ON CONTENT STRATEGY AND TECHCOMM MANAGEMENT · 1:00–5:00 Creating a Content Strategy Ecosystem...

LavaCon ConferenceON CONTENT STRATEGY AND TECHCOMM MANAGEMENT

THE

A gathering place for content strategists, user experience designers, documentation managers, and other content professionals

October 18–21, 2015New Orleans, LA

Preliminary Program

LavaCon.org

Sunday, October 18, 2015Pre-Conference Workshops

8:00–noon Snakes and Ladders: Content Collaboration in the Real WorldNolwenn Kerzreho, Université de Rennes, and Joe Gollner, Gnostyx Research

REST API: Overview and Documentation Best PracticesMarta Rauch and Guruaj BS, Oracle

Honing Your Workplace Negotiation SkillsJack Molisani, ProSpring Staffing, and Kit Brown-Hoekstra, Comgenesis

1:00–5:00 Creating a Content Strategy EcosystemAndrea Ames, IBM

Adaptive Content Modeling for Omnichannel User Experience (UX)Noz Urbina, Urbina Consulting

New Manager BootcampEeshita Grover and Charles Rygula, Cisco Systems

Revenue Strategy 101: Unifying Your Content and Revenue StrategiesChristopher Ward, WebWorks

Monday, October 19, 20157:30–8:15 Registration, Continental Breakfast, Coffee

8:15–8:55 Welcome!Jack Molisani, Executive Director, The LavaCon Conference

8:55–9:15 Veni, Vidi, Vici: Win the Battle for Content Ownership and Take Back Your Content CareerVictoria Koster-Lenhardt, Employment Consultant for Europe at US Department of State

Content Strategy User Experience (UX) Content Production Tools and Technology Management and Governance

9:30–10:30 Doc is Dead! How Walkthroughs Changed Saleforce’s Content StrategyLila Giuili and Gavin AustinSalesforce

Start with Empathy: Content Strategy and Design ThinkingKarin Ikavalko and Catherine Walker, PayPal

Keeping the Content Train on the Tracks (and on Topic)Robert D. Anderson, IBMKristen James EberleinEberlein Consulting

The Internet of Things: When Machines Interact With Their Own Technical InformationScott YoungblomOberon Technologies

Win the Battle for Content Ownership (continued)Victoria Koster-LenhardtEmployment Consultant for US Department of State

10:45–11:45 Plan for Success: Implement a Content Triangle FrameworkAl MartineINKtopia (TechWhirl)

Improve the UX of Your Content, and Prove It!Pam Noreault and Tara KnappACI Worldwide

Content in an Agile WorldMegan Gilhooly, Ping IdentityAnne Grosvenor, INVIDI

Experiences and Lessons Learned on the Road to DITA: PLAYing it ForwardTracy Baker, F5 NetworksLiz Fraley, SSS

Scoping Level of Effort and Getting the Right Resources for the JobJason KaufmanIrrevo

11:45-12:30 Networking Lunch

12:30–12:50

What Problem Are You Trying To Solve? Achieving Organization and User Goals Through ContentDavid Dylan Thomas, Senior Content Strategist, EPAM

12:50–1:10 How to Reach Those Who Hold the Power and Purse StringsNoz Urbina, Principal Content Strategist, Urbina Consulting

1:15–2:45 Exhibit Hall Open, Vendor Demos, Beer Garden Open

2:45–3:45 Integrating Content Planning and Delivery Across the EnterpriseConnie GiordanoINKtopia (TechWhirl)

Successfully Delivering a Personalized Content Experience: From Structured Content to Multichannel PublishingJim Edmunds, IngeniuxSuzanne Mescan, Vasont

Faster than Agile: Replacing the Publishing Process with Live ContentJang GraatThe Content Era

The Emerging Model for Enterprise DITA AuthoringLes Burnham and Patrick Baker, STILO

Achieving Organization and User Goals through Content (continued)David Dylan ThomasEPAM

Schedule at a Glance

Monday, October 19, 2015 (continued)4:00–5:00 From Startup to the Big

Leagues: Enjoying the JourneyJoseph Meyers and Meg Miranda, Cisco Systems

Case Study: Don’t Puzzle Your Customers—Give Them a Personalized Customer Experience (CX)Julian Murfitt and Mark Poston, Mekon

Get Your GameStorming On! The Shifting Paradigm of Requirements GatheringMichelle CaldwellAvanade

How DITA Can Advance Your Structured Content StrategyKeith Schengili-RobertsIXIASOFT

How to Reach Those Who Hold the Power and Purse Strings (continued)Noz UrbinaUrbina Consulting

5:00-5:20 The State of the Industry: What’s In, What’s Out, and What’s NextAdobe Systems

5:20-7:00 Networking ReceptionSponsored by Adobe Systems

8:00– Jazz Club Tweetup

Tuesday, October 20, 20157:30–8:15 Continental Breakfast, Exhibit Hall Open, and Coffee

8:15–8:40 Content Strategy vs. Content Engineering: The Emerging Role of the Content EngineerCruce Saunders, Founder, Simple [A]

8:40–9:00 The Dark Arts of Content LeadershipJoe Gollner, President, Gnostyx Research

Content Strategy User Experience (UX) Content Production Tools and Technology Management and Governance

9:15–10:15 The Dark Arts of Content Leadership (continued)Joe GollnerGnostyx Research

Using Data to Improve Customer Engagement and Increase RevenueAri HoffmanMindTouch

The Phantom in the Boardroom: Why You Shouldn’t be Scared to Work with a GhostwriterChantielle MacFarlaneHyperwallet Systems

Making the Most of the New Math Domains in DITA 1.3Aaron GuigarDesign Science

How to Manage Change in Documentation (Time Travel and Other Techniques)Jim TivyBluestream Software

10:30–11:30 Repurposing Content for Multichannel PublishingLiz FraleySingle-Sourcing Solutions

When Easy Isn’t Enough: What Video Games Can Teach Us About Content Strategy and UXJohn Caldwell and Ria Hagan, Intuit

The Globalization of Technical Writing: Threat or Opportunity?Barry SaiffSaiff Solutions

Case Study: Converting Legacy Content to DITA—It’s Not Rocket Science!Pam Noreault, ACILes Burnham, Stilo

Moving Your Organization Up the Knowledge Value ChainJoe GelbSuite Solutions

11:30–12:30 Exhibit Hall, Lunch

12:30–12:50

Developing Your Organizational Power and InfluenceAndrea Ames, Content Experience Strategist, IBM

12:50–1:15 The Art of Presenting to Upper-level ManagementTom Aldous, CEO, The Content Era

1:30–2:30 How Content Strategy Can (Literally) Prove Its WorthEmily ShieldsFacebook

Monkey See, Monkey Do: Using Video to Support Your DocumentationAllie ProffBoeing

Winning Knowledge Spaces = 1 Wiki + “Every Page is Page One”Nitza Hauser, Medidata SolutionsMark Baker, Analecta Communications

Why Manufacturers Have Been Left Behind by Knowledge Management and Content DeliveryPatrick BosekEasyDITA

The Art of Presenting to Upper-level Management (continued)Tom AldousThe Content Era

2:45–3:45 Preparing for Augmented Reality: Moving from 2D to 3D DocumentationNabayan RoyAutodesk Singapore

Accessibility Matters: Making Your Products Available to EveryoneChar James-TannySchneider Electric

Writing for Structure and Hypertext: An Introduction to SPFEMark BakerAnalecta Communications

Taming the Beast That is Microsoft WordDoug Gorman, Simply XMLBryan Lynn, 36SoftwareTom Aldous, The Content Era

Collect Metrics...Like a Boss!Chris BridgenAlcatel-Lucent

3:45–4:15 Break, Exhibit Hall, More Coffee!

Sessions subject to change without notice.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 (continued)4:15–5:15 A Little Content Fish in a

Big Company PondMarli MeisbovContent Strategist

Ditching Words: How Interactive Media Improves the User ExperienceMatt SullivanTech Comm Tools

Why Nobody Knows What Will Happen NextMaxwell HoffmannAdobe Systems

Case Study: Localizing 30+ Documentation and Help ProjectsMitchell International and MadCap Software

The Communications Manager’s ToolboxEeshita GroverCisco Systems

6:30– Off-site EventSponsored by WebWorksLocation TBD

Wednesday, October 21, 20157:30–8:20 Continental Breakfast and Exhibit Hall

8:20–8:45 Content Strategy Triage: Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Do You Fight To Save?Sarah O’Keefe, President, Scriptorium

Content Management User Experience (UX) Content Production Tools and Technology Management and Governance

9:00–10:00 Content Strategy Triage: Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Do You Fight To Save? (continued)Sarah O’Keefe, President, Scriptorium

Get Out of Your Office! Conducting Effective Site VisitsRhyne ArmstrongRouteMatch Software

Changing Your Authoring Tool with Zero Downtime: A Case Study in Change ManagementDeepa Aswani and Steve Anderson, Salesforce

Breaking Silos: Building a Knowledge Graph with Technical Documentation at Its CoreFabrice LaCroixAntidot

Efficient Translation Management: Five Metrics That Will Lead Your Team to Continuous Process ImprovementScott Carothers, Kinetic

10:15–11:15 Online Customer Service Marketing: A Content Strategy Love AffairNikoletta Vecsei, EMCKirsten Gantenbein, ExtraHop

Improving AX (Content Author Experience)Melissa EgglestonUX and Content Strategist

Surviving Agile: A Case Study in Failure (and Success)Andy Watson and Jocelyn Emory, GENBAND

Coming Out: I Write in Word and I Love It! And You Can, Too!Johanne LavalléeVer-Mac

How to Prevent an International Incident: Communicating with a Global TeamMeredith Kramer, NetIQPaula Berger, Schneider Electric


12:55–1:15 How to Get What You Want When You Want ItChristopher Ward, Director of Sales, WebWorks

1:30–2:30 Triple Tag: Managed Metadata and Taxonomies for Content ManagementChris McNultyCryptzone

Using Content Consumer Data to Improve Customer Engagement and Increase RevenueDemarcus WellsAvalara

Document Your Way to Revenue GrowthBernard AschwandenPublishing Smarter

Stalling at DITA—How Do You Get to the Next Step?Peggy SanchezCray, Inc.

How to Get What You Want When You Want It (continued)Christopher Ward, Director of Sales, WebWorks

2:45–3:45 Need Information Architects? You Can Grow Your Own!Beth ThomersonInnovatia

Bite Sized Training: Onboarding for Generation Y and ZOded IlanIridize

Reserved to repeat standing-room-only session

Translation Quality and the Global Review Cycle: People and TechnologyShannon Rose FarrellArgos MultilingualShamus DermodyXTM International

Social Me: Taking Control of Your Online ImageBrenda HuettnerP-N Designs, Inc.

4:00–4:30 Closing Session:Connections that Count: Building Relationships for Business SuccessAlyssa Fox, Director of Information Development and Program Management, NetIQ

5:30– French Quarter Walking Tour and Jazz Club Pub Crawl

Welcome to the 2015 LavaCon Conferenceon Content Strategy and Tech Comm Management

LavaCon® is a gathering place for content strategists, user experience designers, documentation managers, and other content professionals.

It’s one thing to hear people talk about content strategy and usability; it’s another to meet peers who are successfully doing it. Our speakers are practicing industry professionals who have volunteered to share their best practices and lessons learned—both what worked and what didn’t.

Choose from over 80 sessions and workshops on how to plan, execute, and manage enterprise content development projects.

New! All sessions in our 2015 program will be broadcast live and recorded for future playback. The virtual track broadcast will include video of the speakers, and the other breakout sessions will be in webinar format (slides and audio only). We will have someone at the conference monitoring the chat windows, so all sessions will be live and interactive.

Ready for four days of great sessions, amazing food, and plenty of opportunities to network with your peers? See you in New Orleans!

Jack MolisaniExecutive DirectorThe LavaCon Conference

This document was created with Adobe FrameMaker.

Contents

Sponsors and Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Keynote Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Session Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Exhibit Hall Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Meeting Room Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

facebook.com/LavaCon

twitter.com/LavaCon

vimeo.com/LavaCon

google.com/LavaCon

Sponsors and ExhibitorsMany thanks to this year’s sponsors and exhibitors!

Diamond

Adobe SystemsAdobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information. Adobe’s innovative solutions for technical communicators are market-leading best-of-breed software, and include:

• Adobe FrameMaker 12—Easily author, enrich, manage, and publish XML/DITA content with this complete solution for technical documentation.

• Adobe FrameMaker XML Author 12—Experience best-in-class XML/DITA authoring with complete DTD support.

• Adobe RoboHelp 11—Easily create, manage and deliver rich, interactive content experiences across screens.

• Adobe Technical Communication Suite 5 (TCS 5)—Deliver game-changing technical communication with this future-ready toolkit.

• Adobe FrameMaker Publishing Server 12—Automatically publish technical content virtually anywhere, from anywhere with this enterprise software.

Sapphire

Quadralay® CorporationQuadralay Corporation, based in Austin, Texas, builds software and creates solutions for a variety of content publishing and web based applications. The company was incorporated in 1992 and eventually went on to graduate from the University of Texas’ prestigious Technology Incubator (ATI) program in 1996. Since its founding the company has been a premier player in developing solutions for the Internet and related web application programs.

The Company has prospered since its beginning and now provides services and products to thousands of customers in over thirty five countries worldwide. It has also partnered with numerous companies to collectively provide solutions to complex publishing and information deployment challenges.

WebWorks®

WebWorks is the brand under which Quadralay markets its products and services; the company utilizes the registered name WebWorks as its corporate URL (webworks.com) and its toll-free telephone number (877.8.WEBWORKS).

6 LavaCon | www.lavacon.org

The company’s WebWorks line of products and services enables the automated delivery of online content into multiple formats, languages, and devices, including the packaging and delivery of content into its own exclusive web applications. These applications are designed for

providing online help using only standard web technologies that function with numerous web browsing devices. WebWorks solutions are used by over 2,000 corporate customers in 6,000 locations across 35 countries.

Platinum

ProSpring StaffingProSpring is a staffing agency that specializes in engineers, project managers, and content developers. Need a contract or perm Technical Writer, Content Strategist, or User Experience Designer? Contact us at prospringstaffing.com.

Gold

MadCap SoftwareMadCap Software, Inc. is a trusted resource for the thousands of companies around the globe that rely on its solutions for single-source multi-channel authoring and publishing, multimedia, and translation management. Whether delivering technical, policy, medical, marketing, business, or human resources content, MadCap’s products are used to create corporate intranets, Help systems, policy and procedure manuals, video tutorials, knowledge bases, eBooks, user guides, and more to any format, including high-end print, online, desktop or mobile. MadCap services include product training, consulting services, translation and localization, and an advanced developer certification program. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, MadCap Software is home to some of the most experienced software architects and product experts in the content development industry.

Argos MultilingualArgos Multilingual was founded in Kraków, Poland in 1996. We began as a translation company that specialized in Eastern European languages and have since grown into a full-service Global Language Solutions provider, servicing clients in the life sciences, industrial manufacturing and software/hardware industries. Our business is built on three core values:

Quality at Source, Partnership Approach, and Technology Agnostic Solutions, as we are committed to giving you choice while providing the best customized strategy to fit your business needs. Our business and processes are ISO 9001, EN 15038, and EN ISO 13485 certified. With production centers in Kraków, Poland, and Kansas City, USA, we bring value to you through our dedicated customer service and subject matter expertise for your specialized industry.

For more information, head to our website at argosmultilingual.com. Or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.

2015 Conference on Content Strategy and Tech Comm Management 7

Twitter: twitter.com/ArgosMultilingFacebook: facebook.com/ArgosMultilingualLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/argos-multilingualGoogle+: google.com/+ArgosMultilingual

Silver

Antenna HouseFounded over 30 years ago, Antenna House is a leader in the document formatting industry. Our signature product, AH Formatter, is based on the W3C recommendations for XSL-FO and CSS and has long been recognized as the most powerful and proven standards based formatting software available. AH Formatter has been expanded over the years to support over 60 languages, including the newly supported Indic scripts. Today, AH Formatter is used to produce millions of pages daily of technical, financial, user and a wide variety of other documentation for thousands of customers in over 40 countries. The latest release of AH Formatter V6.2 now supports MathML V3.0 and features enhanced support for layered PDFs, embedding multimedia, and numerous extensions. Learn more at antennahouse.com.

Design ScienceDesign Science is the leading producer of math editing, display and accessibility software for technical publishing. Stop by the Design Science booth in the exhibit area to learn about the advantages of using MathML in your technical content, and using MathFlow with tools like Oxygen, FrameMaker, XMetaL, Content Mapper and more.

easyDITAeasyDITA is a one-of-a-kind product that makes collaboration fun—because anyone and everyone can use it with little to no training. easyDITA has been receiving rave reviews because it is so intuitive and user-friendly that even SMEs use it with enthusiasm. Our customers tell us that easyDITA gives them the freedom to concentrate on their writing instead of their tools. Now that’s more like it! Learn more at easyDITA.com.

Fluid TopicsAntidot is proud to introduce Fluid Topics, its new dynamic content publishing solution, transforming the way users benefit from your technical documentation.

Break the bounds of static content, empower users and develop actionable insights with Fluid Topics dynamic publishing. Our solution gives users the power to find and navigate technical information from any source on any device. By combining it from a variety of content silos, you create a unified access point and enhance customer support. Fluid Topics gives life to digital information so that your company, partners and users are free to dynamically

reuse, shape and share the content they need whenever they need it.


Fluid Topics also gives you the tools to examine how people actually use your documentation. Now you know what they look for and what you should focus on.

Since 1999, Antidot has helped more than 150 clients in the areas of publishing, e-commerce, healthcare, corporate portals and intranets.

For more information, visit fluidtopics.com.

FontoXMLFontoXML enables subject matter experts to produce structured and rich content even with no knowledge of XML. FontoXML can be seamlessly integrated into any tool your authors are used to. It handles large documents and is compatible with any E-CMS. Visit FontoXML.com for more details.

IXIASOFTFounded in 1998, IXIASOFT is a trusted global leader in the XML content management software industry. Its signature product DITA CMS is an award winning, end-to-end component content management solution (CCMS) deployed by industry leaders such as SAP®, ARM®, AMD and

BlackBerry®. From authoring to reviewing, localizing and publishing, DITA CMS provides all the tools required for large, global organizations to support their entire DITA documentation process. IXIASOFT is also the developer of TEXTML Server, a native XML database and powerful search engine. IXIASOFT solutions are accessed by thousands of users worldwide in various vertical markets such as software, hi-tech, newspaper, and medical device manufacturing.

For more information, please visit ixiasoft.com or connect with IXIASOFT on Twitter and LinkedIn. Already a DITA CMS user? Join the IXIASOFT DITA CMS User Group on LinkedIn.

KineticKinetic is the only company in the world that works exclusively on your behalf—putting you, the translation buyer in full control—to improve quality, shorten delivery times and lower translation expenses. We’re revolutionizing the translation procurement and management process. Our unique, vendor-independent translation process management software puts an end to the countless phone calls, meetings, emails and texts it typically takes to manage multiple projects. It transforms the translation buying process from a series of hurdles to a strategic competitive advantage in today’s global marketplace for you and your company. What translation buyers want, Kinetic delivers. Learn more at thetechnologyagency.com.

MekonFounded in 1990, Mekon are leading UK consultants and systems integrators. We are focused on increasing the effectiveness of your content creation, management and delivery. Faced with insufficient staff and ever increasing demand for output, organizations today often require some support to ensure project success. That support should incorporate best practice, risk management and customer- and ROI-led planning. Mekon provide a well-defined, end-to-end methodology and service that balances strategic


guidance and training with the technical capabilities to make a solution a reality. We specialize in systems that allow reuse and recombination of content for flexible, scalable two-way publication, across multiple formats and via the latest publishing media.

Experience with all the major publishing, DITA, S1000D and XML technology vendors gives Mekon a unique and unbiased insight into which technologies are suitable for specific client needs. We are one of the few organizations to successfully implement XML in both the non-technical

enterprise content space and traditional technical and professional publishing. As a result, Mekon are ideally placed to help you use your content as a strategic business asset. Learn more at mekon.com.

Oberon TechnologiesOberon Technologies partners with our customers and leading software suppliers to provide innovative solutions for creating, sharing and delivering information. With hundreds of customers, we are known for our integrity, accountability and commitment in every engagement.

Our solutions enable you to:

• Automate your content creation, sharing and delivery processes.• Deliver personalized information• Synchronize content across CMS, translation and publishing systems• Deliver your content to any device

Our services include:

• Content assessments and strategy• Systems/software analysis and integration• Software implementation, configuration and customization• (Authoring, Publishing, and Content Management software)• Custom dynamic-assembly publishing and delivery solutions

ScriptoriumScriptorium helps companies with large amounts of technical content streamline their publishing processes, which results in cost reduction and quality improvements. If you are responsible for technical content, you face a bewildering

array of possibilities: XML-based authoring, traditional help authoring tools, wikis, customer-generated content, and much more. In a content strategy analysis, we review your existing content lifecycle, identify requirements, and then recommend a solution that fits your organizational constraints.

SDLSDL is the leader in global customer experience. We untangle the complexity of managing your brand's digital footprint as it grows across multiple languages, cultures, websites, devices and channels. With a complete integrated cloud solution for content management, analytics, language and documentation, SDL doesn't just bring your brand to the

world. We bring the world to your brand. Learn more at SDL.com.


Stilo InternationalStilo International is the developer of Migrate, a cloud service that enables subject matter experts to automate the conversion of their content from various source formats including FrameMaker, Word, InDesign, and RoboHelp to DITA XML. Stilo also developed AuthorBridge, a DITA authoring solution that enables browser-based contributions to a CCMS at extremely low cost. Learn more at stilo.com.

Vasont SystemsVasont Systems provides component content management software and XML data services to Fortune 1,000 companies and global organizations from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, technology, publishing, financial, and healthcare.

Since 1992, Vasont Systems has helped companies organize their critical business assets, manage productivity, and disseminate information in many languages to multiple media channels while reducing their costs by an average of 63% and shortening overall cycle times by 75% on average. The Company has been named multiple times to the EContent 100 list of “best and brightest digital content companies.

XeditorXeditor delivers a web-based and highly intuitive XML authoring platform that not only satisfies end-users but also developers who need a modern and extensible framework. The user-friendly front end leads authors intuitively through a defined document structure with real-time validation. Our innovative JavaScript architecture allows seamless integration into existing technologies and systems (CMS, DMS, PIM, etc.) and may be configured for any DTD/Schema. We currently provide out-of-box support for DITA, DocBook, and PI-Mod. Learn more at xeditor.com.

Dakota SystemsSpecializing in enterprise publishing and content management solutions, Dakota Systems creates opportunities for customers to maximize the return on their technology investment. Recognized as experts in the industry, our consultants help organizations design the best solution for

their individual situation. Whether working with technical manuals or scientific journals, Dakota Systems' proven analysis and development methodologies enables quick and cost effective integration of customers' business intelligence with their publishing strategy. Learn more at daksys.com.

IridizeIridize is the professional solution for real-time training of web products. Our platform empowers product owners to create to create interactive walkthroughs and guides “on top” of a product’s web interface in order to train users, support them, and communicate with them. Iridize is used by organizations to train employees and by product owners for their customers.


Easy to install and manage, Iridize provides product owners with continuous updates about guide usage, user specific reporting, and powerful measurement tools.

The product is used today by large and small firms, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Our customers include Nuance Communication, Network for Good, and Towers Watson—to name a few.

Whether you are an organization that wishes to:

• Quickly train and monitor new employees• Upgrade existing employees' knowledge • Increase customer and user satisfaction• Reduce support and training costs • Enhance communication with customers

Iridize is your professional choice.

Media Sponsors

EContent MagazineEContent is a leading authority on the businesses of digital publishing, media, and marketing, targeting executives and decision-makers in these fast-changing markets. By covering the latest tools, strategies, and thought-leaders in the digital content ecosystem, EContent magazine and EContentmag.com keep professionals ahead of the curve in order to maximize their investment in digital content strategies while building sustainable, profitable business models. Subscribe to our free eNEws letter at econtentmag.com.

Social Media ExaminerThe world’s largest online social media magazine, Social Media Examiner® helps millions of businesses discover how to best use social media, blogs, and podcasts to connect with customers, drive traffic, generate awareness, and increase sales.

Our mission is to help you navigate the constantly changing social media jungle.

Our editorial team works with the world’s top social media pros to bring you original and comprehensive articles, expert interviews, reviews of the latest industry research and the news you need to know to improve your social media marketing. Learn more at socialmediaexaminer.com.


Other Sponsors

MindTouchAn open-source collaboration leader since 2005, MindTouch provides the world’s most respected social knowledge base, with a focus on product help, support, and technical documentation.

Great companies like Oracle, Cisco, Intuit, Paypal, Autodesk, Hewlett-Packard, Mozilla, HTC, Viacom, Panasonic and EMC rely on MindTouch commercial products. Learn more at mindtouch.com.

Exhibitors

Astoria SoftwareAstoria Software is the world's most successful Enterprise solution for XML Component Content Management and the first to deliver both an Enterprise-wide SaaS/On-Demand and an On-Premises approach to structured content management. Cisco Systems, Teradata, Xylem (formerly ITT), Siemens Healthcare, Northrop Grumman, LexisNexis, ShoreTel, and other Forbes Global 2000 organizations rely on Astoria to meet increasingly competitive demands for product documentation-high volume, accelerated time-to-

market, and globalized output. Astoria Component Content Management, whether On-Demand or On-Premise, is an enterprise-wide solution for Translation-Enabled Content Management, reducing documentation costs up to 90%, compressing product launch times from months to weeks, and generating productivity and management benefits with its flexible delivery model. Astoria Software, a division of TransPerfect, Inc., is based in San Francisco, California.

Information MappingFounded over 40 years ago, Information Mapping is a world leader in solving critical documentation issues for enterprise-level organizations and governments, enabling them to operate more efficiently and profitably. The company offers a full suite of consulting services, training programs and software based on its proprietary methodology, the Information Mapping® Method.

The Information Mapping® Method is a research-based, systematic approach to analyzing, organizing and presenting clear and user-focused information. It is widely recognized as an international content standard for creation, management and deployment of mission-critical content. Information Mapping provides organizations all over the world with measurable

improvements in compliance, safety, knowledge management, customer service and operational efficiency.

For more information about Information Mapping, please visit our website at informationmapping.com/us. Follow Information Mapping on Twitter and LinkedIn.


JustSystemsXMetaL Author Enterprise helps you get to market faster by bringing structure and automation to content creation. Using XML standards, such as the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA), XMetaL enables authors and contributors to collaborate effectively and repurpose high-value information into the myriad of languages and formats your customers

demand. For more information, visit xmetal.com.

Saiff SolutionsSaiff Solutions is a technical writing outsourcing company based in the Philippines, led by Founder and CEO Barry Saiff, a technical communications leader with over 30 years of experience, most of it in the USA. Saiff Solutions provides the best of both worlds — outstanding documentation with excellent quality control, at a fraction of US rates. Find out more at saiffsolutions.com.

SimplyXMLSimply XML™ provides simple solutions for creating and publishing XML content. Our goal is to allow everyone in the enterprise to take advantage of information standards including DITA, NLM, DocBook, other industry or custom standards by providing authors with simple, cost effective tools for creating, storing, managing and publishing valid, high-quality XML from Microsoft® Word. We

believe that standards adoption and the related benefits will accelerate when the vast majority of authors who use Microsoft Word can easily contribute content and documents to the corporate publishing system. Simply XML offers software and related training that is changing the value proposition for this industry. Learn more at simplyxml.com.

Single-Sourcing SolutionsSingle-Sourcing Solutions specializes in everything related to dynamic product information creation, publication, and delivery. With experts for every piece and every phase of the single-source development process, we have implemented single-sourcing systems from scratch and have improved existing systems as well. Our unique partnership approach appeals to groups looking to not only implement solutions or migrate to more innovative content structure, but to become experts themselves.

SQUIDDSSQUIDDS is a Technical Communications Solution provider and vendor of Finalyser® a collection of very efficiently plug-ins and scripts for Adobe FrameMaker. TERM CHECK is part of this Finalyser family and with UniTerm a package for one and hundreds of users in Terminology management and checking.

SQUIDDS is vendor of TechCommApp® the mobile TechComm App using worldwide HTML5 responsive (Reverb) on 6 platforms: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Desktop PC (Windows) and Mac.


Georg Eck is the founder and CEO of SQUIDDS, a Technical Communications Solution provider, with over 25 years of experience in TechComm workflow strategies. He was the first Adobe Certified expert in Germany, specializing in Tetra4D and WebWorks. His unique skills and expertize has allowed him to serve the German Engineering Industry with some of the most advanced and complete DITA, 3D interactive PDF and HTML5 publishing solutions. His success in Germany has earned him a current position at Technische Hochschule, Nuremberg teaching “Scientific Publishing.”

TechWhirlTechWhirl is an online resource for anyone interested in the world of Content Management and Technical Communication. experienced veterans, up-and-coming professionals, students, and leaders in the business can explore TechWhirl to find new, compelling, thought-provoking, and helpful information on creating and managing the information assets critical to every enterprise. From educational and research content to the latest news, features, and commentary, TechWhirl offers something for everyone who needs to know about technical communication and content management. We love this stuff and think that you should, too, so visit us at TechWhirl.Com or @techwritertoday.

Suite SolutionsSuite Solutions helps you engage your customers by providing quick access to relevant information. Our advanced intelligent content delivery solutions and DITA Quick Start approach allow you to quickly realize the benefits and ROI of XML-based

information. Our flagship product, SuiteShare, is a content delivery platform that delivers personalized and consistent content to customers at all touchpoints, reducing customer effort and increasing brand loyalty. Suite Solutions' one-stop DITA Quick Start services include style sheet development, content conversion, training, consulting, information architecture guidance, custom integration, and support. Learn more at suite-sol.com.

ZoupioDiscover Zoupio by Lexum, a completely new way of publishing your text-heavy documentation.

There’s no need to change your authoring process or active drafting software! Zoupio is a cloud-based, white-label UI that seamlessly unites with your website or e-commerce portal. Zoupio integrates within any structured workflow (DITA, XML, HTML, even MS Word) and revitalizes any long and complex documentation. If your industry is complex and your documentation has hundreds and even thousands of pages, then Zoupio can help redefine how your clients interact with your manuals.

Zoupio helps publishers propel their documentation to another level with layering of textual and multi-media content within a collaborative and mobile-ready environment. Beyond web help, users will not only learn from your documentation, but they can also participate and share their knowledge with fellow group members.

For over 20 years, Lexum has enabled the web publishing of over 10,000,000 pages of content on the public Internet and client intranets with private industry, professional editors, international and domestic government entities, education, legal, and medical sectors, as well as the telecommunications industry.


BluestreamBluestream's flag-ship product, XDocs, enables organizations of all sizes to realize the benefits of DITA at a lower cost than the competition, with comparable or better quality, thus offering unparalleled value. XDocs is an out-of-the-box, DITA-enabled component content management system that deploys in hours rather than weeks, is easy to use, and has a tight integration with various XML editors. Its flexible unlimited user licensing and

optional modules, such as workflow, knowledge base, online reviewing, and translation manager, allow for economical end-to-end content creation, management, and publishing. XDocs customers range from Fortune 100 organizations seeking complex cross-departmental DITA solutions to small businesses containing single-author documentation teams. Bluestream has been in business since 1997 and has customers in many verticals, among them software, oil and gas, health care, military, manufacturing, and finance. Learn more at bluestream.com.

Society for Technical CommunicationThe Society for Technical Communication is the world's largest and oldest professional association dedicated to the advancement of the field of technical communication. For more information, visit stc.org.


Keynote Speakers

Tom AldousTom Aldous, the Founder/CEO of The Content Era, has over 25 years of experience in the Technical Communications industry. Besides being the managing partner and lead XML/DITA/CMS consultant at Integrated Technologies for over 20 years, Tom has also served as the Director of TechComm Business Development, Evangelism and TechComm Consulting at Adobe, as well as a SVP of Global Operations at Acrolinx. At Tom’s new venture, The Content Era, his knowledge of content tools, markup languages and best practices reduce cycle time and increase efficiency for his clients.

Andrea AmesAndrea L. Ames, M.S., is a Senior Technical Staff Member and Enterprise Content Experience Strategist, Architect, and Designer on IBM's Enterprise Content team where she is responsible for driving broad initiatives to improve integrated content experience. Prior to IBM, Andrea was a content strategy, architecture, and usability consultant, helping large and small businesses to engineer their product development processes to design and create content in ways that enhance product usability, increase and accelerate user productivity, increase product adoption and customer loyalty, and support business and marketing goals.

Andrea has more than 30 years of experience in technical communication. She is a Fellow and past President (2004-2005) of STC, a Distinguished Engineer of the ACM (the first technical communicator to achieve this distinction), a Senior Member of the IEEE, and a member of SWE, ASIS&T, IAI, UPA, and ATTW. Andrea designed, coordinates, and teaches in the UCSC in Silicon Valley certificate program in Technical Writing and Communication; she has published two award-winning technical books and more than 50 papers and articles; and she speaks regularly at conferences and professional organization meetings around the world. Get all of her social connections, blog links, and more at about.me/andrealames.

Kit Brown-HoekstraKatherine (Kit) Brown-Hoekstra is an STC Fellow and STC 2015-16 Society Immediate Past President, an experienced consultant with over 25 years of experience in technical communication, much of it working with localization teams. As Principal of Comgenesis, LLC, Kit provides consulting and training to her clients on a variety of topics, including localization, content strategy, and content management. She speaks at conferences worldwide and publishes regularly in industry magazines. Her blog is pangaeapapers.com.


Alyssa FoxAlyssa Fox is Director of Information Development and Program Management at NetIQ Corporation in Houston, Texas. She has been involved in technical communication for over 15 years. Her interests and skills include technical communication, user experience, process improvement, project management, and agile development practices. Alyssa is a member of User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA), a senior member of Society for Technical Communication (STC), and is currently serving as the STC Secretary.

Joe GollnerJoe Gollner is the managing director of Gnostyx Research (www.gnostyx.com), an independent supplier of objective guidance and open content technology solutions. He has been a content gladiator for over 25 years, implementing content technology solutions of every possible size and shape, and participating in a wide range of standards activities. He blogs as the content philosopher (www.gollner.ca) and continues to work on his magnum opus, a book about engineering content. He’s also an avid and sometimes self-destructive trail cyclist, a family man with four grown children, and something of a world traveler.

Victoria Koster-LenhardtVici is a US Government contractor consulting on overseas family member employment issues. She supports more than 40 US embassies in Europe by coaching family members of US Department of State staff on finding meaningful work while living overseas. It's her latest stop in a journey that started with a job in journalism in New York City. Vici worked at The Coca-Cola Company in Vienna for 21 years, managing the Documentation Department for 16 years, then moved into global corporate communications.

Jack MolisaniJack Molisani is the Executive Director of the LavaCon Conference. He has been organizing this conference for over 12 years. Originally, LavaCon was created as a conference based on the island of Hawaii. Recently, this conference has made its home in Portland, Austin, and now New Orleans.

Sarah O'KeefeSarah O’Keefe, President, is the chocoholic founder of Scriptorium Publishing and a content strategy consultant. Scriptorium offers content strategy services to help customers solve business problems and achieve strategic goals. Since founding the organization in 1997, Sarah has worked with numerous organizations to assess content issues, develop solutions, and implement new technologies that unlock content value. She is the coauthor of Content Strategy 101: Transform Technical Content into a Business Asset.


Cruce SaundersFounder and principal consultant at Simple [A], Cruce brings more than 15 years leading firms focused on content delivery technology. [A] teams manage large-scale content engineering engagements in partnership with global agencies. Cruce has directed more than 250 application and content engineering engagements. Author of Content Engineering for a Multichannel World, Cruce advocates for content engineering practices, intelligent content, enterprise adoption of intelligent content in order to build more human, personalized digital experiences.

David Dylan ThomasAs a senior content strategist at EPAM, David Dylan Thomas has developed strategies for major clients in entertainment, publishing, and retail. He is the founder of Content Camp, co-organizer of Barcamp Philly, head of Content Strategy Philly, and the creator, director, and co-producer of Developing Philly, a web series about the rise of the Philadelphia tech community. He has given lectures on such topics as the future of content in a post-ownership economy and the hidden power of online links.

Noz UrbinaNoz Urbina is a globally recognized leader in the field of content strategy and customer experience consultancy. He has designed interfaces and processes that have saved organizations hundreds of thousands per year, recommended solutions that have avoided headcount increases, and delivered dozens of budget-winning internal presentations in a language to which executives can relate. Above all, he has a passion for helping people communicate.

Christopher WardChristopher Ward, Director of Sales at WebWorks, specializes in helping small teams accomplish big things by better aligning departmental processes with overall company strategies. Christopher's experience in strategy development began as an Analyst for U.S. Army Intelligence and then later moved in to the corporate world when working for Dell computers.


Session Descriptions

Sunday, October 18

8:00–Noon Pre-conference Workshops

Snakes and Ladders: Content Collaboration in the Real WorldNolwenn Kerzreho, Université de RennesJoe Gollner, Gnostyx Research Inc.

This workshop will equip participants with planning tactics for laying out your next content change initiative. The participants will leverage a planning framework and participate in an interactive process of identifying key project opportunities and risks as well as exploring their own project roadmap.

This workshop sets out to achieve these goals by having a little fun. In the modern spirit of gamification, the topic will be approached using the familiar board game of Snakes and Ladders. Essentially, Snakes are hazards that set you back and ladders are strategies and tactics that help you along towards your ultimate goal. The workshop facilitators, as well as past workshop participants, have contributed a library of game building blocks and, over the course of this workshop, participants will add their own. Participants will also develop their own game-board populated with the Snakes and Ladders drawn from this expanded collection of building blocks. The point here is for everyone to tap into, and to benefit from, the project experiences of other practitioners. And using a game model

helps to keep this process moving along quickly so that the early steps in framing out a practical content strategy can be accelerated.

Your workshop facilitators will kick things off by introducing the typical organizational landscape to be traversed, some examples of key Snakes and Ladders you will encounter, the general rules of the game, and the benefits that come with winning. The results of the workshop will be compiled and shared with all workshop participants so that they can try it out for real within their own organizations. This workshop, as an exercise in collaborative learning, is designed to help both new and experienced content strategists, team leaders, and project managers.

REST API: Overview and Documentation Best PracticesMarta Rauch and Guruaj BS, Oracle

Laptops are required to participate in the hands-on exercises in this workshop.

If you haven't yet documented a REST API, you might be asked to do so soon. REST APIs are growing quickly, with enterprise and finance the fastest growing categories. The job market for REST API writers is hot, and technical communicators can increase their marketability and value to their company by learning about REST APIs. Be prepared by getting a head-start on what you need to know!


Attend this session to:

• Get an introduction to REST APIs.• Understand characteristics of the REST API

architectural style.• Learn about pros and cons of REST API

implementation.• Look at an example REST API and watch a

demonstration of performing operations on a resource using the REST interface.

• Learn about emerging documentation best practices for REST APIs.

Honing Your Workplace Negotiation SkillsJack Molisani, ProSpring StaffingKit Brown-Hoekstra, Comgenesis

Negotiation. Just saying the word makes many people quake in terror or withdraw in discomfort because it feels adversarial to them. But, change the word to collaboration and people smile and

lean in to hear more. And yet, that is what negotiation really is-collaborative problem-solving. You have something someone else needs and they have something you need. Identifying how each person can get their needs met in a way that satisfies both parties is the core of what negotiation is all about. In this energetic workshop, we will change the way you look at negotiation, give you some tools that you can use immediately, and opportunities to practice your new skills.

At this workshop, you will gain the following:

• Understanding of how to negotiate and when

• Techniques for effectively negotiating• Practice in these types of negotiations:

• Salary• Vendor• Client

Noon–1:00 Lunch (on your own)

1:00–5:00 Pre-conference Workshops

Creating a Content Strategy EcosystemAndrea Ames, IBM

You've defined a content strategy, so all you have left to do is implement it, right? Well, maybe. If you're in an enterprise of any size, your strategy encompasses far more than the content for which you are personally responsible. The most critical precursor to successfully implementing your strategy is to define and develop the right cultural ecosystem (people, processes, etc.) to ensure the best information experience for your customers while enabling your content creators to flourish and be productive. Understanding the influencers and inhibitors of that ecosystem will enable you to create the best possible environment for implementing your strategy.

Join Andrea to learn more about:

• Understanding the end-to-end lifecycle of your product/service to ensure efficient business processes and methodologies from the outside in, including• Gathering, analyzing, and prioritizing

market and user requirements• Understanding the business goals

affecting your strategy• Effectively influencing the human

component of the ecosystem, including:• Collaborating across the enterprise to

establish and maintain communication, business controls, governance, and standards

• Ensuring transparency, community, and the organic growth of content

• Measuring success using metrics for internal efficiency and external effectiveness


Adaptive Content Modeling for Omnichannel User Experience (UX)Noz Urbina, Urbina Consulting

One of today’s most daunting content delivery challenges is adapting your message for personalized, even context-specific distribution, on a diverse array of target devices and channels. This session will teach a proven methodology to analyze, enrich and structure your content to help authors create omnichannel, personalization and automation-ready content.

Content modeling is the backbone of an omnichannel content strategy. This session will show you how it’s done, and connect the dots between semantic content, content reuse, responsive design, omnichannel and multichannel delivery and user experience.

Single-source, multichannel content—also known as “Single source of truth” or “COPE (create once, publish everywhere)” content—is a bit of a holy grail right now. Multichannel’s big brother “omnichannel” is quickly gaining wider awareness. Our trade is discussing content being freed from the browser, available for reuse, and accessible in apps, kiosks, responsive mobile deliverables, eBooks and syndication services to our partners—even in wearable technologies. All this should improve the experience of users, and of course, benefit the organizations that serve them. Adaptive content unifies all these concepts and makes such a paradigm possible.

This practical session will show you why you want and need to have adaptive content structures to optimize user experience today. Its hands-on introductory exercises will help you model your own content in a future-proof way.

New Manager BootcampEeshita Grover and Charles Rygula, Cisco Systems

In this session, you will be exposed to ideas and techniques to adopt as a new Communications Manager. Some of the key focus areas include, getting to know my team, getting to know my content, and what it is to play the role model.

Through role play activities, you will be exposed to some real life challenges, some up and downs that you will be exposed to as a Communications Manager.

Revenue Strategy 101: Unifying Your Content and Revenue StrategiesChristopher Ward, WebWorks

This workshop will help you define content’s role in a revenue generating strategy. We will identify the major factors that have caused a paradigm shift in the way businesses view of content: The informed consumer, Big Data (the informed business), and unprecedented access to advanced technologies. With this understanding, you will begin to build your own strategy that aligns with your business goals. We will then move into the next phase, which is how to have the conversations that will transform the role of content in your business. This proven methodology will help bring those conversations to the executive level, so you can uncover and address the true obstacles to achieving your goals. Make content the most pivotal asset to a company’s continued success and position yourself as a business leader.


Monday, October 19

7:30–8:15 Registration, Continental Breakfast, Coffee

8:15–8:55 Welcome!

8:55–9:15 Veni, Vidi, Vici: Win the Battle for Content Ownership and Take Back Your Content Career

Victoria Koster-LenhardtEmployment Consultant for Europe at US Department of State

Vici’s most recent endeavors have involved rolling out a mix of communication vehicles to create a blended learning experience for a very specific global audience. Her current job title doesn’t have anything to do directly with a communications function, but her success has everything to do with the soft and hard

communication skills won fighting the battles in newspaper and magazine publishing, techcomm, corporate communications, and business development.

Vici’s keynote and follow-up breakout session will explain how she used her hard-earned wisdom to avoid the war this time. It turns out that winning the battle of content ownership is easier than you might think!

9:30–10:30 Breakout Sessions

Doc is Dead! How Walkthroughs Changed Saleforce’s Content StrategyLila Giuili and Gavin Austin, Salesforce

Customers no longer have the patience to read online help or user guides. To help customers better understand why they should use a variety of features, and renew their subscription-based apps, Salesforce conducted research to determine the content types that engaged customers most. The result—Salesforce changed its content strategy.

In this session, you will learn:

• What types of interactive content we’re creating at Salesforce

• Why Salesforce moved to interactive content over documentation

• How a large company changed its content strategy and how customers responded

Start with Empathy: Content Strategy and Design ThinkingKarin Ikavalko and Catherine Walker, PayPal

Your brand’s voice is critical to building meaningful relationships with customers. It turns touchpoints into conversations and brings


meaning to your products and services. At PayPal, we’ve been focusing on customer needs and emotion in a new approach to content design. Using empathy and design thinking, we created a repeatable and scalable methodology that brings voice and content strategy to the forefront of the design process and hits the mark with customers. Join us as we share how empathy can bring your brand’s voice to life, transform your customer experiences, and help you influence your teams.

This session will show you:

• Why it’s critical to balance customer needs with business objectives and how you can lead the charge.

• Ways to build empathy, connect with customers, and make content strategy a key part of your design process.

• An actionable approach to developing your own methodology and influencing stakeholders.

Keeping the Content Train on the Tracks (and on Topic)Robert D. Anderson, IBMKristen James Eberlein, Eberlein Consulting

How do you keep your content moving forward, while you are weighed down with baggage from the past? How do you change course when the tracks ahead seem to have washed away? Come hear the editors of the DITA 1.3 specification talk about creative strategies they put into place to streamline the process of developing a version of the specification, improve the quality and usability of the content, and get to their destination on schedule.


• What process changes allowed us to add new content quickly, while simultaneously reducing page count

• How we dealt with the audience tug-of-war, balancing precision and readability

• How we found the right incentives to improve participation in this (entirely volunteer-based) team effort

• How we managed to keep going after running out of steam

The Internet of Things: When Machines Interact With Their Own Technical InformationScott Youngblom, Oberon Technologies

The focus on technical information to date has typically been about your customer being able to find the right content, quickly. As we move into the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), the discussion must move to how can machines proactively push the correct information to your customers. Imagine if a machine populated an installation guide or curated its own service information based on fault codes and other environmental readings to increase first time fix rate and overall customer satisfaction.


• How to prepare your content for IoT• How to add intelligence to your content• How devices can push content to customers

Win the Battle for Content Ownership (continued)Victoria Koster-Lenhardt, Employment Consultant for US Department of State

Vici’s most recent endeavors have involved rolling out a mix of communication vehicles to create a blended learning experience for a very specific global audience. Her current job title doesn’t have anything to do directly with a communications function, but her success has everything to do with the soft and hard communication skills won fighting the battles in newspaper and magazine publishing, techcomm, corporate communications, and business development.

Vici’s keynote and this follow-up breakout session explain how she used her hard-earned wisdom to avoid the war this time. It turns out that winning the battle of content ownership is easier than you might think!



Plan for Success: Implement a Content Triangle FrameworkAl Martine, INKtopia (TechWhirl)

Rather than thinking about Content Strategy as a fully baked cake, why not think about content in its core parts: the technology used to manage it, the approach being used to guide its development and the techniques used by your authors to create it.

By looking at the content triangle technology, strategy and development you’ll be able to assess what you do today and make comprehensive decisions on where you want to go tomorrow. Our framework allows business managers and content strategists to diagnose and provide strategic recommendations for improving their companies & avoiding the big-bang changes that doom so many business plans and initiatives.

During this session, we will:

• Review content technologies types (creation, management, publishing and distribution)

• Cover business and content development strategies

• Content creation approaches• Talk through scenarios for improving your

company’s triangle and the case for each improvement.

Improve the UX of Your Content, and Prove It!Pam Noreault and Tara Knapp, ACI Worldwide

Users are your biggest advocates when you involve them in your efforts to improve content quality. Users can convince writers, who may be stuck in their “old ways,” to adopt new ideas and methodologies.

We’ll take you through our UPLift evolution to:

• Improve content.• Create model documents.• Implement a repeatable methodology.• Validate our models with customers.

What you will learn:

• Our UPLift methodology• What our before and after models look like• How we engaged our customers to validate/

test our UPLifted content• What metrics we gathered and the results

we touted• Challenges, lessons learned, and how our

(re)evolution continues

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn from our missteps, and you’ll see our testing results.

Content in an Agile WorldMegan Gilhooly, Ping IdentityAnne Grosvenor, INVIDI

The company is moving to Agile development. What’s a Technical Communications team to do? Two content professionals-turned-certified Scrum Masters discuss various options and suggestions for making the move to Agile. In this session, you will discover:

• How DITA makes Agile possible• Which parts of Scrum work well for content

development• How to tweak Scrum artifacts that aren’t a

natural fit• How to do Scrum even if your company isn’t

Experiences and Lessons Learned on the Road to DITA: PLAYing It ForwardTracy Baker, F5 NetworksLiz Fraley, Single-Sourcing Solutions

The road from traditional book-based authoring to DITA and topic-based authoring is full of potholes:

• How do you chop up a book into self-contained topics and put it back together into something that makes sense?

• How do you handle reuse and linking?• And how do you wrap your mind around

new tools and workflows while still getting your job done?


In the world premier of this, their first play, Tracy Baker and Liz Fraley share experiences and lessons-learned to help you get to DITA/Topic Based Authoring without taking too many wrong turns.

Scoping Level of Effort and Getting the Right Resources for the JobJason Kaufman, Irrevo

In this session, you will learn proven methods used for scoping the level of effort involved in achieving successful content project outcomes. You will also learn how to leverage this data to strengthen the case for the resources needed to successfully deliver on project goals.

11:45–12:30 Networking Lunch

12:30–12:50 What Problem Are You Trying to Solve? Achieving Organization and User Goals Through Content

David Dylan ThomasSenior Content Strategist, EPAM

In this session, Senior Content Strategist David Dylan Thomas will walk you through a case study where content, UX, and design teams joined forces in a way that increased a client’s sales by 200%. Through a carefully crafted hands-on workshop approach, the development team identified organization and user needs and discovered together—with stakeholders—how content could achieve project and organization objectives.

Thomas will share the exercises he lead stakeholders through, such as:

• What business problem are your trying to solve

• WHY are you creating content?• What do your users really care about?• How can we tell if we achieved the project

goals (success criteria)?In this hands-on interactive session, you will do similar exercises yourselves to see just how powerful (and simple) it is to gather insights into organization objectives and get stakeholders invested in the solution you’re creating.

12:50–1:10 How to Reach Those Who Hold the Power and Purse Strings

Noz UrbinaPrincipal Content Strategist, Urbina Consulting

A jam-packed introduction piece to the full session to follow in the afternoon. We’ll address the true nature of strategy (it’s not about your pay grade) and how to address a mixed managerial

landscape. The short and long sessions on this topic feature unique content and are designed to work together. This session features some proven key tips and techniques to the positioning of content up the organization chart and help you move your initiative forward.


1:15–2:45 Exhibit Hall Open, Vendor Demos, Beer Garden Open


Integrating Content Planning and Delivery Across the EnterpriseConnie Giordano, INKtopia (TechWhirl)

You know that getting content out of organizational silos is a good thing. An integrated approach benefits the whole organization. The hard part comes when it’s time to go from idea to execution. Solo efforts had their place, but now it’s time to orchestrate this content production for maximum effect.

This session will provide you with tools and inspiration to produce a symphony that is music to the ears of your customers and your management:

• What’s in your company’s repertoire?• The challenge of arranging pieces fit for

your players and audience.• Auditions and Rehearsals: Pulling the right

talent, instruments, and program together.• Handling the reviews, and the rest of the

season.• Performing with a garage-band budget.

Join Connie Giordano for a practical approach delivering great content as well-tuned orchestra.

Successfully Delivering a Personalized Content Experience: From Structured Content to Multichannel PublishingJim Edmunds, IngeniuxSuzanne Mescan, Vasont

Content is moving quickly from traditional print to print and digital channels. The key to delivering these projects is to ensure that content is authored once and reused intelligently across all channels including print, web, and mobile in a personalized fashion. Many projects focus on the authoring challenge in isolation and personalization as a secondary concern. For today’s projects to be successful, it is vital that an

integrated approach to personalized content is considered at both the authoring and publishing level. In this presentation, you will learn:

• Core requirements needed for personalized projects

• Essential elements for success• How to target content by categories (e.g.,

product, audience, sector)• The important role that personalization plays

within effective CXM strategies

Faster than Agile: Replacing the Publishing Process with Live ContentJang Graat, The Content Era

This presentation aims to reset your minds when it comes to publishing large bodies of content. Instead of simply following the examples of agile development from our software departments, there may be opportunities to do away with scrum masters, sprints and automated builds. We will investigate the differences between software and content and see what agile, or faster than agile, opportunities can be derived from revisiting our most basic preconceptions about publishing. The presentation includes a live demo, a proof of concept that live documents can be created and maintained with a fraction of the work involved in old-fashioned publication cycles. The demo even includes in-browser targeted reviewing by subject matter experts and versioning on the server.


• That information is not software• That on-demand publishing is much more

effective• That expensive content management

systems are not always required• How structured content can be accessed by

human and non-human readers alike• That effective technical information is alive

(and kicking)


The Emerging Model for Enterprise DITA AuthoringLes Burnham and Patrick Baker, Stilo

DITA implementations in large organizations have typically been confined to the domain of tech docs. Unfortunately there are several barriers to the more widespread adoption of DITA, including the cost and availability of appropriate authoring tools. SMEs who make occasional content contributions don’t want to know about DITA or its complexities, or invest a lot of time and effort learning new tools.

Up until now, there has traditionally been four classic models of content authoring: free-form, form-driven, structure-driven and template-driven. All have their relative merits, but still fall short of what is required for widespread enterprise DITA adoption.

In this session, you will learn about an emerging 5th model for content creation—guided DITA authoring. We will demonstrate how AuthorBridge, a new web-based editor, can provide the best of all four classic models and more, while providing a paradigm shift in the affordability of structured content authoring.

Achieving Organization and User Goals through Content (continued)David Dylan Thomas, EPAM

In the continuation of this keynote address, Senior Content Strategist David Dylan Thomas will walk you through a case study where content, UX, and design teams joined forces in a way that increased a client’s sales by 200%. Through a carefully crafted hands-on workshop approach, the development team identified organization and user needs and discovered together—with stakeholders—how content could achieve project and organization objectives.

Thomas will share the exercises he lead stakeholders through, such as “What business problem are your trying to solve?”, “WHY are you creating content?”, “What do your users really care about?”, and “How can we tell if we achieved the project goals (success criteria)?”

In this hands-on interactive session, you will do similar exercises yourselves to see just how powerful (and simple) it is to gather insights into organization objectives and get stakeholders invested in the solution you’re creating.


From Startup to the Big Leagues: Enjoying the JourneyJoseph Meyers and Meg Miranda, Cisco Systems

We’ve each worked at startups that were subsequently acquired by big companies. We’ve learned a few things along the way.

In this session you will learn:

• Our experience before, during and after the acquisition process.

• What you can do now to make potential transitions easier for you and your team.

• The many facets of preparation and adaptation.

Case Study: Don’t Puzzle Your Customers—Give Them a Personalized Customer Experience (CX)Julian Murfitt and Mark Poston, Mekon

TBD.

Get Your GameStorming On! The Shifting Paradigm of Requirements GatheringMichelle Caldwell, Avanade

Are you tired of attending or leading the same old boring requirements-gathering sessions? Would you like to find a way to get stakeholders excited about requirements gathering? Then this class is for you!


Find out how to use collaborative play to build better solution requirements for SharePoint projects (or any other project for that matter). In this class, you will learn seriously fun ways to do work-seriously! Learn how to tap into true innovation and uncover hidden business requirements. What are you waiting for? Come to this class and learn how to put these tools into action!

• Introduce new and field-tested concepts for creating a clear and compelling vision for SharePoint.

• Facilitate more effective requirements-gathering sessions.

• Identify and avoid five problem patterns that plague many project teams.

• Hit the ground running with new templates that you can use to facilitate your own Innovation Games.

How DITA Can Advance Your Structured Content StrategyKeith Schengili-Roberts, IXIASOFT

What does DITA have to offer Content Strategists? Plenty as it turns out, and more than just content reuse and dynamic multi-channel publishing. DITA provides built-in content consistency, more efficient multi-language translation, and even the ability to handle a myriad of product and version outputs. The updated DITA 1.3 specification includes additional features designed with user interaction in mind, including targeted troubleshooting, improving the ability to add metadata to content—aiding with Search Engine Optimization—and linking across different

deliverable types. From a content management perspective there’s also new metadata for keeping track of releases, branch filtering, and more control over handling a diverse set of publication outputs.

How to Reach Those Who Hold the Power and Purse Strings (continued)Noz Urbina, Urbina Consulting

The full session leading off from the earlier keynote. This session is back by popular demand from LavaCon 2013:

It seems sometimes like management engagement with your content strategy is like a great mystical prize sealed up in the highest tower of a maze-like castle; and there’s a huge moat; and the whole thing is on top of a mountain.

To actually reach it is a challenge that will in itself take a strategy, special tools (and weapons?), and a great mountain-climbing, maze-solving team.

Noz Urbina shares some of his experience on how we can get closer to our content strategy objectives by not falling at the first barrier: getting the necessary support to develop and implement it. Based on a career

selling content strategies into a diverse range of organizations—from a few hundred staff to tens-of-thousands—some of his tips will involve judicious use of common sense, and others will be potentially surprising.

Learn how you can storm that castle, and claim your prize.

5:00–5:20 The State of the Industry: What’s In, What’s Out, and What’s Next

Adobe Systems

TBD.


5:20–7:00 Network Reception

Sponsored by Adobe Systems:

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information. Adobe’s innovative solutions for technical communicators are market-leading best-of-breed software.

8:00– Jazz Club Tweetup

Tuesday, October 20

7:30–8:15 Continental Breakfast, Exhibit Hall Open, and Coffee

8:15–8:40 Content Strategy vs. Content Engineering: The Emerging Role of the Content Engineer

Cruce SaundersFounder, Simple [A]

The Content Engineer now plays a central role in delivering intelligent content, and the role has shown itself as critical to successful Customer Experience Management, personalization, and content publishing to multiple platforms and channels.

In this session, you will learn about:

• The territory covered by Content Strategy and Content Engineering practices

• How to distinguish between Content Strategy and Content Engineering functions

• Why Content Engineering is an organizational function that cannot be left out without tremendous project cost

• How to build a Content Engineering practice with existing staff

• Key Content Engineering deliverables and functions

• A call for intelligent content, and more human digital experiences


8:40–9:00 The Dark Arts of Content Leadership

Joe GollnerPresident, Gnostyx Research

In an increasingly sophisticated and integrated world, the work of content professionals has become very challenging as budgets shrink, timeframes shorten, needs evolve, and products grow in complexity. In this session, you will learn about:

• What makes content such a special resource in organizations today;

• How the role of content professionals is being recognized as one that builds

connections across functions and organizations;

• What challenges will confront you as a content professional as you are asked to work closely with an expanding array of teams;

• What tactics you can use to break down barriers, to mend fences, and to win over reluctant stakeholders; and,

• What content leadership means and why you will increasingly need to start developing this skill.

In this session, special attention will be given to showcasing some of the many foes that you will encounter on your journeys and what to do about them.


The Dark Arts of Content Leadership (continued)Joe Gollner, Gnostyx Research

In an increasingly sophisticated and integrated world, the work of content professionals has become very challenging as budgets shrink, timeframes shorten, needs evolve, and products grow in complexity. In this session, you will learn about:

• What makes content such a special resource in organizations today;

• How the role of content professionals is being recognized as one that builds connections across functions and organizations;

• What challenges will confront you as a content professional as you are asked to

work closely with an expanding array of teams;

• What tactics you can use to break down barriers, to mend fences, and to win over reluctant stakeholders; and,

• What content leadership means and why you will increasingly need to start developing this skill.

In the continuation of this keynote address, special attention will be given to showcasing some of the many foes that you will encounter on your journeys and what to do about them.

Let’s Talk Technical Marketing: Your Guide to Content for the Entire Customer JourneyAri Hoffman, MindTouch

In today's search driven world, we tend to look at Marketing as the answer to new business development. We overlook the power that product and support can play in marketing and sales.


Learn how to leverage your product and support content as a Marketing goldmine. Unlock the Search Engine potential of your “How To's” and FAQs to engage your customers throughout the entire customer journey. Transform static PDFs into a rich, dynamic self-service channel where prospects and customers can self-educate and watch as the sales cycle shortens and your NPS (Net Promoter Score) increases.

The Phantom in the Boardroom: Why You shouldn’t be Scared to Work with a GhostwriterChantielle MacFarlane, Hyperwallet Systems

In this session, Chantielle will bust out the proton pack and provide you with an inside look at how to properly engage a ghostwriter within your organization. Citing real-world examples from her role as the Lead Content Strategist at Hyperwallet Systems Inc., Chantielle will educate session participants on:

• How a ghostwriter can improve the quality of your organization’s content

• The benefits of including ghosts in strategic planning

• Tactics/tools for executing ghosted projectsYou’ll leave the session armed with road maps for managing executive/ghost interactions, as well as actionable approaches for nurturing phantoms into fully visible members of your content team.

Making the Most of the New Math Domains in DITA 1.3Aaron Guigar, Design Science

Although many organizations have long been using MathML with DITA, DITA 1.3 will include new math domains standardizing inclusion of mathematics in DITA content. This is great news if you have any math in your content: It means that the amount of time needed to implement DITA will be shorter, and it also allows you to capitalize on your transition to XML for mathematical content. Using MathML in DITA, you’ll be able to make document-wide style changes to your equations, localize your mathematical content, and re-use or adapt the mathematics as needed.

During this session, you will learn about the following:

• What are the benefits of MathML in DITA?• How to use the new DITA math domains• What tools can be used to publish DITA

MathML

How to Manage Change in Documentation (Time Travel and Other Techniques)Jim Tivy, Bluestream Software

Change in products and procedures is a constant in organizations. New features are being added to products in an every changing world. In a multiple product release environment, product releases may be happening in sequence or in parallel. In this session, Jim will present a survey of the problems and solutions in managing change in documentation using DITA and CMS technologies.


Repurposing Content for Multichannel PublishingLiz Fraley, Single-Sourcing Solutions

When Management decides to go to an XML publishing system, it’s not always clear to the authoring and editing staff why the decision was made. Ever wonder why they choose to go this

route? In this presentation, we’re going to talk about some of the reasons companies choose to go away from desktop publishing systems to something more dynamic, so that you not only understand it better but can get excited about the change.


When Easy Isn’t Enough: What Video Games can Teach Us About Content Strategy and UXJohn Caldwell and Ria Hagan, Intuit

When there’s no meaning in our UX, especially in our content, our customers are likely to drift away. We can’t just make it “easy.” Game designers and writers have faced the same problems we have as content strategists, and they’ve found ingenious ways to create an all-important emotional connection with their audience—a “silver arrow.” Join John Caldwell and Ria Hagan as they share some of the powerful things narrative video games can teach us about content strategy, including the importance of the “non-player character” and the evolution of content in the digital age.

During this session, you will learn:

• Why we need to accept that people are irrational

• How your customers, like the players of video games, are telling themselves a story about the experience

• Why there needs to be both “magic” and “meaning” in the experience

• The power of creating a set of aspirational principles based on emotion

The Globalization of Technical Writing: Threat or Opportunity?Barry Saiff, Saiff Solutions

Is outsourcing content development right for your organization? How do you tell? The growth of outsourcing is driven by powerful economic forces. How outsourcing decisions are made — and how outsourcing is managed – will largely determine the impact, positive or negative, of outsourcing on an organization.

In this session, we will explore the ins and outs of technical writing outsourcing. How is outsourcing changing the profession? How can you play an effective role in influencing outsourcing decisions that can impact your organization and your career?

In this session you will learn:

• The key success factors for technical writing outsourcing

• The pitfalls to watch out for, and how you can you avoid them

• What does your organization stand to gain, or lose?

• What will happen to technical writing as a profession?

Case Study: Converting Legacy Content to DITA—It’s Not Rocket Science!Pam Noreault, ACILes Burnham, Stilo

Many companies shy away from implementing DITA due to the false perception that converting legacy content to the DITA standard is expensive and tedious.

In this case study session, Pamela Noreault from ACI Worldwide (the market leader in banking and payments software products) and Les Burnham from Stilo International, will share a first-hand look at how ACI approached the task of converting 85,000 pages of legacy content as an integral part of their DITA implementation project.

Pam and Les will share insightful tips, tricks, best practices and valuable metrics, ensuring you come away with a better understanding of what it takes to convert content to DITA – and the realization that it really isn’t rocket science!

Moving Your Organization up the Knowledge Value ChainJoe Gelb, Suite Solutions

As organizations migrate more of their content to structure, they increasingly seek to leverage that investment to overcome business challenges: providing quick access to relevant knowledge, joining disparate silos, and gaining business insights from how customers use content.

In this presentation we will present a Knowledge Value Maturity Model which portrays the key tracks leading to increased business value and helps you build an incremental and actionable roadmap to optimize your content use at a world-class level. We will walk you through a “day in the


life” of a world-class organization that uses this model to leverage their structured content infrastructure for enhancing customer and partner interactions and reaping tangible business benefits.

You will learn:

• How to craft a long-term content roadmap for your organization

• How others in the industry are maximizing the value of their content

• Several use cases for optimizing your own content use


12:30–12:50 Developing Your Organizational Power and Influence

Andrea AmesContent Experience Strategist, IBM

Becoming influential and powerful within your organization is not magic, a talent that you must be born with, or an unreachable goal for the mere mortal. Applying a few key concepts using some basic tools and techniques can greatly improve your influence quotient.

In this TED-like talk, Andrea will share the most critical approaches that she's found to boost influence and increase power at work. Join her for a few KPIs (key performance indicators), an entertaining story or two, and maybe even a surprise cape!

12:50–1:15 The Art of Presenting to Upper-level Management

Tom AldousCEO, The Content Era

You’ve traveled to conferences, sat through product demonstrations and eaten a metric ton of continental breakfast to get the opportunity to see what some of the best products in the world can do to improve your quality of life at work. Finally, you find it. What do you do now?

Unless you are the sole decision maker for your company, there is usually a ladder you have to scale, a mountain you have to climb and the

always demotivating corporate procurement policy. What if you knew how to navigate this “gauntlet”, and champion your idea all the way to successful procurement?

Tom will be walking you through the management decision making process and giving you tips on how to build the right business case, talk to the right people and eventually gain executive sponsorship.



How Content Strategy Can (Literally) Prove Its WorthEmily Shields, Facebook

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