Annual Technical Communications Competitions August 1, 2007

Annual Technical Communications Competitions Now Open in Washington, DC

The Society for Technical Communication, Washington, DC Chapter (STC WDC) is proud to announce the opening of its annual technical communication competitions. Entries are being accepted for judging until October 16, 2007. Winners will be notified by mail in January 2008 and celebrated at the competition awards banquet on February 9, 2008 in Washington, DC at the historic DACOR-Bacon house. Each of the three competitions brings together the finest works in the areas of online communication, technical art, and technical publications.

Three levels of recognition are offered for each competition category: Distinguished Technical Communication (DTC), Excellence, and Merit. These awards do not represent first, second, or third places, but instead are levels of accomplishment with reference to a standard in each category. In addition, one DTC winner in each competition will win the Best of Show award for that competition. Winners of the DTC award automatically compete with winners from around the world in the same competition category for an additional level of competition. Winning entries in the international competitions will be displayed at the STC Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA in June 2008. Anyone is eligible to submit entries. You do not have to be a member of STC. You may enter work as an individual or on behalf of a colleague or subordinate. Whether you win an award or not, you will receive evaluations of your entry from our local expert judges.

STC WDC's competitions offer a unique chance to get feedback and recognition for your work from your peers. They also provide valuable exposure to the best practices and information products in our field.

The highlight of this event is the competition awards banquet, which will be held at the historic DACOR-Bacon house - a beautiful example of Federalist architecture. The house is outfitted in authentic furnishings from the period when it served as hearth and home to some of the notables of US jurisprudence and politics. See photos of the house at: http://www.dacorbacon.org/DACOR/DACOR_MAIN.htm

STC is an individual membership organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication. It is the largest organization of its type in the world. Its 14,000 members include technical writers and editors, content developers, documentation specialists, technical illustrators, instructional designers, academics, information architects, usability and human factors professionals, visual designers, Web designers and developers, and translators - anyone whose work makes technical information available to those who need it. STC advances the theory and practice of technical communication across all user abilities and media.

For competition specifics, entry forms, category descriptions, judging applications, and more visit our website at

Official Website: http://www.stcwdc.org/compete.shtml