When: Saturday, February 19, 2005
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm (includes lunch)
Where: Welch Room 1, YWCA, 535 Hornby Street, Vancouver

Fees: Member - $110.00, Non member - $140.00, Student/Unemployed - $70. Lunch is included in the registration fee.

Workshop Description

Technical communication, like everything else, has gone global. To survive and thrive, we must be fluent in the tools, processes, and practices of global technical communication. What do we need to know to succeed in our current work and to prepare for the opportunities of the future?

This seminar will lead you into the emerging world of global technical communication, including preparation of English (source) documents, content management, project management, and the core of the field, localization.

Attendees will leave this concentrated workshop with a solid grounding in the mechanics of global technical communication: how localization works, what the key issues and processes are, and how each of us can connect with this emerging field. We’ll emphasize an integrated approach to managing global content, with documents, media, and diverse users connected through a single architecture managed by technical communicators.

Although the workshop does not assume prior knowledge, and is therefore suitable for those with no prior localization experience, there will be ample opportunity for experienced practitioners and managers to both learn and contribute.

Presenter
James V. Romano, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Prisma International, Inc.

During his 20 years at Prisma, Jim has brought multilingual communication solutions to hundreds of clients throughout the world. He has worked with a diverse spectrum of industries and has recently led numerous companies through global branding and identity positioning.
Jim’s training in education, linguistics, and culture combined with his passion and experience make him a dynamic and knowledgeable speaker. He has been featured as a keynote speaker at international conferences. He is currently on the STC Board of Directors and is a former president of the Twin Cities Chapter.

Workshop Outline

Basics of Global Technical Communication

  * Definitions
      o Localization
      o Globalization
      o Internationalization
  * Trends
  * Tools

Working with Source Documents

  * Content management
  * Project management
  * Writing for translation
      o International English
      o Simplified English
      o Controlled vocabularies
  * Best practices

Technical Communication Across Cultures

  * The state of the localization industry
  * Balancing global and local needs
  * Global marketing

12:00-1:00 Interactive Working Lunch

Localization

  * Language-specific issues
  * Workflows for multilingual and multimedia projects

Managing the Process

  * Cost management
  * Process improvement
  * Outsourcing
  * Metrics and ROI