STC Usability SIG Newsletter
Usability Interface

Attending an STC Conference on a Shoestring Budget

by Kathy Bine, Washington DC chapter

Let’s face it, companies are reducing their training budgets. During these austere times, the technical writer must get more creative than ever to participate in the annual conference. An informal survey of attendees at the 50th Annual Conference in Dallas showed that many people paid their own way to the conference. There are numerous ways to reduce the cost to attend the conference.

The most important tactic: start early. If you want to go to a conference, tell your boss as soon as possible, and explain how the knowledge you gain will change his or her life. Explain how you plan to shop early for tickets and hotels, and even propose a presentation which, if accepted, will further reduce expenses! Present her or him with a list of the expenses if you made no effort to cut costs, and the expenses you anticipate after all your cost-cutting. If your manager is still uncertain, consider offering to pay for the airplane ticket if the company pays for the hotel and registration.

Here are ideas for cost-effective transportation, lodging, registration, and meals, and desperate measures if you cannot attend at all.

Transportation

• Shop for your plane ticket early. Start looking for bargains in November or December. Be sure to compare the cost of arriving Saturday and staying Saturday night versus arriving Sunday—it’s nearly always cheaper to arrive on Saturday, even when you consider the additional night in the hotel. Web sites to check include Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity. Students and faculty at educational institutions can check Student Universe (www.studentuniverse.com/orbitz) for deals.
• Ask friends and family members to bring you to the airport. Travel to the airport with members of your STC chapter so that you can split the cost of cab fare. Use the World Wide Web to determine whether public transportation can get you from the airport to the hotel. Check days of the week and times of day to verify that public transportation is available. Just be sure to set aside some money in case your ride backs out!
• Avoid renting a car. Car rental fees, parking fees, gasoline, and parking tickets add up very quickly. How badly did you want to get lost, anyway? Public transportation, cabs, and your feet can take you all over town, and you’ll learn more about the place.

Lodging

• Shop for a budget hotel. Staying at the conference hotel is wonderful but expensive (average $160 a night, excluding taxes and fees). You may find a bed and breakfast near the conference for half that cost, and save on food costs! Ask your friends and colleagues, even the host chapter to recommend a less expensive hotel. Once you find that hotel, reserve a room immediately. Web sites to check include Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity. Students and faculty at educational institutions can check Student Universe (www.studentuniverse.com/orbitz) for deals.
• Share the cost of a hotel room with a friend from your chapter.

Registration

• Propose a presentation to give at the conference. Besides the opportunity for you to share you knowledge and skills with your peers, speakers receive a discount on the registration fee. August is the deadline for submitting presentation proposals.
• Register a day or two before the early registration period ends. This gets you the best price, and you keep your cash in hand longer.
• Pick your day to go. This is a tough solution, because presentation descriptions are often unavailable until a few weeks before the conference and you may find that Tuesday’s sessions are just as compelling as Monday’s. If you are looking to save on the registration costs, though, this is an option.

Food

• Attend all the free events. These include the regional reception on Sunday evening, the general reception on Sunday, and the international reception on Monday evening. The vendor exhibition is usually good for a cup of coffee and a snack.
• Bring breakfasts and snacks. The conference no longer includes continental breakfast. A box of granola, energy bars, and bananas are nourishing and inexpensive.
• Pick conference lunches and dinners to attend. I enjoyed the SIG luncheon and the networking luncheon because of the opportunity to meet with renowned members of our profession. The Awards Banquet is a chance to network. This year it was $40, though, which is about what I paid for a night out with the Lone Writers at Dick’s Last Resort, even including the cab rides there and back. This year’s conference location had limited off-site dining options (other hotels and a Denny’s). Another option is to just bring more granola bars.

If All Else Fails

• Arrange for an attendee to buy and ship to you the Proceedings on CD-ROM ($20 plus about $0.80 postage).
• Write to the presenters whose sessions appear interesting and ask them for their materials (free!).
• Check out the conference web site and download information from the Uploaded Session Materials (www.stc.org/50thConf/sesMaterials.asp). These often represent the handouts that speakers provided and are not included in the Proceedings (free!).

Looking Ahead

The 51st annual conference will be held May 9-12, 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland, near the Inner Harbor. There are a number of hotels and restaurants in the area. The closest airport is BWI, which is known locally as the best value of the three airports in the area (Dulles International and Reagan National being the others). For more information about the 51st conference, go to www.stc.org/51stConf/index.asp.