Events

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the STC Summit (Time: 6 - 8:00 p.m.; Speaker: Alan Houser, Owner, Group Wellesley, and Program Advisory Committee Chair, 2009 STC Summit
Location: NRECA Conference Center Directions to the event.) How does an event like the STC Summit that draws more than 1,000 members of our profession come about? What is the planning process? More importantly, how can you participate more fully in the Summit? If you want to be a Summit presenter, how can you submit a proposal, and how can you increase your chances of having your proposal accepted? If you decide to attend the Summit, how can you maximize the value of your experience? We will look back at the 2009 Atlanta Summit and discuss details of the 2010 Dallas Summit, whose planning is already well underway. Please come to share your ideas for the next and upcoming STC Summits! Cost is $5 for members and $15 for nonmembers. A pizza dinner will be served.

Nothing scheduled.

STC WDCB Open House 2009. (Time: 6 - 8:30 p.m.; Speakers: STC WDCB Administrative Council members and volunteers
Location: Teaism Penn Quarter, 400 8th Street, Washington, DC 20004-2105 Map to the event.) Join us at our annual Open House! This year, our Open House also serves as our annual meeting. We will recognize past officers and volunteers, introduce our new officers, and update you on our status as well as that of the Society for Technical Communication, our parent organization. Our chapter is still going strong with over 400 members. There are many opportunities for you to get involved, build your network, and increase your net worth. Our committee managers will be on hand at this event to let you know what they are planning for this year and what might be a good fit for your interest and availability. Cost is $15 for volunteers and full-time students, $20 for members, and $30 for nonmembers. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Zen and the Art of Negotiation. (Time: 6 - 9:00 p.m.; Speaker: Phil Marcus, The Negotiation Pro; Location:Capitol College
Telecommunications Hall
Room 244
11301 Springfield Rd
Laurel, Maryland  20708) Cost is $10 cash for IEEE or STC members and $15 for guests and includes dinner. .Sponsored by the IEEE Professional Communication Society, the IEEE Technical Management Council, and the Society for Technical Communication (Washington/Northern Virginia/Baltimore Chapters). Register at the IEEE site: https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/1017

SDL Round Table Event: Best Practices & Localization Networking Event. (Time: 12 - 3:00 p.m.; Speakers: Panelist discussion) SDL and the Washington, DC - Baltimore Chapter invite you to attend our localization networking event in Washington, DC. It will include a panelist discussion and knowledge exchange addressing challenges in globalization and localization. Take this opportunity to network with other companies facing similar challenges in reaching a global market and learn strategies and best practices. You will be able to discuss common pitfalls and solutions, as well as, learn useful resources and practical advice from industry experts.

Accessibility Camp DC. (Time: 10 - 5:00 p.m.; Speakers: Panelist discussion; Location: Martin Luther King Library in Washington, DC) The STC Washington, DC - Metro Baltimore Chapter is proud to be one of the sponsors of Accessibility Camp DC. Accessibility Camp DC is a free event. Check-in will begin at 9:30 AM once the library opens.

Metro Baltimore STC 2009 Networking Event. (Time: 6 - 9:00 p.m.; Speakers: None
Location: Dave & Buster's at Arundel Mills Mall. Price: $20 for MBSTC members, $23 for non-members and walk-ins.) Meet us at Dave and Buster's for a lively evening of hors d'oeuvres, games, and networking. We will begin our evening in the Midway Party Room with Dave and Buster's fabulous Signature Starters Appetizer Buffet (see below). Each attendee will also receive a $10 power play card to use out in the games area on a wide variety of games. At 7:30, we will re-group for an interactive networking discussion. At the end of the evening, we will award door prizes. Be sure to mark your calendars for this popular event! Appetizer Buffet Menu:
• Chicken Goldfingers served with chipotle-honey sauce
• Tortilla Chips with queso and fire roasted salsa
• Fresh Vegetable platter
• Four Cheese Pizza bites with basil pesto
• Mini Cheeseburgers on Hawaiian rolls
• Assorted Cheese & Crackers
• Unlimited soft drinks, tea, and coffee NO RSVP is required! Bring your resume and business cards.

Law and Order: STC WDC. (Time: 5 - 8:00 p.m.; Speaker: Lili Fox Vélez, Ph.D.
Location: National Museum of Crime and Punishment. Price: $10 for STC members, $30 for nonmembers, $5 for Chapter Officer, Committee Manager, Volunteers, or Full-Time Student.) Come out to the National Museum of Crime and Punishment to network with fellow technical communicators, learn some tips about ghostwriting, and peek inside DC's newest museum and headquarters for FOX TV's hit series, America's Most Wanted.

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Designing Accessible Documents for Everyone. (Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; Speakers: Carolyn Kelley Klinger and Dona Patrick
Location: Rockville Regional Library) All document designers have the opportunity to increase the readership of their documents, even if they aren't compelled to do so by law. Adding alternate text, adding basic structure to your documents, and setting simple options provided by authoring tools are things we all can do to improve the accessibility of our documents. By the end of this mini-workshop you will have begun to understand how to set up your source documents in Microsoft Word or Adobe FrameMaker to support accessibility, create an accessible PDF using either tool, check for accessibility in Adobe Acrobat, and fix accessibility problems in your PDF.

Webinar: The ISO Standard for Software User Documentation. (Time: 7-8:30 p.m.; Speakers: Annette Reilly and George Hayhoe
Location: On your computer and phone) For the first time, international standards from the International Standards Organization (ISO) provide unified requirements for those who design, develop, review, or test user documentation. These standards, largely developed by STC members, give a common framework for the structure, content, and format of user documentation in any media. Learn how you can effectively apply user documentation standards in both large and small organizations. This webinar is presented by the co-editors of ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Systems and software engineering—Requirements for designers and developers of user documentation.

Competition Awards Celebration and Seminar about "Engaging Your Target Audience Using Social Media" (Time: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Seminar Leader: "Blogger Bob" Burns, blog.tsa.gov/
Location: Washington Marriott at Metro Center, Washington, DC. Map and directions to the event.) Full details are posted on the blog. Download the flyer.

"Top 5 Things That Help My Career: A Technical Communicator Panel Discussion" (Time: Tuesday, 20 April 2010 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.; Panel Speakers: Merry Bruns, Shonali Burke, Sara Elisabeth Burson, Ginny Redish, Mary Wise
Location: Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston, Arlington, VA Map and directions to the event.) Local luminaries in technical communication, usability, and social media will share how they stay successful! Each speaker will spend 10 minutes describing the top five things that contribute to their career success.

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