This year, QA&TEST has achieved a significant recognition by obtaining the Erronka Garbia certification from the Basque Government as a Green Conference. This accomplishment underscores our ongoing commitment to sustainability, focusing on reducing, reusing, and recycling in all aspects surrounding our event: speaker and attendee travel, catering, distribution of printed materials, venue selection, and more.

During the audit process, the inclusion of sustainability-related presentations directly linked to our field (Testing and QA) in our program was also highlighted. (You can view this year’s conference program). This demonstrates our holistic approach, integrating sustainable practices not only in event logistics but also in its content.

Our goal is undoubtedly to continue evolving each year to make QA&TEST an increasingly sustainable event. We aim not only to implement better environmental practices but also to share knowledge on sustainability and energy savings applied to information technologies, specifically in software testing and quality.

However, in this ongoing commitment, we face certain dilemmas:

  1. Is there a glass ceiling in event sustainability?
  2. How can we balance internationality with travel reduction?

These questions reflect common challenges in organizing sustainable international events. The need for travel, for example, seems inevitable to maintain the event’s global character.

Are there innovative strategies to mitigate environmental impact without compromising the quality and international reach of events?

We would like to initiate a debate and invite you to share your experiences and solutions to explore creative ways to overcome these challenges and continue advancing towards more sustainable and responsible events.