Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
September/October 2004| Home

Confessions of an STC Conference Groupie

by Judy Herr
STC Associate Fellow

Confession: I am an STC Conference groupie—it may be an addiction. At my first STC conference, I conscientiously attended every session. I wanted to learn the jargon, master the latest tools, and be socialized into the profession—quick! After all, I was headed in my fourth career direction. At this first conference, I figured out that I had always been a technical communicator and just didn't know it—director of training, professional fund-raiser for a non-profit, public health educator, organizational development specialist/mass media coordinator. And I relish being surrounded by all those interesting communicators working in diverse disciplines and industries, all able to read, interpret, design, write—and yes, spell. And the really good news is that we are attracting members from other countries, and celebrating the opportunity to interact and network with our colleagues from around the world.

Commentary

The 2004 STC Conference theme, Navigating the Future of Technical Communication, was right on this year. As an organization, as individual technical communicators, and as loyal members of STC chapters back home, we came looking for hints and direction as the profession changes. We found many fervent STC leaders working on the transformation of STC; energy-charged discussions among attendees about the state of the profession; and relevant and challenging sessions that included intense, sometimes emotional dialogue.

Logistically, the Conference in Baltimore was highly successful. Buffy Marie Bennett, STC’s staff director of special projects, reports there were 1,612 attendees (including around 200 members of the SIGs), 219 sessions, and 370 presenters for the leadership day, conference, and workshops. Bennett says, “This year’s conference went very smoothly. The Baltimore convention center was a fantastic location—everything was close together and it was easy to navigate.”

Among the many meetings, sessions, and workshops that I attended were:

• Leadership Day 2004 Forum and workshops that focused on the transformation STC is undergoing to meet the needs of members as the profession evolves. For a summary of transformation thinking, see the Transformation conference newsletter and other STC updates.
• Special Interest Group (SIG) Managers' Meeting. High-energy discussion revolved around how SIG managers can interact with STC chapters, lead virtual communities of practice, and facilitate active participation and support. We talked about everything from tools for effective virtual meetings to finances; about mentoring long distance, listserves, blogs, member outreach, and newsletters. We shared ideas for offering programs on our subject matter to regional meetings and local chapters. We discussed strategies ranging from supporting local SIGs to facilitating communication globally for all SIG members.
• Panel Session: “Lessons Learned from Offshore Outsourcing.” Several sessions at the conference focused on offshoring and outsourcing. I was invited to participate on a panel moderated by Brenda Huettner with John Garison, Victoria Koster-Lenhardt, and Fred Sampson. Members of the panel brought varied experiences and perspectives to the dialogue, including a panelist who has lived and worked in Austria for several years, an STC chapter leader, and a manager who is responsible for the efforts of a large group of technical communicators in Asia. The discussion that one often hopes will occur in a panel session actually happened! The diverse experience of the audience and the high level of interest in the topic fueled the energetic discussion. Speakers from the audience included managers of writing groups in India and the Philippines, an STC member who manages a company in India that offers technical communication services, and a manager of a large U.S. writing team that may soon be faced with reducing her staff. The dialogue was exceptional, sometimes emotional, and helpful. Maybe no conclusions, but we came closer to understanding.

As a technical communicator, I understand the frustration of some of my colleagues, particularly in areas where the information technology–related industry was the principal employer and now folks find themselves looking for work. Since I lived abroad for six years (three in Malaysia; three in Belgium), I understand the value of providing opportunities to my U.S. colleagues to work outside the U.S.—value for colleagues, corporations, and their companies. I understand the terrible frustration of blue-collar workers here in the U.S. who remained loyal to their companies throughout their working lives, but feel their companies are not reciprocating that loyalty. But I believe that the upheavals in the economy and the advantages accrued from high-tech tools may ultimately mean a better standard of life globally. And I even accept that international corporations are struggling to find solutions to business problems.

I’m hoping that many of our chapter’s members are already planning to attend the next annual conference in May 2005. It will be in Seattle, just up the road—and we will have more opportunities to learn, network, and transform into enthusiastic, interested technical communicators.

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