June 17th, 2022 by Audrey Marcum
On June 14th, 2022, #teamInflectra had the opportunity to attend JFTL, la Journée Française des Tests Logiciels, for the second time ever. This year marked the 14th anniversary of the conference, and it brought more than 1,200 participants and 40 sponsors together to participate in 16 talks, 4 conference tracks (Tendances et Métiers, Automatisation, Méthodologies, et Techniques), 9 tutorials, and a large expo hall for sponsors and attendees to mingle. For #teamInflectra, this conference presented us the chance to emphasize our presence in the French market and to make long-lasting connections with experts and professionals in the testing industry. Here’s a recap of our experience at JFTL.
Team Inflectra in Paris
The US-based Inflectra team left a few days prior to the conference to adjust to the new time zone and to enjoy the magical city of Paris in the summer (plus eat a croissant, or two!). Blessed with nice weather, we saw the oh-so-iconic Tour Eiffel, and for a bonus, the place where a scene from the movie Inception was filmed (Pont de Bir-Hakeim, anyone?).
After walking until our feet ached and our bellies were full of the delicious pastries and delicacies that Paris offers, we welcomed our two other team mates arriving from Marseilles and Copenhagen. We settled into Novotel Paris 14 Porte d’Orléans just outside of la Boulevard Périphérique. After settling in, we checked out the conference center, Le Beffroi de Montrouge, to set up the booth.
Le Beffroi de Montrouge combines architecture from the 1930’s with a new, modern infrastructure, and is an ideal spot for holding seminars, conventions, product launches, trade fairs, and of course, the annual JFTL.
After completing the booth, we had a nice dinner at a local restaurant to catch up and strategize for the conference the following day.
Inflectra Booth at JFTL
Early the next morning, we pulled our Inflectra polos on and had breakfast (and several cups of coffee) at the hotel prior to the expo starting at 8:30 AM. Well-equipped in our booth, we were ready for the onslaught of attendees!
Our Inflectra team consisted of two native french-speakers familiar with the French testing crowd, one technical expert who could demonstrate SpiraTest for test management, SpiraPlan for project, program, and risk management, and Rapise for test automation, and one partnership- & alliance-focused team member who could talk with existing and potential partners. As JFTL is predominantly composed of french-speaking companies, we were happy to have a both french and english speaking team!
While the conference itself seemed like a smaller crowd compared to last year’s, it left us with more time to scope out the other sponsor booths and build relationships with sponsors and attendees alike. We also had the opportunity to provide demos and answer technical questions for customers currently using Spira and/or Rapise on our ipads showcasing live environments. We were, of course, happy to hand out our unique swag, including wireless charging pads and stickers crafted by our own Head of Products.
To get over the afternoon slump, the JFTL organizers provided us with a nice catered lunch full of amuse-bouches, followed by espresso and a lovely spread of pastries. Macarons and Spira–they just go together!
Reconnecting with Customers & Partners
While in Paris, we had the opportunity to catch-up with several of our partners and customers in the area. A special shout-out to Vlad from Inmarsys, our partner based in the UK, who flew to France for one day to have lunch with us. It was a pleasure, Vlad!
We also met up with our partner Alex from TTC as well as a few other customers attending the conference. It’s times like these where we are grateful to have connections all across the globe. It’s always gratifying to see who we collaborate with on a daily basis, usually online on Zoom or email, in-person. Thank you to all who made an effort to see the Inflectra team.
Au revoir, JFTL !
After the full day of interacting with sponsors and attendees at the booth, we were grateful to rest our feet at the end of the day. And as you can see…
we are already brainstorming for next year’s booth at JFTL!
À bientôt !