Develop Your TYPO3 Skills, Get Certified, and Have Fun

Categories: Community, Association, Education & Certification Created by Mathias Bolt Lesniak
Get ready for one day of TYPO3 know-how and on-site TYPO3 Certifications, combined with lots of fun, like exclusive roller coaster rides. The third CertiFUNcation Day takes place at Phantasialand in Cologne, Germany, 9th June 2017. Tickets are still available—of course.
“We have a gentlemen’s agreement with <link http: www.phantasialand.de en home _blank>Phantasialand, so that we can scale the event.” says organizer Boris Hinzer, as he explains some of the stories behind the unique event. The story begins at the first <link>TYPO3 Education Committee Sprint, in the Eifel mountains, Western Germany.

Develop Your Skills and Have Fun

“We wanted to create a special event for <link>TYPO3 Certifications. It should feel like a school trip and a regular reunion, and it should be an opportunity to develop the TYPO3 topic.” Boris continues by telling us how the name <link>CertiFUNcation came about: “We first used the term ‘TYPO3 Certification Alumni’—with the thought that the upcoming event would be repeated annually and focus on certification. With the idea to organize the event in an amusement park, ‘fun’ finally became a part of the theme. Nicki Uhlbach threw the name ‘CertiFUNcation’ into the circle, and it stuck.” While listening to Boris, it became apparent that the <link>CertiFUNcation event is both serious fun and a serious environment for serious exams: “It is a lot of TYPO3 know-how in a compact and compelling package, combined with a lot of fun that you can round off with the community event in the evening. If you want to take the opportunity to explore Phantasialand, with its numerous attractions, or simply go for an exclusive roller coaster ride, without having to queue, then <link>CertiFUNcation is perfect for you.”

Four Certifications and Easier Renewal

“The <link>CertiFUNcation Day is the only TYPO3 event where all available certifications (<link>Editor, <link>Integrator, <link>Developer, and <link>Consultant) can be taken on site,” says Boris, who is a member of the <link>TYPO3 Association’s Expert Advisory Board and the <link>Education Committee. “If you already have a valid TYPO3 certification, you will be able to renew your certification for one more year, just by participating in certain lectures.” The CertiFUNcation Day is split into <link>Editor, <link>Integrator, <link>Developer, and <link>Consultant tracks, with lectures on relevant exam topics, such as “Best Practices Extension Development” and “Forms for Integrators”, but it is still a good idea to prepare well. “It is always necessary to prepare for exams,” says Boris. “Certificates are not just given away.”

More Registrations in 2017—Scalability at Phantasialand

There are more registrations this year, but that is not a problem: “We have a gentlemen’s agreement with <link http: www.phantasialand.de en home _blank>Phantasialand  so we can scale the event,” Boris explains. “In the last two years, we had quite a few last minute bookers, who decided to register just a few days before the event. This year, the sales figures were significantly higher already in the Very Early Bird period, so we are currently thinking about scaling up the event. A clear difference from previous years is also that we see more agencies and businesses bringing all their TYPO3 experts to have them certified on site. Also, the number of sponsors has increased significantly compared with previous years.” Though the organizers always ask for quotes from other amusement parks, Phantasialand has always come out as the best option. “Some did not respond to our first year’s inquiries at all, and others reacted with ‘defense offers,’ such as inflated prices or pre-reservation requirements. Phantasialand’s package, on the other hand, was just right. They have taken us seriously from the word go, presented a realistic offer and also given us the possibility to scale the event. Over the years, some of the other parks have wayed a bit and presented halfway competitive offers. Objectively, however, Phantasialand came out on top this year again.”

Information and Questions

<link>Read more and register 
Boris Hinzer can be contacted on Slack or by email: <link>boris.hinzer@typo3.org Boris hopes the new Editor and Consultant certifications will introduce as many new people as possible to the TYPO3 Community: “I think once you have experienced the TYPO3 Community, you will realize we are actually like one big family, who get together at <link>CertiFUNcation Day at least once a year.”