This May in Phoenix, AZ, STC will host one of the largest gatherings of technical communicators. More than 80 education and networking sessions will be presented from Sunday evening to Wednesday afternoon, 18–21 May, kicked off by keynote speaker Jonathon Colman of Facebook on 18 May. Top practitioners, academe, consultants, and researchers in the field of technical communication will present new material on cutting-edge technology, trends, and issues, mixed in with the staples of solid communication techniques and topic areas. And once again, STC has solved the dilemma of wanting to be in two places at once to benefit from all of the quality presentations.
STC’s conference website (http://summit.stc.org) allows members to directly access information about the education sessions through Lanyard.com, which is updated regularly. Education sessions cover a wide variety of topics and are organized into eight tracks: content development and delivery; content strategy and design; mobile content design and development; user experience and accessibility; people and project management; business management and consulting; professional development; and academic research and topics. The site also contains details on the content of preconference workshops and certificate sessions.
Conference Overview
- Conference begins Sunday evening with a talk by keynote speaker Jonathon Colman and reception in Expo Hall
- More than 80 sessions, organized by seven tracks
- Registration includes two receptions, plus morning and afternoon refreshment breaks
- Captured content (SUMMIT@aClick) included in registration fee
- Job Bank in Expo Hall
- The return of the bookstore
- Top exhibitors and vendor showcases
- Preconference events include certificate sessions and workshops (optional fee required)
The Summit also includes our vendor Expo, with dozens of companies represented. Summit registration includes two receptions (Opening Reception and Communities Event) plus morning and afternoon refreshment breaks in the exhibit hall. Also in the exhibit hall is the return of the bookstore!
One of the major added benefits of conference registration is post-conference access to STC’s Summit@aClick. This unique feature provides audio/graphic synchronized recordings of almost all the sessions. Summit@aClick takes away the problem of only being able to attend one session per hour. You can benefit from all of the education and information available at the Summit by listening and watching the other sessions on Summit@aClick after you get home. STC’s Summit is the only meeting in the technical communication field that offers this added bonus.
“The ability to ‘attend’ the sessions you missed is invaluable,” stated Lloyd Tucker, STC’s director of meetings and education. “You can review sessions you attended for a refresher, or check out additional sessions for ‘just in time’ training—for yourself and for others in your company.” This helps provide a greater return on investment for attendees and their organization or department.
All of these education sessions and SUMMIT@aClick bring greater value to conference attendees. STC continues to work hard to keep attendees’ costs down, including lower hotel expenses. The conference hotel, the Hyatt Regency, has a rate of $164 per night, which includes free in-room Internet access for all those registering with the STC block. And the Early Bird rate (good through 31 March) for conference registration for members is $260 less than nonmembers (which would even cover the cost of your Classic membership dues).
To assist those who must request funding from their employer to register and attend the conference, STC has created a sample memo and executive summary that can be used to emphasize the necessity and benefit of attending the Technical Communication Summit. See the “Program Info” tab on http://summit.stc.org.
Members looking for work will find a fertile field at the 2014 Technical Communication Summit, too! With myriad resources onsite, education sessions, and the advantages of networking among the best and brightest of technical communicators, the annual conference is the best place for job hunters to be—there are job postings onsite, numerous opportunities for networking, updates on industry trends, new software announcements, and everything needed to stay ahead of the game.
Savvy technical communicators know that STC is their professional home and that the annual conference is the best resource to advance their career. Register for the 2014 Technical Communication Summit online at http://summit.stc.org/, and reap all the benefits.
