By Chris Hester | Fellow and Conference Chair
When I was growing up, my parents would ship me off to summer camp, and year after year, the theme was the same: have fun, learn new skills or strengthen existing ones, and above all else, connect with new and familiar friends. This year’s Summit in particular is exciting to me because June in Columbus feels like returning to camp: it’s a time to get away and renew our minds, spirits, and connections.
Experiences for the Mind
The full Summit program is a five-day event, starting with pre-conference workshops on Saturday and Sunday, followed by education sessions Monday through Wednesday, and both opening and closing keynote speakers. Several changes this year address requests to increase the number of hands-on workshops, tools and technology topics, and advanced-level sessions.
Pre-conference workshops focus on topics of current interest to technical communication professionals. Take a deep dive into a two-day certificate class on Implementing Content Strategy, Technical Editing Fundamentals, or Trends in International Technical Communication. Jump into the one-day workshop on mobile app development, or a half-day session on information architecture, API documentation, project management, and promoting yourself and your business.
Over 70 sessions make up the Summit’s education program, which starts on Monday morning. Three core tracks run the full length of the Summit. Complementing the core tracks are specialty tracks that support targeted interests. These tracks run a full day.
Core Track |
Example Topics |
|---|---|
| Writing and Communication | content marketing, content strategy, editing, information architecture, editing, plain language, writing |
| Art, Design, and Visual Communication | Information graphics, mind mapping, responsive design, user experience, wireframing |
| Tools and Technology | CSS and HTML5, DITA, ePub, git, machine translation, markup, open source tools, web services |
Specialty Track |
Example Topics |
|---|---|
| API Documentation | developer documentation, coding, getting started with API documentation, REST, SDK |
| Consulting and Small Business | Career choices, fees, proposals, site visits |
| Leadership and Management | DocOps, intellectual property, leadership skills, new managers, technical presentation |
| Training and Research | instructional design, online education, technical editing competencies |
Lightning talks are back, and new this year will be the Tech Comm Throwdown—a debate the likes of which you haven’t seen at the Summit before!
Speakers and Community for the Spirit
Storytelling is a powerful communication tool, and it’s integral to our role as we develop content that informs, instructs, and persuades. Our Summit opens on Sunday evening with keynote speaker Nancy Duarte, who will lead us through how stories help us engage with each other and our audience to build lasting relationships. Wednesday morning, keynote Denise Jacobs will send us off with a message on how to continue learning and feeling renewed, long after the Summit has ended.
Columbus itself has a busy, thriving design and tech-oriented community that offers plenty to do outside of the hotel and conference center, so plan on getting out and about. We are within walking distance of North Market, a public market with offerings from local artists, jewelers, and merchants. Self-guided art tours and bike rentals are options for those who want to explore on their own. Nightly outings to local eateries, music venues, and the German Village will provide occasions to relax after a full day of Summit sessions (and if you’re so inclined, the German Village is home to a 32-room used bookstore).
Opportunities for Connection
Networking isn’t limited to breaks or after-hour activities: check out the Expo Hall’s grand opening on Sunday evening after the keynote session. Then return when the Expo Hall hosts the Speed Networking on Monday and Communities Reception on Tuesday, providing many opportunities to mix and mingle. The Expo Hall will be home to breaks, raffle prize drawings, and more, so be sure to visit often.
The full program guide is available on lanyrd.com/2015/stc15. Here you can view the schedule, sessions, speakers, and attendees (remember to indicate that you’re joining us). You can also use Lanyrd to build a personal schedule of sessions you want to attend or send messages to attendees you want to meet. Follow @stc_summit on Twitter for Summit updates.
For more information about STC’s 2015 Summit, visit the Summit’s website, summit.stc.org, and register soon. See you in Columbus!
