Reaching the Summit

By Kathryn Bender

Leading up to the STC Summit, I found myself getting nervous. It was my very first conference, and I didn’t know what to expect. No one else from my local chapter was going, so I worried about connecting with others at the conference. If you are an introvert like I am, I’m sure you can relate. I felt the same way the first time I went from being an STC member on paper to attending my first in-person meeting. It was a bit daunting at first, but I somehow left the session as the Southwestern Ontario Chapter’s newest Program Manager. Sometimes these things are just meant to be.

Leadership Day

Leadership Day was my first day at the conference and ended up being the same kind of experience as my first chapter event. I showed up and immediately had to start networking. Although this can be awkward, as I began meeting people I realized that a lot of the people I conversed with felt the same way about it that I did: instant bonding moment. A few people were kind enough to invite me to sit with them, and my day just kept getting better from there. I met some of the STC leaders and was finally able to connect real people with names and emails that STC members receive. I learned about a new initiative to re-popularize the International Summit Award competition and reinvigorate STC members to actively participate in the initiative. I was also able to connect with the society on a more intimate level by learning about all of the cool things that chapters, special interest groups (SIGs), and members are involved in and actively promoting. It was impossible not to leave Leadership Day feeling invigorated and ready to get involved. 

Keynote Speaker

After Leadership Day, the Summit officially opened with a keynote address from technical communicator, David Pogue. I had never heard of Mr. Pogue before his keynote address, but I will not forget him after his crazy antics and mad piano skills. 

David Pogue giving the keynote address

David Pogue got the ball rolling, and from there the Exhibit Hall opened where Summit attendees could mix and mingle with impressive exhibitors like Adobe, MadCap, and TechWhirl. There was also a Welcome Reception with more networking opportunities. There was another exciting social event (the TweetUp) after that, but exhaustion had kicked in by that point and I had to concede.

First Official Day of the Summit

Monday was the first official day of the STC Summit and, to kick it off right, I attended Hannah Morgan and Ben Woelk’s session, “Empowering the Introvert Within” (right up my alley). Suddenly, I had a game plan for using my introversion super-powers to become a good leader. Monday was also a big day because I was finally introduced to the famous Lightning Talks for which the Summit is known. Five minutes, 20 slides, 15 seconds per slide. No exceptions. As a presenter, these talks must be nerve-wracking, but as an attendee, they were pure entertainment. The ninja talk at the end was especially entertaining because the presenters had to talk to a slide deck that they had never seen before. Dave Roach and Alan Houser were extremely good sports.  

Dave Roach giving a ninja talk

To round out my sessions that day I learned about growing opportunities in content management and social media, strategic IA (Information Architect) careers, and professional development opportunities. I also attended my first SIG meeting. There are so many SIGs with which to get involved. Did you know that the Academic SIG has developed a mentorship program that just kicked off? It sounds really cool and I think that everyone who is passionate about technical communication should get involved. Check it out!

Later that day the STC leaders took care of business at the Annual Business Meeting, followed by some fun and music at the Communities Reception and 60th Anniversary Celebration Party. I was introduced to the STC’s musically-talented members of The Rough Drafts band and others who sang karaoke until their voices gave out.  
 

The Rough Drafts at the 60th anniversary celebration

This was probably my favourite part of evening. Even though I was there by myself, within no time, I was welcomed at a table of STC members who were some of the nicest people I met in Atlanta (Hello Houston chapter)! This is also the first time I heard a song about technical writers. It is set to the tune of The Beatles’ Paperback Writer, but it hits the nail on the head as far as the ups and downs of being a technical writer. 

Day Two of the Summit

The last full day of the conference was Tuesday and it was just as jam-packed with sessions and events as Monday. It was another full day of amazing and informative sessions where I learned about interactive documents, knowledge management, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), gamification, and using mentoring programs to collaborate with industry. Before attending this conference I had no idea how many cool new technical communication projects were in the works but, now that I know, I am pumped to incorporate games into my projects, work on a MOOC (the STC will be working on one soon), and getting involved in a mentorship program. Suddenly my ho-hum work schedule is looking fun and innovative, and I am passionate to create and experience new things.

Ghostly Experience

Speaking of trying new things, while some of the Summit attendees were at the Honours Banquet, I decided to try a new experience in Atlanta: The Ghost Walk. It sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? The first thing I learned on my tour was that my hotel was built on an “ancient Indian burial ground”. Apparently that term is not only used in the movies. Needless to say, a few in the group didn’t sleep very soundly that night. The tour was great. Liz, our tour guide was fantastic and told us some amazing stories about the history of Atlanta and some of its buildings.  

On the ghost walk

It ended up being great to see downtown Atlanta at night, because I was so busy during the day attending sessions. I didn’t really want to miss anything to see the sights. More experienced Summit attendees managed to do both, so I guess I’ll have to work on that next time.

The Last Day of the Summit

The last day of the Summit was a short one for me. I only had time for one session before I had to head to the airport for my flight home. Fortunately, I managed to see the second Lightning Talk session before I left and it was just as entertaining as the first one. When you attend the Summit in the future (notice I said when and not if), be sure to fit in at least one of these talks. It will be well worth your time.

After the Summit

Sadly, the STC Summit is now over. I am finally catching up on the sleep I didn’t have time for in Atlanta. Sleep deprivation aside, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Luckily, I can relive the amazing sessions on Slideshare, where most presentations are uploaded, or through Summit@aClick when the webinars become available. If you have never been to the Summit, or are a new or prospective STC member, I hope this post will light a fire in you to get involved. Before I sign off, I will leave you with these three pearls of wisdom:

• Come to a meeting – I know networking can seem daunting at first, but we have all been where you are now and will welcome you with open arms.
• Get involved – The time and effort you put into this organization comes back to you ten-fold from the people you meet, the experiences you have, and the amazing things you learn.
• Give back – The opportunities for technical communication will continue to grow as technology grows, but, if future STC members don’t know who we are or what we do, we won’t be able to pass the torch.

I hope to see you next year in Phoenix!