{CHECK.Conf}2022
From CHECKitos for CHECKitos across all products and locations.
The first internal CHECK24 IT conference took place in September 2022 under the theme "Hidden Gems" to share the profound tech knowledge among CHECKitos.
What was the goal?
The simpler our products are for the user, the more complex our systems are behind them. From on-premise through AWS, Docker, and Kubernetes through Java, PHP, Go to MongoDB - behind every click, there is some hidden magic. We want to give all of this knowledge a platform: CHECK.conf.
The decentralized structure of our IT teams is one of the critical success factors of CHECK24. At the same time, the independently working IT teams face the challenge of sharing knowledge across our company. As a result, CHECK.conf revealed the tech diamonds to all CHECKitos and made this knowledge accessible to other products.
Who was participating?
CHECK.conf was targeting our IT & Web Development CHECKitos. In addition to the over 40 speakers, our internal IT Focus Groups from all over the country were invited. Additional tickets were distributed across locations and products.
CHECK.conf made it possible to bring more IT CHECKitos together than ever before. Living the theme: You are part of something bigger!
What was your personal highlight?
I am proud to work at a company that values getting together and learning from each other so much. The conference brought us all closer together.
Lena Bauer, HR developer and {CHECK.conf} organizer
How did the first CHECK24 IT conference go?
From more than 80 submitted presentations from over 25 product areas, 24 tech sessions were selected. The dynamic selection process ensured that the topics spanned a variety of technologies, product areas, and locations, resulting in an exciting agenda. Participants were particularly impressed by the high quality of the presentations. The many technical presentations were complemented by panel discussions and engaging lightning talks in a story-telling format. Top-class keynotes completed off the program.
In addition to the opening keynotes by our CTO Office and Head of HR, there was an exciting Q&A with one of our founders, Eckhard Juls, on the history and strategy of CHECK24.
A unique highlight for many participants was certainly the eagerly awaited presentation by Kent Beck late on Saturday afternoon. As co-signer of the "Manifesto for Agile Software Development," he concluded the first-ever internal CHECK24 IT conference.
Of course, there was plenty of time to celebrate: in addition to the afterparty, there was a social media challenge in which our CHECKitos could win €2,400 for an open-source project of their choice and a €240 CHECK24 voucher.
What is special about the CHECK.conf?
Because we decided early on to record the presentations but not to publish them outside the company, presentations could go into great detail without fear of releasing competitive advantages or company secrets.
Philipp Kemper, Director IT & Managing Director
What was your personal highlight?
Philipp:
Compared to a public conference, we knew the participants beforehand and could choose the content to address relevant issues. At the same time, we also learned which topics were new to which groups of participants. This allowed us to offer a balanced mix of relevant or every day and new topics. It also made the conference more personal.
I have been with CHECK24 for over 10 years and have worked in different teams, product areas, and locations. As a result, I am used to experiencing CHECK24 from different perspectives. What was new for me, therefore, was the "we" feeling that transcended different locations. I think other participants felt the same way.
Meeting the author Kent Beck, a shining light in the field of IT, was definitely a highlight for me as well. His first book on Extreme Programming was also the first book I read about software development. I read that even before I went to college.