During each one-hour session of lightning talks, about 9 speakers will each present a five minute topic of interest to technical communicators. Each speaker has prepared 20 slides, and during each presentation the slides will automatically be displayed for 15 seconds each. The timing is enforced, which can test the presenter’s skills and lead to some fun and entertainment.

You can expect to see presentations that are insightful, thought provoking, humorous, and possibly controversial. The audience is often cheering for the presenter as they briefly explore the topic being presented. This year could also see the return of the Ninja talk, which debuted at the 2012 Summit. The Ninja talk uses the same format as the lightning talk, except the presenter has never seen the slides, which were created by someone other than the presenter.

The lightning talk sessions are often scheduled for Monday and Wednesday mornings during the Summit, and a Ninja talk could end each lightning talk session with some laughs. The list of lightning talks for Atlanta is below. Want to see a sample from last year? Click here.

• What’s in a Nametag
• To Serif or Not to Serif
• Changing the World
• Management Munchies: Nibbles of Leadership Advice
• The Hairball of Content
• Motivational Editing
• 101 Reasons We Love Tech Comm
• Oh, the Crap I’ve Seen
• Inspiration Redux: Move in the Right Direction
• Marketing Copy Is Dead
• The Mars Science Laboratory Tweetup fFrom Close Up
• Quality Recordings: Quick and Clean

On your drive to or from the Summit, schedule some time to stop at Amicalola Falls and enjoy the natural beauty of the North Georgia mountains. Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge is about 70 miles north of Atlanta and the Summit location. You can appreciate the region’s tallest cascading waterfall (at 729 feet) from an accessible path or by climbing a steep set of staircases. The 829-acre park has several other trails, including an 8.5-mile approach trail that connects to the Appalachian Trail.

If you have time, stay for the night in the 56-room lodge or at one of the cottages or campsites. If you feel up to it, you can stay at the Hike Inn, listed on National Geographic Traveler‘s “Stay List.” As the name implies, the only way to get there is to hike in on a five-mile trail. Wherever you stay, enjoy a meal at the lodge restaurant overlooking the valley and mountains on the other side.

Click the links for more information about Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge or about the Hike Inn.

The 2013 Technical Communication Summit provides many opportunities for attendees to do more than listen. The progression format allows attendees to participate in a facilitated discussion and share their ideas and approaches about a topic.  Each progression session offers 6-10 simultaneous discussion topics.  Each speaker presents their brief topic to a table of attendees and then leads a discussion about that topic for about 18 minutes total.  Then, attendees have a few minutes to select another discussion topic table.  Within the one-hour session, speakers present their topic three times and attendees can select three topics to attend.  Since these sessions are interactive, they are not recorded as part of SUMMIT@aClick.  The 2013 Summit will offer the following progression sessions.

Writing and Editing

Several speakers, including Dawnell Claessen, Meredith Kinder, and Viqui Dill, will present and lead discussions about creating and refining information through the development workflow.  These topics include:

• PlainTalk: Get the Marbles Out of Your Message
• Managing Technical Knowledge: Overcoming Roadblocks
• Cultivating In-House Sources of Documentation
• Every Topic Is Page One
• Technical Editors and Converting Documentation to DITA Content
• The Proactive Editor: Involved Throughout The Project Lifecycle
• Selecting a Referential Style
• Career Development for Policies & Procedures Writers
• Defining Policy, Procedure, and Other Governing Documents

Communication and Translation

Several speakers, including Alan Porter, Whitney Quesenbery, and Kirsty Taylor, will present and lead discussions about effective communication, using various formats, and translation considerations for content.  These topics include:

• Plain Language: Accessibility for Content
• When Words are Not Enough
• SME>Me>E – Screencast Creation and Collaboration
• New International Standard for Content Management
• Traditional Executive Summary versus the Videogame Proposal One-sheet
• Localization Is Key to Going Global
• There’s Nothing Simple About Simplified Technical English
• You Want That in Chinese – Yesterday?
• Is Your Content Ready for Localization?

Education and Training

Several speakers, including Ginny Redish, Marta Rauch, and Phylise Banner, will present and lead discussions about instructional design and academic topics.  These topics include:

• Preparing for Gamification
• Using Mentoring Programs to Collaborate With Industry
• Why Technical Writing Is Always About Training
• Helping Others Hone Their Skills
• Teaching and Training with Global Virtual Teams
• Creating Community in Massive Open Online Courses
• Teaching Quantitative Data Analysis
• Teaching a College-Level Editing Class

Management

Several speakers, including Ann Rockley, Rahel Bailie, and Leah Guren, will present and lead discussions about people, project, and business management topics.  This session is intended for anyone who is working in a management role or who aspires to do so.  These topics include:

• A Manager’s Guide to Acquiring Technology
• Making the Argument for Content Strategy
• Content Roles in the Mobile World
• Avoiding Project Disasters: Top Tips for Tech Pubs Managers
• How Project Management Services Help You
• Flow-Based Management: Facilitating Optimal Experience
• Building a Business Case for Content Initiatives
• Our Processes Are a Mess

Professional Development

Several speakers, including Andrea Ames, Ben Woelk, and Roger Renteria, will present and lead discussions about topics to help you further your career.  These topics include:

• Strategic IA Careers: Skills and Knowledge for Success
• Growing Opportunities in Content Management and Social Media
• Building and Maintaining Your Personal Brand
• Shock Proofing Your Use of Social Media
• Technical Communications:  A Map to Better Understanding
• The Retirement of Technical Communicators
• Carpe Opportunitas! Seize the (Professional Development) Opportunity!

When you think of a busy city like Atlanta, “beautiful parks” is probably the last thing that comes to mind. But Atlanta, although one of the most populated cities in the country, has gorgeous green space. Less than a mile from the Hyatt Regency Hotel is the well-known Centennial Olympic Park. The park was built for the 1996 Olympic Games and has been a beautiful addition to the city ever since. At the Park, be sure to watch the Fountain of Rings—the world’s largest interactive fountain, which features the Olympic Ring symbol. For more information about Centennial Olympic Park, including where to grab lunch and a schedule of the Fountain of Rings, visit the website.

Another popular and beautiful park in Atlanta is Piedmont Park. From bocce courts to playgrounds to a farmer’s market to paved paths great for running, biking and roller blading, there is something for everyone at Piedmont Park. Take a quick trip on MARTA (just three stops from the Hyatt Regency Hotel) to relax and grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants within a block of the Park.

© 2013, artist Kevin C. Rose/ AtlantaPhotos.com

SweetWater beer is a local favorite that can only be found in the Southeast, and the SweetWater Brewery is a quick 10-minute cab ride from the Hyatt Regency Hotel where the 60th STC Summit is taking place. Popular beers include SweetWater Blue, an ale with a hint of blueberries; Georgia Brown, a deep-flavored beer with caramel and chocolate malts; and SweetWater 420, an extra pale ale—the brewery’s most popular beer. The brewery has a tasting room open to the public that offers the popular, year-round beers, as well as seasonal beers. Visit the brewery to sample the local brews and take a tour of the brewing to bottling process.

The tasting room is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 5:30–7:30 PM and Saturdays 2:30–4:30 PM. Tours run three times during the two-hour tasting period, so arrive early to take full advantage of what SweetWater Brewery has to offer. For more information about SweetWater Brewery, visit the website.

Most folks attending the Summit are rooming at the famed Hyatt Regency of Atlanta. This is a great hotel with lots of history and character. It’s not uncommon to see a Lamborghini or a Ferrari parked out front, and you stand a good chance to bump into someone of notoriety on any given day.

Indeed, the Hyatt Regency is famous. True, there was a big to-do when Jim Morrison once stayed here, and let’s not forget the amazing free-fall stunt filmed here for Sharkey’s Machine, which starred Burt Reynolds. But it was architect John Portman’s revolving top-floor restaurant, the Polaris, that made the Hyatt an instant Atlanta landmark.

Regrettably, with dozens of taller buildings blocking the once-pristine view and looming multimillion-dollar renovations needed, management closed the Polaris in 2004.

But fear not! Gorgeous sunsets and spectacular city views await you! That’s because, in 1976, Portman built another famous hotel tower with a revolving restaurant that is a “must see” attraction. For Summit goers, you’re only a few minutes’ walk from an unforgettable experience and one of the grandest cityscape vistas you’ll ever witness.

Grab a friend and head over to the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel on Peachtree Street. It’s an easy walk, just one block south of the Hyatt. Be sure to bring $6 cash with you because you’ll need it for the ride to the Observation Deck: an 85-second jaunt in the Westin’s exterior glass elevator as it transports you 73 stories above the pavement. You’re headed to the Sun Dial—a revolving restaurant atop the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere!

From the Observation Deck, you can spend as much time as you like simply enjoying the impressive panorama. You’ll spot distant landmarks, like Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain. You’ll look down on Peachtree Street at the tiny ant-like people below. It’s a breathtaking experience.

If you’d like dinner, you should make reservations in advance, though they are not required. It’ll run you about $40-50 per plate, but the chef-prepared American cuisine is excellent. The white-tablecloth service is impeccable. And, of course, the atmosphere is relaxing.

So, in the evening, after you’ve finished your business at the Summit, I recommend you take that ride to the top of Atlanta, order some cocktails, and decompress while kicking back in the Sun Dial’s unique revolving lounge. As you slowly rotate, the day will melt away, and beautiful city lights will unfold around you in 360° awesomeness. You’ll find there’s no better combination after a long day at the Summit than the sip of a cold mojito mixed with the sounds of soft jazz, accompanying a southern-style sunset.

For more information, visit The Sun Dial Restaurant website at www.sundialrestaurant.com or call them at (404) 589-7506. The Sun Dial Restaurant is located at 210 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.

The Atlanta Chapter is excited to welcome you to the Summit. As May approaches, we will be blogging regularly about unique things to do and great places to eat in Atlanta, as well as other helpful tips to make your stay enjoyable. To kick off the blogging and the countdown to the Summit, here are some resources.

Check out the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau to help you plan your non-conference hours. On their list of 50 Fun Things to Do in Atlanta are the Inside CNN Studio Tour, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and the Georgia Aquarium. Click something that sounds interesting to read a synopsis and to find links to the organization’s website. The Bureau also provides suggestions for eating like a local and finding free activities in the city. It even lists itineraries that cater to specific interests, such as the Civil War and civil rights.

Of course, the Atlanta Chapter is a resource to you, as well. Find us online and on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We look forward to introducing you to our city!

What’s your title and company?

Technical Writer, National Safe Skies Alliance.

What does your organization do?

Safe Skies is a nonprofit organization that evaluates aviation security technologies for airports.

What value does attending the Summit bring to your organization?

Documents (plans, reports, proposals, etc.) are Safe Skies’ primary product, so anything we can do to improve our documents and processes is valuable. STC’s Summit arms us with new information and ideas that we can apply directly to our work. The unique benefit, though, is the rejuvenation value that can’t be quantified. The Summit has such a positive atmosphere, and we always return with renewed enthusiasm for our jobs. You don’t get that kind of value from a webinar.

I see you also have a coworker joining you! Why are both of you attending?

We—my manager and I—have different roles within the company, so we’ll probably gravitate toward different sessions based on how they apply to our primary duties.

You were one of the first ones to register; what prompted the immediate response?

We’re Early Early Birds! The discounted rate made it easier to convince our bosses to make a quick decision to send us.

What are you most looking forward to in Atlanta?

Networking, learning new things and meeting new people. Oh, and David Pogue! I don’t buy any tech devices without first consulting his column, so I’m pretty excited that he’s the keynote speaker.

Next year is STC’s diamond anniversary, and the Summit is the perfect place to celebrate. Keynote speaker David Pogue returns, and attendees are already looking forward to his speech. “I don’t buy any tech devices without first consulting his column,” said one registrant, “so I’m pretty excited that he’s the keynote speaker!”

So register now to get the lowest rate and the greatest education of the year while celebrating STC’s diamond anniversary. Diamonds may be forever, but the Really Early Bird rate is not. Register by 31 December and save!