The 2010 STC Technical Communication Summit was held in Dallas this year on May 2-5. Our chapter was represented by two members, Monique Semp and myself (Scott Prentice). We estimate that we may have had the greatest percentage of chapter attendance, a whopping 20% (2 of the 10 “official” chapter members)! Let’s shoot for at least 50% next year in Sacramento .. no excuses!
This was my 7th Summit, and it was as interesting and informative as ever. I gave a presentation on AIR Help, which seemed to go reasonably well. I attended a number of sessions that provided me with new ideas and got me thinking about things in a new way. I was also able to meet a few new online friends in person, as well as the usual crew of colleagues and conference-goers. From a business perspective, it was good to meet some clients who I’d only interacted with via the phone or email, and made contacts with a few potential future customers. I also attended the Awards Banquet for the first time this year (needed to borrow a tie), which was a lot of fun and it was great to see so many people’s hard work recognized.
My trip was a bit shorter than I like, so wasn’t able to explore Dallas at all, but I hear that those that did had a good time in the museums, shopping, and local sights. When in a new city, I will typically take the train or light rail from the airport if that’s available, but unfortunately the train system from the DFW airport doesn’t run on Sundays (hmm .. I guess people don’t travel on Sundays?).
One big announcement this year was that the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its newest Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) in December and, as STC announced in April, “Technical Writer” has its own chapter for the very first time. This is a huge boost to the profession of technical communicators, and is completely due to the efforts of the STC. For more information on this effort, check out the stc.org website. If you want to read the official document, you’ll find it here .. www.bls.gov/oco/ocos319.htm.