In my early years as a technical writer, there were a few STC events in Israel each year. I wanted to get involved, network, meet others in the industry. I volunteered to be editor of the STC newsletter (which required my joining STC). I taught myself FrameMaker and began producing the newsletter.
I stayed involved, helped with the programming and events. I was elected Secretary and then Vice-President and then, when a dear friend became ill, I took over as Acting President to complete David Marcus’ term. At one point, someone came over, disgusted with a suggestion that STC hold a conference in Eilat and then all go skip the sessions to play on the beach. It got me thinking. It was a great idea! My friend was shocked until I explained that what I loved was the conference idea, not the Eilat and skipping sessions part.
The second part to this first conference was that it was during the Intifada – and almost daily things were exploding. Companies scheduled speakers from abroad, who almost always canceled in fright at the thought of coming here. It was horribly depressing.
Thus the first STC conference was born. We billed it as a “from Israel, for Israel, in Israel, by Israel” affair and it was a stunning success because so many realized the simplest of truths. We all need these encounters, these days of enrichment. We all need a day with our peers, a day where we can step outside our current job description and remember that there is always more we can learn.
MEGAComm promises to be an amazing event because it takes this idea one step further. As technical writers, we are often asked to review marketing documentation (and sometimes even to write it). As marketing writers, we are often asked to speak to the technical writer or to review the user manual to help us understand the company’s technology better.
MEGAComm brings together two incredibly compatible and inter-related communities to share in a joint day of networking and growth. What is interesting to me is that I have been testing the program with different people.
“Which sessions would you attend?” I ask. This is important because I want to make the attendees suffer a little – having to choose between two or three really appealing sessions per time slot…but not to suffer too much.
I want everyone to have some session call out to them – for every time slot.
I want everyone to be so impressed, as they have for the last few years, that already by the end of the day, they are promising to come back next year for more. Last year, one company brought 18 people and put me on warning. The conference better be good, or they would not bring back entire departments again. Â By the end of the day, one of the managers came over to discuss what he wanted to present at this year’s event. And though that manager sadly has to travel abroad and thus miss the conference, he is sending his team again this year.
So, why should you attend MEGAComm – because there is no other event like this the entire year. Because it provides you with a unique opportunity to meet others, spend the day networking and finding out what others are doing, feeling, thinking, practicing. Because we are all enriched by spending a day learning new things, hearing about what is just around the bend.
And there is one more reason to come – and that is Israel itself. I am amazed, year after year, at the talent we have here in this country and the sophistication of our industries. This year, we are honored to have four guests flying in from abroad. This year, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, Danny Ayalon will come to address us.
This year, you should come to network, you should come to attend fantastic presentations by a wide variety of experts. This year, you should come because we have amazing sponsors and a special fun surprise. But most of all, I think, you should come to marvel at how far we have come as an industry, how much expertise we have to offer each other.
Hope to see all of you at the conference – don’t forget – February 20th, Kfar Maccabiah.
Registration details on the Techshoret site: www.techshoret.com.