Category Archives: TC

TC, Technical Communication

STC 2012 Summit Experience

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Roger at Cloud Gate

Roger at Cloud Gate (scroll down for more photos)

I had a wonderful time at the STC 2012 Summit in Chicago. This year was extremely fun. Looking back at my pre-Summit blog post, I believe I successfully accomplished my four original goals: network, learn new trends, take and copious notes, and enjoy the city.

Goal: Network, Network, Network

Result: Success

I networked a lot. I love to meet other technical communicators throughout the conference. There were a lot of familiar faces, and there were plenty of new faces, as well. It was a pleasure meeting and greeting various folks throughout the Summit, and I genuinely hope that these connections last throughout the year until my next conference—whether it is LavaCon 2012 or the 2013 STC Summit.

Goal: Learn New Trends

Result: Success

The educational sessions and leadership meetings were extremely beneficial. I know that I am still learning and will always continue to learn. This mantra will serve me well for future endeavors, because I strive to seek new knowledge at every opportunity.

To sum up what I took away from the conference, I learned how to

  • improve my online professional presence,
  • spruce up websites with web-friendly fonts,
  • leverage my professional network for future employment opportunities,
  • maintain a professional portfolio, and
  • craft an action plan for reviving my local STC Chapter.

I learned other things as well, but I will discuss them in detail in a subsequent blog entry after I’ve had a chance to review my notes.

Goal: Take Notes

Result: Not yet determined

I took plenty of notes, but I’m not ready to share my opinion whether it was successful. These notes will be a valuable resource when I decipher my shorthand and scribbles. I also took notes on my computer, and I’m ready to write some responses to the seminars and what I learned from them.

Goal: Enjoy the City

Result: Hugely successful

Sears Tower

Sears Tower

This goal was absolutely fulfilled. Check out the photos of my adventures in Chicago. During previous conferences, I spent plenty of time at the educational sessions. Like any good conference-going individual, I wanted to get the most out of the conference because it is a valuable experience. But this the balance between enjoying this mini-vacation and attending sessions at a professional level was excellent.

Chicago at Sunset

Chicago at Sunset

Note: I paid for this entire trip myself, including conference fees, airfare, accommodations, and food. I also took annual leave from my current position to attend this summit. My goal for next year is to convince my supervisor to allow the company to fund a Summit trip or any conference trip. I will explain the value of attending professional development seminars.

Deep Dish Pizza at Lou Malnati's

Deep Dish Pizza at Lou Malnati's

While visiting Chicago, I saw the best attractions: Sears Tower, Buckingham Fountain, Cloud Gate, Navy Pier, and Wrigley Field. I also enjoyed eating authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza, saw Frank Lloyd Wright’s house, and rode the “L” train through various suburbs.

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Despite the fears of the NATO Summit, I felt extremely safe throughout the entire visit in Chicago. Keep in mind that Chicago is a huge city, and what happens downtown may not affect suburbs. I am thankful that I avoided the protests and was able to enjoy visiting popular attractions without issues.

Last Thoughts

In conclusion, I had a great time at the Summit and am planning my next conference. I have been encouraged to attend the LavaCon Conference in Portland later this year. I will make my best effort to attend.  Some of my colleagues are planning for the 2013 STC Summit, which will be in Atlanta. I plan to attend that Summit because it is the 60th Anniversary of the Society for Technical Communication, and I am on a committee to assist with the celebrations.

If you wish to stay in contact with me, please leave a message on this entry or message me via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google+. I wish I could have spent more time with colleagues, but I intend to stay in touch with everyone I met this year. I hope you enjoyed the conference as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you next year!

I will post more about the Summit later this week and next.

Quick Guide to Navigating STC 2012 Summit

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After attending four STC Conferences, I provide here some hints to maximize your conference experience. Enjoy!

Technology

 

Sessions

  • Spend 20-30 minutes planning which sessions you will attend.
  • Select primary and secondary sessions for each hour, some session material may be available online at the Conference Website
  • Determine within the first 5-10 minutes if a session excites you; if not, go to your secondary session.
  • Ask questions at the end of the session.
  • Complete post-session speaker evaluation(s).

 

Networking

  • Spend about $30 for business cards from VistaPrint if you have none.
  • Hand out business cards to anyone you meet.
  • Write a note on the back of each person’s business card to remind you how you met them.
  • Bring paper and electronic copies of your resume. This may result in a job opportunity after the conference.

 

Break Times

  • Offer and/or accept invitations to dine with attendees. We don’t bite.
  • Visit the vendor floor, STC Central, and the bookstore
  • Attend evening events with attendees.
  • Share your professional experiences.

 

After the Conference

  • Continue networking via Twitter, LinkedIn, and e-mail.
  • Look for an e-mail during the summer announcing when Conference@Click is available.
  • Read the conference proceedings.
  • Plan for next year, and convince your company to pay for it!
  • Look for a for Call for Speakers via e-mail; maybe you can present next year.
  • Keep up with current trends—check STC Notebook, TechWhirl, and TechComm.

 

It’s your conference experience; make the most of it!

If you want to hang out during the conference, find me by Direct Messaging me on Twitter: @RogerRenteria.

Four Goals for Chicago STC 2012 Summit

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Flying Out

Flying Out

Hi everyone, I’m currently updating from nearly 40,000 ft and going nearly 570 mph. I have to say that technology is awesome! I was going to post this update last night, but everything caught up with me that I had to do it while in the air. This will be my fifth STC Summit Conference and certainly not my last. I continue to attend these conferences to seek new knowledge, meet awesome colleagues, and enjoy the conference cities.

This year I’m setting some goals I want to accomplish. I have a couple of hidden goals which I will share after this conference.

Below are my four goals for this conference:

Network more and more.

It never hurts to network more while at conferences. I think that is what is most valuable during the conference. From the first STC Summit I attended in Philadelphia in 2008 to the fourth one in Sacramento in 2011, I continue to meet new and awesome technical communicators along the way. I should include LavaCon 2011, which I networked very well. It also gave me a writing gig at TechWhirl.

Learn new trends in the field

What I love about attending conferences is that there is an unlimited treasure trove of knowledge in the field of technical communication. Whether it is a new way of doing business, a workshop, or a new technology, our field is always changing. From the beginning when I started technical communication as a freshman in college in 2004, I had no idea this field changes quickly. The academics are not fully catching up with the latest and greatest trends, but I hope that can change soon.

Take notes and use them

This time I’m going to take notes and post draft summaries. Some of my notes may make their way to TechWhirl in a form of an article. I think will enjoy learning as much as I did by writing about some of the sessions I attended. I really enjoyed taking notes and reporting about them. Perhaps this time I won’t be so afraid to post something I feel passionate about.

Enjoy the City

The issue I had the last few Summits I attended was that I focused too much on the sessions instead of the city. Perhaps because I was extremely interested in every topic that I wanted to get as much as I could out of the conference that I didn’t appreciate visiting the city. Also I played a major role in planning Summit trips when I was with my college. In fact, I am making it my personal effort to enjoy Chicago. This is why I’m heading out today, Friday, to enjoy some of the attractions and then enjoy the conference.

 

My Backpack

My Backpack

If you are interested in meeting me, follow me on Twitter @RogerRenteria and talk to me.

Also please visit my social networking profiles too

LinkedIn
Google+
Facebook

 

In any regard, find me around the conference, I carry a burnt orange Jansport backpack much like this one. I’m cheerful, knowledgeable, and you should find that I’m quite the social professional.