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>1. Do you (the average List member) go to conferences regularly?
Last year's STC conference in Chicago was my first.
>2. Do you only go if your company foots the bill?
I'm the only STC member in my department, and I pay for my own membership.
The company covered hotel and conference registration costs.
I live about three hours from Chicago, so transportation costs weren't too
bad. I took the bus.
>3. Is it a tough sell to get your company to give you A) the time off and
B) the money (if applicable)?
No problem getting the time off. We have to set 5 performance goals and 3
development goals a year, and I worked attending the conference into one of
them.
>4. Do you go for your interest in specific topics? Or for the networking
>opportunity? (This answer might be best given in a proportion/percentage)
I'd say 70% topic/30 networking.
>5. Are the topics well-chosen?
In some sessions, I struggled to find a topic that interested me or was
applicable to my job. In other sessions, I had to pick from about five.
>6. Are there major and obvious gaps, where subjects that should be
>addressed are glaringly absent?
There were topics for free-lance writers, topics for Scientific
communication, and many topic related to software-type documentation. What
about a few topics geared more toward those of in a manufacturing
environment. Or are we too small a niche?
>7. Are the topics explored to the correct depth, given time constraints,
>audience demographics, etc.?
Some of the topics were very well done. A few sessions were worthless.
>8. Overall, do you find such conferences worthwhile?
Over half of the sessions I attended were great, and I got to meet a lot of
nice people. So...yes.
>And a final, more brass-tacks question, applicable if your company pays
>your expenses:
9. Would you spend your own money to attend?
Maybe. Not this year though, I'm in money-hoarding mode as I may not have a
job after August.
-Amanda Lutey
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