘Mountain and the Viper’.
Max Laser Game & Bar - Something for the team!
No, you are not too old, and yes, the 90s are still alive and well. Now suit up, grab your team and get down to one of Prague’s many laser tag centres. Max Laser is one of the city’s most popular venues and the perfect kick of nostalgia to end a long day’s testing. Once you’re done choosing three-letter names, running into walls and being shot in the back, cool off at the bar with one of the many local brews on tap.
Žižkov TV Tower (The Second Ugliest Building in the World)
An eyesore to some, a modern masterpiece to (few) others, the Žižkov TV Tower stands tall over Prague, dominating the otherwise traditional skyline. Built between 1985 and 1992, this divisive building provides spectacular 360 views of the city. There's even a restaurant at the top if you fancy a panoramic bite to eat.
Colloredo-Mansfeldský Palace
Finally, If you need a screen-free moment to clear your head, then head over to Colloredo-Mansfeldský Palace (wi-fi not included). Located by the Charles Bridge, this 17th-century building is one of Prague’s most impressive examples of Baroque architecture. Often overlooked by tourists, this is one of the city’s hidden gems and not to be missed. Legend has it that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself even performed inside these very walls.
*mysterious piano music plays*
EuroSTAR have also organised a couple of unmissable extra-curricular activities around the city to keep attendees entertained. Read on to find out more!
6. EuroSTAR Pub Quiz - Welcome night!
Bring your A-game to McCarthy’s Irish pub for the famous EuroSTAR pub quiz! Kicking off at 7pm on Monday 11th November, this free event has been created to welcome all attendees to the 27th EuroSTAR Conference. Come along as a group or join a team on the night – it’s a great way to meet everyone and get your brain in gear for the conference! Find out more here.
7. EuroSTAR Conference 5KM Fun Run
The annual EuroSTAR Fun Run is back! Taking place at 7.30am on Wednesday 13th November, it’s the perfect way to see the city before the morning sessions begin. There are three running groups, accommodating every level of runner and jogger. Register here to take part (pain is inevitable, showering is non-optional).
8. Competition - Your Chance to Win
The first person to visit our booth and tell us, in cm’s, the width of Prague’s narrowest street, wins a Leading Quality swag bag. Take a selfie on the street, and we’ll even throw in a bottle of Prague’s finest ;)
See You There!
And there you have it. The (almost) complete guide to this year’s 27th annual EuroSTAR conference, Prague. It’s set to be one of the biggest years yet, and we are very excited.
You can find us at Booth 34 where we’ll be on-hand to talk testing, quality and local insights (heated discussions on best Czech beer included).
Na shledanou!