I'd Rather Be Writing » conferences

On Content Strategy and Identity

Tom Johnson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:00:36 +0000

A couple of months ago, I realized I would be playing a larger role in web publishing at my work, moving more towards a user awareness role. Realizing this direction, and knowing I had some budget, I decided I should attend Confab, the first conference on content strategy. It was sold out, but by a stroke of luck the organizer offered me one of thirteen tickets held in reserve.

I never wrote much about the Confab conference. In part I was too busy with a presentation and workshop I was preparing for the STC Summit, which was the following weekend. But like most conferences, Confab turned out to be interesting and thought-provoking. This conference brought together experts from many disciplines. I even ran into seven colleagues from my own organization who I didn’t even know were going to the conference.

Developers, interaction designers, writers, marketers, and project managers were all drawn to this conference because they were faced with content challenges they hadn’t encountered before. This conference was the only one that seemed to address the growing issue of content — the common factor behind everyone’s attendance.

Except for a few tech comm notables, there weren’t many other tech writers in attendance. With all the cross-sectioning of disciplines, though, at one point I wondered who I was professionally. I was more than a technical writer. I had taken on web and wiki publishing roles at work, and this only aligned more with my blogging/podcasting/wordpress consulting role outside of work. I didn’t quite know who I was or where I should be anymore.

Later, as I met many people, I also began to realize that marketers and communications people made up the majority of the attendees (at least of those I met). This made me wonder if content strategy had grown out of marketing and the need to address the scope, need, and importance of web content.

I also began to realize that many of the exchanges on my blog I’d had prior to the conference about what content strategy is and isn’t were foolish. From the breadth of the Confab presentations, content strategy encompassed nearly everything related to content. One person defined it as anything you do to give your content an edge. This could be a simple as focusing on story, or defining a particular style and workflow for copy (such as Groupon does), or leveraging metadata and the semantic web, or using strategies for content curation, or infusing web copy with the right tone (“messaging”).

After the conference, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all. But I found that I kept searching Twitter for the hashtag #contentstrategy. The articles and discussions around #contentstrategy seemed to be a relevant hashtag that aligned with my professional responsibilities. Publishing, metrics, styles, curation, workflow, messaging — all of this becomes relevant when you’re creating content on the web. And no previous title, such as writer or web manager or information architect, seems to address all the aspects of content that people who publish on the web must take into account.

The shifting of identities that I felt during the conference was the beginning of a larger tectonic shift as I move closer to #contentstrategy. I recognize that many tech comm professionals implement content strategy within technical communication, and certainly Rahel Bailie has been exceptional at defining this influence and perspective within technical communication. But it seems to me that content strategy for the web is an easier fit for this emerging discipline.

The Confab conference ended registration two months early when they hit their attendance limit. I’m guessing that next year, Confab will be an enormous convention, with so many speakers and attendees that it will take the initial momentum of last year and dwarf it in size.

I do not think I’m the only one checking #contentstrategy on a daily basis. Kristina Halverson, the conference organizer, noted that five years ago, you could search for content strategy and find nothing. Today, many new articles, links, and discussions about #contentstrategy saturate the web. Clearly, as I found, content strategy is a term that many are finding aligns with their identity.

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Post update: As soon as I published this, I just saw Waving not drowning: or how I gave in and learned to love the content strategy flood.

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Exactly How Much Does a Wordcamp Cost?

Tom Johnson — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:23:32 +0000

I had no idea it cost so much to run a Wordcamp conference. Apparently Wordcamp Dallas cost about $20k. Wow, I thought it would have been a tenth of that. As much as I enjoy them, I don’t think I’ll ever get involved in planning and running a conference.

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Speakers and fees: an insiders view | Speaker Confessions

Tom Johnson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:45:18 +0000

Speakers and fees: an insiders view | Speaker Confessions. In a world of online video and online interaction (whether from videocasts, podcasts, or webinars), why do people still go to conferences to watch speakers in person? This writer says there’s more energy in the room, which you can’t duplicate through virtual mediums. I’m not sure the energy in the room is a sufficient benefit, though. Conferences are often social events more than learning events.

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Social Networks and the TransAlpine Conference

Tom Johnson — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:19:38 +0000

Before I met my Jane 11 years ago, she spent about seven weeks traveling across Europe. It was a time she trying to answer some questions, and during some point in her walking and train-riding and city exploring, she found answers. She also fell in love with Europe—with the little narrow streets, the bustling plazas, the rich histories, the winding rivers, the chocolates and pastries. Ever since then, for the past 11 years she’s been telling me about Europe. So when the opportunity presented itself to go to Vienna and present at the TransAlpine conference, I accepted.

The TransAlpine Chapter (TAC) includes a number of countries across central Europe. Every year the chapter has a technical communication conference in some agreed-upon location–previously Slovenia, Zurich, and Berlin, this year Vienna. Technical writers come from all over Europe to attend it—from Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, France, England, Poland, Austria, and other countries. For three days, the group—previously spread out, isolated, and alone—is combined into one.

Because the flight alone takes a day, I wanted to make the most of my trip. So I arrived two days early. I learned to navigate the bahn (the subway system). I explored Shonbrunn Palace, Stadt Park, ate real pizza and plum pastries, attended a Mozart-Strauss concert, marveled inside St. Stephen’s 900 year-old cathedral, looked at the majestic architecture of the Hofsburg Palace and the Museum Quarters, got lost riding a city-rented bicycle, explored the Hall of Music, walked around the lively bustling District 1 streets and shops, watched outdoor opera on a giant screen, ate coconut ice cream from a gelatina, gazed up at the artistic Huntervasser house, and walked along the city edge of the Danube river.

The experience was, to say the least, visually and culturally stimulating. I can hardly believe the history everywhere. In the U.S., proud stores often advertise they’ve been in operation since the early 1900s. In Vienna, they advertise they’ve been operating since 1683. The architecture is also exquisite and ornate. Imagine the most stately architecture of a state capital building. Now imagine every building in the city (times 100) with the same architectural grandeur, only more palatial and from the 17th and 18th centuries.

But a travelogue of details is not my point here. I’m building up to something else, a hint at the importance of social networks. Everywhere I saw couples and groups enjoying the sights together. A group of tourists looking up at a historic building. A couple interpreting a map together. A group of teens wearing the same T-shirt to keep themselves together. Two lovers holding hands in the plaza. Senior citizens staring at the sides of cathedral walls. There’s something about being with another that makes all the difference. In contrast, traveling solo gets to be a bit isolating, even immersed in crowds.

The technical writers in the TransAlpine chapter are more or less isolated from other technical writers. In Austria and many other countries, the profession of technical writing is largely unrecognized. Almost no one knows what a technical writer is. In many situations, the only technical writers are those employed by U.S. companies with overseas locations—most notably, IBM. Although these technical writers have the camaraderie of their fellow engineers, a thriving hub of other technical writers within the same area is rare. This is why the Transalpine Conference is so important—and why it’s so powerful.

The TransAlpine Conference is an immersion in a social network. As the conference sessions started, I didn’t just shake a few people’s hands; I developed real friendships with over a dozen people. I hung out with Glen from Berlin, an outspoken Canadian expat who wasn’t afraid to say what he thought. I exchanged views with Stuart, a brilliant Englishman and web developer living in Paris. I talked at length with Dan, an engaging and conversational Pennsylvania-born expat living in Zurich. I shared views with Anna from Poland and learned about her DITA experiences and the Workbench. I chatted with Ellis Pratt and David Farbey, two Englishmen—one an ingenious marketer who started Cherryleaf, the other a fascinating historian who knew all the details of English kings going back at least a thousand years.

I talked with a group of writers from Slovenia. Another writer from Poland. Two writers from Munich, Germany. Another from Copenhagen, Denmark. Locals from Austria. And more.

You meet a lot of people at conferences, but the TransAlpine Conference takes it to another level. Lunch is not an hour where everyone goes their own way to find food. Lunch is another session in the conference. After the sessions end each day, you spend the evening with the same group, mostly enjoying a long meal. And sometimes you ride the ferris wheel at the Prater together.

I’ve never lived on “the Continent,” as they say about Europe. But I have lived overseas before—in Venezuela, Japan, and Cairo. I know the social dynamics that sometimes develop among expat communities. Your separation from family and home lead you to form strong friendships and close communities with those around you. Your social connections may be fewer, but they extend much deeper and are more meaningful.

The TransAlpine Conference helps facilitate the social networks that people need, especially for those writers living estranged from their homes, the expats and emigrants and foreigners living in new cities and lands, or for those solo native writers making a living at an unrecognized profession, who usually have almost no interaction with colleagues in their same field.

This is the tenth year that the TransAlpine chapter has been holding conferences. Vici Koster-Lenhardt, who works for Coca-Cola and has been in Vienna for 20+ years, is one of the main organizers who started the conference. The success of the TransAlpine chapter model, where more than 100 technical writers spread out across Europe can still be part of a tight-knit community, is a model that the STC has studied for possible implementation in other areas. Vici actually became an STC Fellow this year, not only for her 25 years of active engagement in the profession, but also for her pioneering of the TransAlpine model.

During the three day conference, I gave several presentations. I gave a workshop on WordPress, a presentation on blogging, podcasting, and screencasting, another presentation on quick reference guides, and I participated on a trends panel. I have grown to enjoy presenting more and more. I like the engagement in the conversation and the freedom to move in a direction I find interesting. I also enjoy defining the pace and fielding the questions. Every session went well, but I particularly liked the one on blogging. (I also recorded it and will be posting it soon.)

In the U.S., a three hour drive hardly gets you out of the same state. But a three hour drive from Slovenia actually gets you over the border to Vienna. Since the countries are so close together, the people are often more mixed. It’s easy to find people from all over, from Poland and Switzerland and Italy and Germany, all in the same room. Each of these countries has a unique culture and language that provides fascinating topics for conversation. It was these lengthy conversations that I’ll remember most from the conference.

Near the end of my trip, I walked along the Danube into non-touristy areas, listening to my iPod as I walked. Unlike Jane, my going to Europe didn’t involve much soul-searching. But I did find myself thinking about the social ties that bind us together, and how even the most interesting places in Vienna suddenly lose appeal without another, without friends and colleagues to exchange ideas and perspectives and conversation. Do you ever wonder what life is about? It’s about the people you share it with.

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The Content Wrangler

Tom Johnson — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:22:19 +0000

The End of Doc Train Conferences: The Content Wrangler.

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4J's Group – THE CONTENT POOL: 2009 Conferences – Never mind the quantity, experience the quality.

Tom Johnson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:17:09 +0000

2009 Conferences – Never mind the quantity, experience the quality..

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Twitter Hashtags and Virtual Gatherings

Tom Johnson — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:58:49 +0000

I occasionally write for LDS Tech, a blog/forum site for the LDS Church’s IT department, where I work. My latest article is titled “Twitter and LDS General Conference.” Here’s an excerpt:

When participants add hashtags to their tweets, such as #ldsconf, Twitter enables a community of people to gather virtually during an event. Through the hashtag, you can connect to a community of all other twitterers adding the same hashtags in their tweets, regardless of whether you’re following them or whether they’re following you.

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Highlights from Doctrain East 2008 — Simplifying Complexity

Tom Johnson — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:41:56 +0000

Highlights from Doctrain East 2008 — Simplifying Complexity

Interview with Scott Abel, Conference Organizer Extraordinaire | I'd Rather Be Writing – Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:44:53 +0000

Interview with Scott Abel, Conference Organizer Extraordinaire | I’d Rather Be Writing – Tom Johnson.

Interview with Scott Abel, Conference Organizer Extraordinaire

Tom Johnson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:15:50 +0000

Scott Abel, conference organizer extraordinairre

Last week I caught up with Scott Abel, a well-known content management guru, for an interview. As you probably know, Scott has been actively organizing conferences all over the United States for the past couple of years — and he’s had tremendous success doing it. I wanted to know the story behind Scott’s move into conference organization and why he’s been so successful with it.

You seem to have transformed into a conference organizer. Why? What’s the story behind that?

Well, I have become — quite by accident — a conference organizer. I stumbled into it, actually. It all started a few years ago after I took on the role of running the annual Documentation and Training (aka DocTrain) conference. Since then, I expanded DocTrain into an annual series of conferences — an East and West coast show in the US (and sometimes Canada), and a life sciences focused event held in Indianapolis each June.

Although I still work on a variety of content projects (writing and consulting), the majority of my time the past two years have been dedicated to creating a repeatable process (supported by software) for running conferences. I try to practice what we preach, so to speak, by using the same principles we discuss in our industry (content reuse, related content, XML, syndication) in creating the conference websites and print materials. And, I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I’ve helped eliminate about 75% of the manual tasks most conference organizers struggle with.

What was the first conference you organized? Why did you decide to organize it?

The first event I helped to organize took place 20 years ago. The Journalism School at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis started a new organization known as the National Institute for Computer Assisted Reporting (now part of Investigative Reporters and Editors). I helped plan and implement the event, a multi-day conference designed to help journalists understand how to use computer databases and statistical analysis software in investigative reports. I think they chose me to work on the event because I had significant food and beverage experience and knew the hotel industry.

How many conferences is too many?

Today I run half a dozen conferences annually, and assist four others with marketing and outreach. I think there’s certainly a limit to the number of conferences someone like me can handle. However, with a little help from computer software and some smart planning, I’m able to manage more events than most folks would dare tackle.

Which is the most popular conference? Why?

The most popular conferences are our Web Content Conference series that I produce in conjunction with the folks at Chicago-based Duo Consulting. I think it’s the most popular event series because it has a very wide potential audience. After all, it’s not the Illinois web, it’s the world wide web. And, every organization likely needs some type of assistance creating, managing and delivering web content.

Attendees come from organizations small and large, and from every industry, including education and government. Typically, attendees of Web Content conferences are either marketing professionals, content creators and/or managers, online community managers, and information technologists. We offer tracks designed for business and marketing pros and a separate track for technologists.

What’s the average attendance of each conference?

200 is about average. Some of my events reach 250 or more. Some smaller ones only attract 150 or so attendees.

Do you still do content management, or just conferences?

Well, I “do” content management every day. I manage a global network of content professionals — The Content Wrangler Community — as well as my blog, TheContentWrangler.com. Both of these sites are content heavy and require daily maintenance and updating.

Each of the conference websites are run on a micro-CMS called Expression Engine. But, I think what you’re really asking is if I still work as a content strategist and the answer is yes. I’m both on retainer with a few firms that have special projects on which I contribute my expertise and I work on a billable hour basis writing web content for several popular software products. I also write white papers and marketing materials for several clients with whom I’ve worked for the last decade or so.

What’s your favorite place to travel? What makes it your favorite?

Traveling is my favorite part of my role as a conference organizer. When I’m planning a conference, I get to travel to new and exciting places to evaluate hotels and resorts, and to explore the area around the potential venue. My favorite places are usually warm climates with lots of outdoor activities. Recently, I’ve fell in love with Palm Springs, CA. In fact, I’m moving there later this year.

How can participants get the most from a conference?

First, conference participants should have a clear idea what they intend to get from the event BEFORE they arrive. It shocks me how many people arrive at the event and have no recollection which sessions they’ve signed up for.

Second, attendees should step out of their comfort zone and meet as many new people as possible. You can find folks who are trying to solve similar challenges at conferences and those folks are often willing to share what they’ve learned if you do the same. Also, avoid multi-tasking during conference presentations. Checking email or surfing the web during a session makes it difficult to pay attention.

Tell me a story about a nightmare conference experience (in scheduling, speakers, etc.)?

I don’t usually have these types of experiences. Although, I have had presenters cancel on me at the last minute due to illness or travel snafus. Those things can’t be avoided, so they’re not so bad.

I did have one of my presenters, Jeff Deck of the Typo Eradication Advancement League, cancel because a federal court judge ordered him not to discuss his topic for one year (part of a plea bargain Teal agreed to after being charged with defacing a public monument). I was able to find a suitable replacement. And I’ve invited him back to present in 2009 when he can tell his new (and more interesting story) about his experience running afoul of the law.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself living in Southern California and preparing for my future job as Mayor of Palm Springs. Okay, I’m not sure I want to be mayor just yet, but I’m not marking it off the list. I also see myself as an online community leader. I’m very excited by the power of social media and am starting a new project in which I’ll lead a community of conference organizers. I hope to grow The Content Wrangler Community and explore the possibilities leading such a community present.

That said, I also see myself taking some time off to focus on my life dream — becoming a music producer. I plan to work on several remix projects in hopes that one of my tracks might make it to the top of the Billboard dance charts.

Upcoming Conferences

Check out one of the upcoming conferences Scott is organizing.

Documentation and Training East
Oct 29-Nov 1, 2008, Burlington, MA
http://www.doctrain.com

Intelligent Content 2009
Jan 29-30, 2009 Palm Springs, CA
http://www.intelligentcontent2009.com

Web Content Tampa Bay
February 17-18, 2009, Clearwater, FL
http://www.webcontentconferences.com

Documentation and Training West 2009
March 17-20, 2009 Palm Springs, CA
http://www.doctrain.com/west/2009

Documentation and Training Life Sciences
June 3-5, 2009, Indianapolis, IN
http://www.doctrain.com

Web Content Chicago
June 15-16, 2009, Chicago, IL
http://www.webcontentconferences.com

You can reach Scott at scottabel@mac.com. You can also view his blog, The Content Wrangler, or visit The Content Wrangler Community.