2022 OnlineTestConf retrospective - Are virtual events dead?
Last week concluded the 12th recurrence of the OnlineTestConf. Will it however be the last?
The OTC as we call it at PractiTest - Test Management for short was created as a free community learning online conference. What started as two days of sessions, expanded to three at one point, with the most recent one being a full long day packed with sessions for maximum participation (we are all super busy people as you know)
When it started (way before COVID), OTC was a refreshing change from the common IRL conferences and events. The advantages were (and still are) clear:
- No expenses are required to attend
- No time wasted on travel and transit
- Front-row access and direct chatting with world-renowned speakers
- Cross-global networking possibilities
- A perfect platform for new speakers to try out their skill sharing And it’s fun and exciting to produce too.
Over the years, many now-known speakers caught their big first “break” at presenting at OTC, and we are very proud of the professional reputation they have since built for themselves.
We have also had the honor of hosting some big names like Paul Grizzaffi, Michael Bolton, Paul Gerrard, 🐙 Trish Khoo, Alan Page, and Michael Larsen, just to name a few. And we've had some recurring favorite speakers such too: Huib Schoots, Lisa Crispin, Lena Pejgan Wiberg, and Eran Kinsbruner.
So many more speakers and their sessions which are all linked to here: https://www.onlinetestconf.com/past-conferences/
As anyone who has ever hosted a meetup or event will know, it's magical when you find that right blend of people and topics. And we are proud to say, that we have been pretty good at it.
Over the years we have played with several formats, incorporating sponsorships, friendly prize-winning competitions, virtual booths, workshops, and commercial breaks. We are always trying to innovate and find the next distinguishable experience.
The 2022 OnlineTestConf
Despite some setbacks this year (like having to reschedule), the OTC was a great success. Our lineup of speakers was stellar:
We had a consistent amount of participants in each session throughout the 10 hours the conference was live. And the thousand of registrants can now also access the session recordings at anytime
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What's next?
In the “post COVID” business era, many around the globe seem to suffer from “virtual fatigue”, and at times it seems that virtual events have exhausted their appeal. Too much of a good thing it seems. When all is said and done, people enjoy interacting with people, face to face, not screen to screen.
On the other hand, even in-person events are having a hard time getting back to the pre-COVID glory days. This was apparent while we attended several IRL conferences in the past year (EuroSTAR Conference, TESTING UNITED - The testing conference, STARwest by TechWell Corp and more). And even though we had a great time, and the events were well thought out and produced, attendance was lower than in the past.
Do we believe that virtual events are dead?
No. While virtual events can’t substitute in-person events, we don’t think they should aspire to. The all-virtual OnlineTestConf is still a relevant learning and networking event for the thousands of QA professionals, who otherwise would not easily gain access to top-quality speakers and knowledge. We have to keep adjusting to the expectation of our audiences and beyond.
And so the planning of 2023 OnlineTestConf begins…
If you’d like to add suggestions on what or who you’d like to have at the next event let us know directly and write to us