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I suspect there are as many or more technical writers but that there are a
couple other factors involved.
1. Employees being replaced by contractors/freelancers. There has been a
trend over the last several years for companies to reduce the number of
employees and have the work done by contractors and/or freelancers. Because
of this, many of us are not in a position to have our professional
memberships subsidized by our employers. Nor do we have the luxury of an
employer subsidizing our attendance at conferences.
2. Cost of attendance. Registration fees for conferences have gone up
significantly over the last several years. If more of us are
contractors/freelancers, we have to justify the expense our of our own
pockets and in addition, sacrifice our incomes during the time we're at a
conference.
I volunteered to participate in a session presentation at this year's STC
conference in May. By the time I got done, my total cost of registration was
close to $1,300 (although I did sign up for one of the optional
certification programs with its own $600 fee). When I volunteered, I figured
it'd probably cost me somewhere between $500 and $600 to register as that
was in the ballpark of what it cost me last time (Nashville... I could look
it up but I'm too lazy).
I'm fortunate in that I have a friend in Minneapolis who's generously
offered to put me up while I'm in town for the conference. Otherwise, I'd
have to cough up $185 per night for hotel accommodations. However, that also
means I'll have to get my fat keister out of bed awful early to make the
roughly 30-45 minute commute from my friend's home to downtown Minneapolis
every day as well <arggh>.
I'm also fortunate that I'll be able to drive my own car to the conference
(it's about a six-hour drive), otherwise I'd have to pay for airfare and a
rental car.
Given that I have to attend certification sessions on both the Saturday and
Sunday before the regular conference, that means I'll have to take off from
Friday through Wednesday and possibly Thursday. So I'll be losing at a
minimum four days of income.
Mike
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Phone: (262) 694-1028 - Tollfree: (877) 892-1028 - Fax:(262) 697-6334
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>
> I later talked with those who put on the show (Joe Wolenski and his crew)
> and found out that in 2000, the last year I attended the show after going
> to all the shows almost from the start in 1992, 1300 people attended. Last
> week, only 430 attended. STC has 13,000 members down from a high of 26,000
> members. Yes, I know there are a lot of reasons for these figures but I
> can't help but feel that many writers simply left the field.
>
> Candis L Condo
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