Community Reception
Monday 6 May
6:00 to 7:00 PM (The community reception is held after the annual business meeting, which is scheduled from 5:00 to 6:00 PM but often runs into overtime.)

The community reception is essentially a long row of tables. People stop at any SIG tables of interest and chat a few minutes or longer
about what the SIG does, how it works, benefits, and so on. The Lone Writer SIG will have an updated promo sheet listing SIG activities and resources. The Lone Writer SIG will share a table with the Consulting and Independent Contracting SIG. We face many of the same issues and have a fair amount of crossover membership.

SIG Business Meeting
Tuesday 7 May
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Hanover AB Room

It’s a low-key meeting to talk about how the SIG is working, any issues, questions, and so on. Feel free to bring your lunch/drinks. Food is not provided.

Lone Writer SIG Off-Site Dinner (Optional, if we get enough volunteers)

We used to have an informal get-together at a local restaurant of interested SIG members, usually organized by local members of the SIG. Each person is responsible for their tab. No set agenda; just an evening out to get to know each other. We’ve found it works best if it’s a place that can handle groups of 15 to 20 people, isn’t overly loud so we can talk, and reasonably priced.

Honors Banquet

Note: This is a very formal affair: gowns and tuxedos are standard attire. You can certainly get by with a nice dress/business suit for women, coat and tie for men. Although the rest of the Summit is very informal (business casual), you will probably feel out of place at the banquet dressed business casual.

More information is available on the STC website.

Existing members that get new members to join the STC Tryout by 15 September are eligible to receive a free 2013 STC membership.

Summit@aClick is an online library of education sessions recorded at the summit. Audio and PowerPoint components are synchronized, so it’s as if you’re attending the session in person.

Summit@aClick will be available six to eight weeks after the event, but you can pre-order it now and get a special rate of $149 US for members or $249 US for non-members. (After 13 July, the price increases to $249 US for members and $499 US for non-members.)

For more information, see the STC website.

Sunday, 20 May

Summit Opening General Session: 5:30 to 7:00 PM

Please attend. Any changes to the by-laws are voted on at this meeting.

Welcome Reception: 7:00 to 8:30 PM

In past years, there have been several stations serving roast beef, turkey, etc., so you should be able to get a decent, free supper. Bars are cash only.

Monday, 21 May

Lone Writer SIG Meeting: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

London room (No food or refreshments; the cost was too high.)

This replaces the SIG breakfasts; they weren’t well attended and cost too much.

Communities Reception Tables: 6:30 to 8:00 PM

We’re looking for volunteers to staff the table. It’s light work; just greet people and answer questions about the SIG. In past years, there has been enough light fare to get an adequate, free supper. Bars are cash only.

Open Jam

Held after the Communities Reception. This event features attendees who are also musicians.

Tuesday, 22 May

Annual Banquet: 7:30 to 10:00 PM

Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets are $80 each. Advance seating reservations are required. (You must select a table where you want to sit during the banquet. Full tables for eight people may be reserved provided all eight banquet vouchers are presented at the time you make your table selection. Table selection must be made by 5:00 PM on Monday, 21 May.) Dress is from semi-formal to formal. Many attendees wear formal gowns/tuxedos. Wearing anything less than a nice professional outfit (women)/suit and tie (men) is likely to make you feel underdressed.

SIG Gathering

In past years, the SIG has had an informal gathering at a local restaurant/bar just to meet each other. It seems to work best if some of the locals find a convenient place, hopefully within walking distance. We’d like to continue this tradition. Any Chitown locals interested, please contact Ed Marshall.

Wednesday, 23 May

Closing Lunch

A casual buffet lunch ($10). You must purchase tickets by noon on Tuesday, 22 May.

Helpful Tips

• Wear comfortable shoes. Convention centers are often very spread out and sometimes a distance from the hotel. Dress is usually business casual.
• Consider bringing a light jacket/sweater. Convention centers sometimes crank the AC up to 15 (a musician’s joke).
• You may find it helpful to add events you want to attend to our Outlook calendar and print out a detailed view of the week to take with you.
• All the major tool, translation, etc., vendors will have booths there. Plan to make time to talk to them about problems you are having or ask for demos.
• Feel free to ask questions. Ed Marshall and others in the SIG are seasoned attendees of the STC Conferences (now Summits) and other pro cons.

Social Media Information

Follow the witter username @stc_summit or hashtag #stc12 for conference-related tweets (including announcements, deadlines, event information, and other news) leading up to the Summit.

For a list of Summit presenters and their Twitter IDs see http://summit.stc.org/networking/social-media/presenter-twitter-accounts. This is a new service this year that enables you to read and follow presenters via Twitter ahead of the conference to get an idea of what a particular presenter is like.

The Lone Writer SIG has a Twitter page: @LoneWriterSIG. Although it’s been inactive, this would be a good time to revive it to ask questions, make plans, etc.

From Rick Sapir (@ricksapir on Twitter): Get the #stc12 presenter tweets delivered to your favorite device with my #stcorg #mobile app:
http://t.co/dcoO7FK7.

• Develop your skills—and your career
• Raise your profile with management and colleagues
• Contribute to a corporate communication strategy
• Help your company to turn documentation from a cost center into assets

The first 100 people who register before 31 December 2011 are eligible for the really early bird rate ($795 US for members). To register or for more information, see the STC website.

The summits, which are the STC’s annual conferences, are the largest gathering of technical communicators in the world. The Lone Writer SIG has had a strong presence at the summits for several years. We will publish more information on SIG events at the 2012 summit closer to the event.