Robocon 2023
When: January 17-20, March 1-3
Where: Helsinki+Online
Robocon is the first of many QA conferences 2023 will bless us with. It will start with practical workshops, continue with an open-space day, and culminate in a packed 2-day main event. Full access costs just below €1,500, and it comes with recordings from the 2022 event.
The online part will actually take place in early March. The organisers promise at least 50% original content alongside recordings from the Helsinki event. Participation is €434.
Automation Guild Online Conference 2023
When: Feb 6-10
Where: Online
2023 marks the 7th global QA conference on test automation from TestGuild. The organisers promise to hold 40 training and Q&A sessions hosted by over 40 experts. They expect at least 2,600 people to attend the online event.
Packed as testing conferences often are, the event currently has 8 sessions scheduled per day. Feb 8-10 will cover functional automation, while the last two days are booked for non-functional automation topics. It costs $200 to attend the functional testing portion, while the full ticket is $300. Both tickets are advertised to provide lifetime VOD access.
Testing, Agile, DevOps and Low code Showcase: Methods and Tools
When: Feb 9, Feb 23
Where: Manchester and Bengaluru
UNICOM will host what are practically two public talk events on very practical matters. These conferences will cover user acceptance testing, implementing Agile in the government domain, and broadening testing in the DevOps pipeline among others. The Bengaluru event will have a local awards ceremony to wrap up the day.
The events feature dynamic pricing, and all early bird tickets are unavailable by now. The Manchester event is now £660 for in-person and £114 for online. The Bengaluru conference would cost you ₹11,800 (≈$145) to visit or $90 to watch online.
Selenium Conference 2023
When: March 28-30
Where: Chicago
While looking for the best QA conferences, you can’t miss one dedicated to the best test automation framework. The Selenium conference is a celebration of an open-source community that drives QA automation forward. The sessions range from a large overview of the Selenium codebase to non-automation use cases for Selenium that boost QA team productivity.
The event starts with a day of workshops into two days of the actual conference. A regular conference-only ticket will cost you $700, while participating in workshops bumps that to $1,100. The organisers also secured a discounted hotel rate for the attendees.
German Testing Day 2023
When: May 23-24
Where: Frankfurt am Main
As a German company, we had to highlight the annual QA conference that takes place in Germany. It is a 2-day event that returns to in-person after the pandemic made last year’s event online-only. Unfortunately, the programme is yet to be published.
The organisers, however, have already started to sell tickets. It will cost you €535 to attend both days, and every third ticket is free.
Test Automation Days 2023
When: May 24-25
Where: Utrecht
If you are feeling adventurous, you can actually attend two back-to-back QA events in Europe. The Utrecht event will start with a day full of masterclasses before a 1-day conference. Artificial intelligence will be a major focus of the event with a full schedule released at a later date.
Attending the masterclasses will cost you €445, while the conference day will set you back another €395. You can save €50 by purchasing a two-day ticket.
Agile Testing Days Open Air Festival
When: June 13-15
Where: Cologne
Agile Testing Days are back with another three-day event held right at Blackfoot Beach in Cologne. This is one of the most packed events on the list with at least two talks and/or workshops going on at the same time. There is a strong emphasis on networking as well.
The early bird pricing for ATD is €1,200 with full access, shuttles, and meals included. It will go up to €1,500 at the end of April. ATD will also host a more formal event in Potsdam in November with programming and pricing to be revealed later.
Get a taste of German QA approach
EuroSTAR 2023 Software Testing Conference
When: June 13-16
Where: Antwerp
Unfortunately, ATD overlaps with EuroSTAR, a powerhouse of QA conferences. The event covers practically everything there is to cover about QA and beyond, such as soft skills and team environment. There will be up to 4 concurrent talks and workshops at a time.
Individual tickets are €2,400 without the workshop day and €2,800 with it included. Big teams can save as much as 30% with a 10-for-7 group ticket.
TestBash UK 2023
When: September 20-21
Where: Liverpool
One of the most influential QA communities, the Ministry of Testing will hold a practical offline event this September. The schedule is yet to be released, which is expected for an event that will take place more than half a year later. If you are interested in QA management problems and their solutions, a grassroots event like TestBash is a promising option.
A full-price ticket is £800 with £50 off for Ministry of Testing Pro members. There is a small group discount that gets bigger with every 5 tickets purchased.
QA&TEST Embedded 2023
When: October 18-20
Where: Bilbao
QA&TEST Embedded 2023 is one of the most seasoned testing events that has been running for over 20 years. Although the name suggests a more practical event on applying QA testing tools in B2B environments, there was a range of thought-provoking talks as well. Last year had a good number of AI-focused sessions before all the ChatGPT buzz, too.
Pricing and schedule will be revealed at a later date.
Final words
2023 is an exciting year for QA conferences. Many events are returning to offline for the first time in three years. The infrastructure and general acceptance for remote speakers improve the online attendance experience and enable cross-continental guest appearances. In-person events also bring new business opportunities that can help QA-focused companies ride out the recession.
Saving time on QA: January 1 – December 31