atw: An unusual conference model

Here is an interesting idea for running a technical writers conference, I
call it the Constant Workshop approach. Hopefully the numbers of attendees
will rise and we can support the bigger room for this full model.

Attendees tick all the workshops they are interested in attending before
going. As they will be taking their worst nightmares and getting them
solved, imagine how enthusiastic employers will be about attendance! They
are getting an expert to work on their documentation problems AND their
staff gets training in solving their own problems. All of a sudden there is
a tangible AND IMMEDIATE benefit.

Organisers can instantly see where this years problems lie and can organise
more experts for more detailed workshops in any popular area of interest,
whilst still providing a broad range of solutions.

Four experts sit in the four corners of the room with a personal workstation
and two large monitors, and a couple of student workstations. All of these
are networked and the presenters have remote access running in separate
windows for each workstation. Students load their problems, presenters
discuss and fix the document whilst the students watch on or apply the same
principles on their own. Attendees are provided with a personal schedule to
try and keep to, and presenters stamp the schedule when they are finished.

Here is a small list of workshops you can easily supply just from inside the
ASTC membership:

Forms design
Forms automation
Document automation
Basic grammar
Advanced grammar
Information Mapping
Intranet design
Technical illustrations
Graphics design
Electronic publishing and distribution strategies
Document repurposing

If people then also list the tools / file formats they will be bringing, you
can deliver even more closely targeted workshops.




Steve Hudson

Word Heretic, Sydney, Australia 
Tricky stuff with Word or words for you.
www.wordheretic.com
ABN: 86 453 419 554   
"Qualified Good Tech Writer Dude"
Fellowship of the Ring of Technical Writers, Yeah Baby!
Without prejudice

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