EuroSTAR set for Stockholm return as software testing event booms

Since holding their first event for software testers in 1993, EuroSTAR has been the key event in the industry, providing a space for those involved to work collaboratively by bringing them together with test leads, test managers, CTOs, developers and representatives from more than 50 countries. 

The 2024 event in Stockholm will feature 350 companies and more than 60 different sessions with dozens of keynote speakers, with over a thousand delegates expected to attend and take part in what has become the most important networking event of the year for software testers. 

“Our conferences have always been community-driven, rather than content-driven – our events are about learning and connection, and understanding the profession, the craft and the challenges,” says Lorraine Banks, General Manager at EuroSTAR. 

“In the beginning there wasn’t really a career path for a software tester, there was no university course you could do to become one, so it grew organically. EuroSTAR began as an offshoot of an American conference for like-minded people who found themselves testing software, and since then it has grown into a global community that has provided a path to professionalism in the industry.”

EuroSTAR has become the largest and longest-running conference for software testing in Europe, with a number of participants who have taken part in every event down through the years, and many others who have attended at least 20 events – all members of the “20 Year Club”. 

“We have often been told that we are ‘Disneyland for software testers’, and the big challenge for those who attend is to do as much as possible in the time available,” Lorraine explains. 

“The event is unique in the kind of people it brings together and the opportunities it offers to interact with others who are on the same wavelength as you, and who want to talk about these subjects long into the night.”

EuroSTAR is no stranger to Scandinavia, and Stockholm is one of Lorraine favourite places to hold events. 

“We first hosted EuroSTAR in Copenhagen in 2000 and were back there in 2022. Last time we were in Stockholm was 2016 – they were fantastic, beautiful cities. As a host and destination city, Stockholm is a really easy place to bring a thousand international delegates to, and you know they're going to love it,” Lorraine explains. 

“You know the food will be fabulous, the architecture will be fabulous, the air is fresh, the harbours are wonderful, there's so much going on there in terms of being destination cities, you've got fantastic flight connections for most of Europe, and you've got public transport that works. 

“These are the kind of fundamental things that you're looking for if you're bringing large groups of people to cities, and in Stockholm they just work really, really well,” she concludes. 

Lorraine praises the various people and venues that she has worked with in Scandinavia, noting that many were very experienced professionals who had spent several years in their roles. 

“They know their venues inside out, they've run every type of possible event, and they are refining this experience, which is hugely valuable to me. If I'm working with someone who has been running the venue for 20 years, I know that they know everything, and I just need to turn up,” she says. 

Many event organisers balk at the prices they are quoted for holding conferences in cities like Stockholm, but for Lorraine the equation is a simple one – you get what you pay for. 

“The quality is high, the food and beverage quality is high, the venues are beautiful, the air conditioning will work, and everywhere will be nicely decorated and cosy and comfortable. So, yes, it can be expensive, but we always feel that we get value for money,” she says. 

“It has always been a positive experience overall, and we are a premium conference - we're very focused on our delegates having an amazing time.”

Lorraine and EuroSTAR have learned many valuable lessons over the course of three decades of doing business in Scandinavia, where they have both staged events but also networked with a lot of individuals and companies involved in software testing that are based there. 

“I would always find that when you're clear about what you want with Scandinavians, it will be delivered. You can build a great sense of trust, and there's a high sense of professionalism, and with all for all of those factors combined, this means that we come back to Scandinavia at every given opportunity,” Lorraine says. 

“We still have to move the EuroSTAR conference around, that's a major part of the philosophy of the conference, but no one is ever surprised when we announce that we're back to Scandinavia next year – ‘here we go again!’ - but it's a great place for us to do business.”

With the programme almost finalised, Lorraine is very much looking forward to returning to the Swedish capital in June of 2024. 

“For me, it's the beauty of the city. I just love being there. It's the lovely long days, the daylight, it's such a stunning place, a gorgeous place to spend time in and I feel really, really lucky to get to work there so often,” she says. 

EuroSTAR takes place at Stockholmsmässan from June 11-14, 2024 – for more details, visit the event’s website.