CAST 2023 CFP

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The call for participation in CAST 2023 is open and we’d love to hear from you!

We are looking for a broad and diverse scope of submissions and we strongly encourage and prefer proposals based on personal experiences.

We want talks that engage people in deep discussions, that spark thoughts again and again after the session. We love to see interactive and hands-on presentations and we’ll try to get a mix of technical and non-technical sessions too.

You don’t need to be a tester to submit a proposal. Perhaps you have stories about how your view of testing has changed from negative to positive? Maybe you have worked with a great tester? We welcome proposals from anyone who feels that they have something to contribute in line with the theme.

Theme

The conference theme is “Context: TEAM”

What does it take to win a single NASCAR race? Or to win a season championship? Is it only a good driver, or a good car? Doubtful. But, even if we teamed up with a great driver and great car, does that translate to winning every race throughout the season? Again, doubtful. Each race is unique and the cars must be tuned appropriately. The driver must be prepped. The pit crew must plan and stock the right equipment and parts.

But even with all that tuning for the upcoming race’s context variables, changing conditions during the race will require the entire TEAM (manager, driver, and pit crew) to adjust strategies and make real-time decisions right up to the finish line. And the team’s spotter is one of the key sources of information throughout the race. They must know what to look out for and report on during the race to provide the greatest value to the team and increase their collective chance of success. With success, the team enjoys better sponsorship opportunities and can thrive.

So, what does it take to “win” a software development project? Will an excellent testing process and great testers alone be able to guide a team’s success? Doubtful. If the process and people don’t consider changing context factors at the outset and during the race, it’s possible to miss the mark and waste effort along the way.

What experiences, tips, and tools can you share about factors enabling a TEAM’s success? Some examples include:

  • Aligning team goals for better collaboration
  • Acquiring sponsorship, champions, tools, and time
  • Flexibility of processes, practices, and tools that enable a team to pivot
  • Playing the role of a quality coach within the team as a servant leader
  • Cross-training efforts, paired work, and sharing roles and responsibilities within a team
  • Relevant, timely, and effective information-gathering and sharing methods
  • Tuning information for various stakeholder needs (project vs. technical stakeholders)
  • Tuning information based on the stage of the project, shifting priorities, goals, etc.

Sessions

We are seeking abstracts and proposals in these formats:

  • Keynotes: 40 – 45 min presentation with Open Season Q&A for 15 – 20 min. Our Keynotes are presented to everyone in attendance and are usually focused on presentations that are very inspirational or moving the industry forward.
  • Track Sessions:  40 – 45 min presentation with Open Season Q&A for 15 – 20 min. These presentations are usually presented to about half of attendees. 
  • Tutorials: 3 hours of interactive/hands-on presentation that includes activity for potentially 70 people. We are looking for tutorials that are interactive and help our attendees practice a skill related to the theme that they can use in their job.
  • Workshops: 90 minutes of interactive/hands-on presentation that will include approximately half of the attendees at the conference.

Where and When

NASCAR Hall of Fame, 400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202

November 6th and 7th, 2023

People

Compensation

AST is offering two nights of hotel, and travel reimbursement of up to $750. And of course, a full conference ticket.

How to Submit

We’re taking submissions through Papercall.io.

About CAST

CAST is the conference that confers. We share, discuss, and question with our peers.

Check out our conference archive to get a feel for what we do, and how.

Code of Conduct  

All speakers and attendees are subject to the CAST Code of Conduct.