Conference aims to inspire and challenge

Conference aims to inspire, challenge technical communicators

About 100 technical communicators will meet in Auckland next month for three exciting and inspiring days of presentations and workshops designed to challenge, inform and reignite their passion for what they do.

Collaborate2017 is TechCommNZ’s biennial conference. TechCommNZ supports and educates technical communicators or writers – those who convey scientific, engineering or other technical information.

Hamilton-based plain language writing trainer Shelly Davies, who has recently bounced unconventionally and entertainingly into the communications landscape, hopes her presentation will be one that sparks passion and action.

Shelly’s presentation focuses on brand. Her own is unapologetically different.

“We’re all trying to make a living – as writers, plain language practitioners, editors, technical communicators,” said Shelly.

“We’re either marketing ourselves as employees of businesses who want our services, or we’re running our own businesses who are then trying to sell those services to other businesses. In both of these situations I think we have room to make ourselves look a whole lot more colourful and diverse – appealing.

“We are so good at stripping back the excess, deleting the fluff, focusing on the key messages that I think we often strip out the personality, too. I think we need to put some back.”

Shelly says that the conversation she wants to have at Collaborate2017 boils down to: “Let’s not be so plain that the world doesn’t find us appealing”.

TechCommNZ president Emma Harding said Shelly will be joined by a host of other high profile speakers including senior content manager for Microsoft, Doug Kim, senior user experience designer at Google, Patrick Hofmann, and “content thought leader and content superstar” Scott Abel.

Other topics that will be discussed at the conference include the future of technical communication, the role of artificial intelligence systems in delivering content to consumers, and working together to achieve culture change.

“Collaboration is the cornerstone of what we do so it’s fitting that it’s the theme this year,” said Emma.

Collaborate2017 will be held in Parnell, Auckland, from April 10-12.

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