On May 1st, I stepped into a completely different world.
Not a tech conference.
Not a testing workshop.
Not an AI event.
This time, I volunteered at La Louche d’Or in Lille a festival where hundreds of people gather to celebrate creativity, culture, community… and yes, soup.
A full day dedicated to tasting, judging, and celebrating the most surprising soup creations.
A competition with three final winners chosen by a jury.
A place where imagination meets ingredients.
And I was there, not as a speaker or tester, but as a volunteer behind the scenes.
🎭 My Role: Backstage, Badges, and Human Energy
Most of my day was spent welcoming artists and participants.
I handled registrations, prepared badges, and guided people to the preparation area before their show.
It was simple work, but meaningful.
You see people arriving stressed, excited, confused, or full of adrenaline.
You’re the first face they meet.
You set the tone.
And even if I wasn’t part of the jury, I still got the chance to taste a few soups.
Let’s just say… creativity was everywhere.
Some teams used ingredients I never imagined in a soup:
strawberries, pineapple, grapes…
Even the classic recipes felt completely reinvented.
It reminded me how far creativity can go when people are free to experiment.
💡 What I Learned (and Why It Matters)
Volunteering teaches you things you don’t expect.
Here are the lessons I’m taking with me simple, human, and real.
- A warm welcome is more powerful than we think
People remember how you make them feel.
A smile, a calm tone, a clear explanation it changes the whole experience.
- Clear information reduces stress
Badges, directions, timing…
When you explain things simply, people relax.
It’s true in events, in tech, and in life.
- Creativity has no limits
Seeing fruits in soup was a shock at first.
But it reminded me that innovation often comes from unexpected combinations.
Sometimes the “weird idea” becomes the winning one.
- Impact doesn’t always happen on stage
You don’t need to be the performer to contribute.
Support roles are invisible but essential.
They make everything else possible.
- Volunteering expands your world
You meet new people.
You see new ways of working.
You step outside your usual identity.
You grow.
- Trying new environments builds confidence
I’m used to testing software.
This time, I tested myself in a new context, with new responsibilities.
And it felt good.
✨ A Special ExploreWithEmna Edition
This experience reminded me why I love events.
Not because of the program.
Not because of the structure.
But because of the people, the energy, the creativity, the unexpected moments.
It wasn’t about testing apps.
It wasn’t about AI.
It was about community, sunshine, and a lot of soup.
And I left tired, happy, and grateful.
Emna Ayadi 