Archive for February 12th, 2007

Directions: Current & Future Trends in Business Communication

Workshops - Friday, March 16
Conference - Saturday, March 17

Dear STC members,

The STC-Philadelphia Metro Chapter Annual Conference & Workshops will take place on March 16 (the two workshops) and March 17 (the conference). Having attended the conference in 2005, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity for learning, networking, and fellowship.

The Philly chapter puts together a great event! Two years ago I saw Jean-luc Doumont give a brilliant keynote presentation on effective page layout. If you’ve ever left an event feeling full of energy and eager to change the way you work, you know how I felt hearing Jean-luc speak.

The keynotes for this year’s Philly conference promise just as much excitement. The dynamic Dr. Robert Glushko of the University of California at Berkeley will discuss Document Engineering: the synthesis of information analysis, system analysis, business process analysis, electronic publishing, and other studies that promise to revolutionize the way we work.

Stephanie Morgan will present the closing keynote, “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword: Using Your Writing Skills for the Greater Good.” Around the office we’re fond of saying that technical communicators have the power to change the world, and Stephanie’s keynote will undoubtedly confirm our beliefs. Stephanie will focus on the experiences that gave her a renewed appreciation of the gift of communication, and how we can use our gifts to make a difference.

Of course, there’s more to a conference than keynotes. I was blown away by the 2005 presentation sessions; this year’s topics include collaborative editing, creating visual training, management, CMS, and information typing. You can visit www.stcpmc.org and select STC-PMC Conference to see details about the sessions, the speakers, and the workshops.

Finally, much of the value of a conference lies in meeting new peers and informal discussions over coffee or lunch. The Philadelphia Metro chapter has an energetic, exciting community of technical communicators. I found my time at their conference extraordinarily valuable. I think you will, too!

Sincerely,

Maurice Martin
Society for Technical Communication
Director of Communication