Policies

Please read the full Terms and Conditions carefully; they apply to and govern your registration for and attendance of the annual STC Summit conference (the event registered for referred to herein as the “Event”). This event is organized by the Society for Technical Communication (“STC,” “we,” or “our”). Registrant shall be referred to herein as “you” or “your.” By completing and submitting your registration for the Event, you hereby agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

‍Fees
The fees to attend the Event are subject to change from time to time at our sole discretion. All fees paid by credit card are due at the time of registration. All fees paid by check or wire are due seven (7) days after registration. We reserve the right to deny or revoke your access to the Event if payment is not received in full by these deadlines.

Refunds or transfers of registration
You may transfer or cancel your registration by sending an email to summit@stc.org clearly identifying the event, the number of attendees, and the attendee names for whom you wish to cancel or transfer registration. All transfer requests are subject to a $75 transfer fee. If we receive a valid cancellation email:

By 30 December 2022 (5:00PM ET), you will receive a 75% refund of total fees.
By 31 January 2023 (5:00PM ET), you will receive a 50% refund of total fees.
By 28 February 2023 (5:00PM ET), you will receive a 25% refund of total fees.

After 5:00PM ET on 28 February 2023, we will not provide refunds for attendees. If a registered individual is unable to attend due to a health or family emergency and they are unable to transfer their ticket to another individual, a refund may be issued at our sole discretion.

Exception: In the event that a registrant becomes unable to travel to Summit due to federal or international travel restrictions instated after the date of their ticket purchase, they will receive a full refund of their ticket cost. You must show proof of the travel restriction.

Refunds for any price adjustments for previously purchased registrations will not be provided (e.g., should an attendee request a discount after purchase).

Your completed registration is valid only for the named attendee, unless formally transferred to another person (via written request to and confirmation by STC). You may transfer your attendance to another individual through 5:00Pm ET on 31 March 2023.

Event cancellation or modification
Due to the logistics of scheduling numerous speakers for the Event, it may be necessary at times to adjust the schedule and content of the Event. We reserve the right to modify the content, schedule, or other details of the Event in our sole discretion.

Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be in the best interest of health and safety to cancel in-person events for Summit. Any such decision will be based on CDC guidelines and Georgia Department of Health recommendations for large group gatherings. If in-person events are cancelled, Summit will be held as a virtual (online-only) event, and registrants will be given the option to:

Convert their live registration to a virtual event ticket and receive a refund of the difference in ticket price;
Cancel their registration, terms of which will be subject to our standard refund policy (described in the section titled “Refunds or transfers of registration”); OR
Request to have their registration fees applied toward purchase of a future STC Summit.

In the event that a ticket holder becomes unable to travel to Summit due to federal or international travel restrictions instated after the date of their purchase, they will receive a full refund of their registration cost.

If the date of the Event is changed, we will notify you of such change as soon as reasonably possible by posting such changes to our website. We will not provide refunds due to a change of the Event date.

‍Personal data and communication
You agree that we may process any personal data you provide to us for the purpose of registering you for the Event, communicating with you about the Event, providing additional information to you related to the Event or future Events we offer, and for our marketing, business development, and analytical purposes.

You agree that we may communicate with you electronically, both by email and by posting notices related to the Event on our website. You agree that we can publicly announce our business relationship with you, which may include but not be limited to announcements on social media or our website.

Code of Conduct

STC Summit attendees must adhere to a Code of Conduct to ensure all attendees feel welcome. STC is serious about providing an inclusive, safe, and fun environment. All attendees should be familiar with the Code of Conduct expectations.

Cancellation, Refund, Transfers

All cancellation and refund requests to the 2023 Technical Communication Summit must be submitted via email.

All cancellations and/or transfers must be submitted in writing via email to summit@stc.org. Total fees paid are for any conference registration ticket or preconference workshop.

Cancellations received by 30 December 2022 (5:00PM ET) will be receive a 75% refund of total fees.
Cancellations received 31 January 2023 (5:00PM ET) will receive a 50% refund of total fees.
Cancellations received 28 February 2023 (5:00PM ET) will receive a 25% refund of total fees.

No refunds are available after 5:00PM ET on 28 February 2023.

A registration ticket or preconference workshop attendance may be transferred to another person with a $75 USD administrative fee. The fee is due at the time of the transfer request. Transfers must be received by 28 April 2023 (5:00PM ET).

No-shows will not be issued a refund. No phone calls for cancellations and transfers, please. Rates and policies are subject to change without notification.

Covid-19 Considerations and Guidelines

We recognize that attendees may have questions and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to providing our attendees with the latest information about the Summit and preparations as they relate to COVID-19. This policy page will serve as the hub for that commitment and is intended to provide Summit attendees with information and keep attendees updated regarding plans for the Summit. Because the situation is somewhat fluid, the information may be updated frequently.

STC’s Technical Communication Summit will take place as an in-person meeting. We are excited about the return to our typical convention format, but we also hear and understand the concerns of attendees regarding travel, group meetings, and COVID variants. We are committed to following facility, city, state, and federal guidance regarding the health and safety of attendees.

This year, attendees will not be required to provide proof of vaccination, a negative Covid test, or wear a face mask. However, we do recommend attendees wear face masks and also ask that attendees who may test positive with Covid within 5 days of the event or during the Summit to please quarantine or stay home.

We want all attendees to feel completely confident about joining friends, colleagues, and peers at the Summit in May. We are tracking all the latest health and safety guidance for large group gatherings from the CDC, the Georgia Department of Health, and the hotel. We plan to implement all guidelines as requirements for attendance at the Summit. We will update these guidelines if things change.

Hyatt has partnered with STC to ensure that the Summit is held in a clean and safe environment. Here are the Hyatt COVID-19 policies and standards.

Recording/Videotaping/Streaming Prohibited

STC has exclusive recording rights to the conference. Recording, videotaping, or streaming of any keynote, STC presentation, or session at the conference is not authorized. Violation of this rule could result in revocation of your Summit registration.

Photography and Recording Notice

By attending the event, you consent to audio recordings, video recordings and their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, or any other purpose by STC and its affiliates and representatives. You release STC, its officers and employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or or sound recordings.

By attending the event, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any exhibition, streaming, Web casting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such exhibiting, broadcasting, Web casting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by STC or the person or entity designated to do so by STC.

For more frequently asked questions and answers, see the FAQ page.

In 2022, STC required all Summit attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and staff to:

Provide proof of vaccination OR a negative COVID test taken within at least 48 hours of arriving at STC’s Summit registration area.
Wear your Summit badge throughout the event.

Bring proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (physical card or photo of card) as well as a photo ID (driver’s license or passport) with you when you travel to the Summit. For purposes of this event, “full COVID-19 vaccination” is defined as one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two shots of the Moderna, Pfizer, or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, preferably with a booster, if applicable. You will also have to show a photo ID to confirm the name on the proof of vaccination.

If you are not vaccinated and still want to attend the Summit, you must show proof of a negative COVID test taken within no more than 48 hours of arrival. Please bring a photo of or actual test results with you to the event.

If you have a medical or religious exemption, please contact STC at summit@stc.org for details about the documentation you will need to provide in advance of attending the Summit.

We plan to make satisfying the requirements as easy as we can. STC is taking steps so you can enjoy the Summit and feel safe, including:

Providing masks and hand sanitizer on-site.
Carefully considering health and safety with food and beverage service offerings.
Designing the event to ensure personal boundaries are respected.
STC will not provide on-site testing.

If you have questions, please contact STC directly at summit@stc.org.

Upon Arrival at the Summit

Once arriving at the Summit, all attendees go through onsite COVID-19 vaccine/negative COVID test verification in order to receive a badge, lanyard, and other conference materials. Your Summit badge will allow you to attend any conference session.

Once verified, attendees will receive their badge and lanyard, which they must wear for the duration of their attendance at the conference.

If seen without your badge and lanyard while in a session room or other Summit-related event, you will be asked to produce it, display your verification, or leave the session.

Bring your mask (and backup masks) as wearing a mask is currently highly recommended in accordance with ongoing CDC guidelines, even for people who are fully vaccinated. Please wear a mask if your home community is at very high risk, you have recently been exposed to or infected with COVID, or a health professional has told you to wear a mask based on your risk factors. STC will have a limited number of masks available in the Summit vaccination area for those without a mask. If Cook County enters a high-risk category, we may reinstate the mandatory mask policy.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of illness on-site should quarantine in their room until obtaining a negative COVID-19 test.