For the fourth year all the European STC chapters are getting together to hold competitions for technical publications and online communication. STC chapters around the world are also holding their local competitions too.

Why enter the competition?

Have you ever wondered how your work would be viewed by an expert in your field? Do you need feedback on your documentation and have no way of getting it? Would you like to be able to show your client or company the value of your work in making a product a successful? By submitting entries to the technical communications competition you can obtain constructive feedback on your work from a team of judges and perhaps even win an award! Winners can use an STC Award Logo on their winning entry to show all readers that this is a document of quality.

The competition is open to everyone; you don't need to be a member of the STC. The Call for Entries and entry form are available at www.stc-europe.org. The deadline for submitting entries is 16 October 2006.

You can submit entries that fit into any of the 12 Technical Publications, and 3 Online Communication categories. See the Call for Entries for details on all these categories and the entry rules. We are unique among STC competitions as we accept entries in five languages: Dutch, English, French, German, and Italian.

There are three levels of awards, Distinguished, Excellence, and Merit. There is also a Best of Show award. English-language Distinguished winners automatically qualify to the Society-level international competition. As an entrant you will receive detailed feedback from a team of three judges.

The Trans-European competition receives entries from over 10 countries across Europe and even from as far field as Canada. We are a truly international competition, reflecting our diverse and dynamic region.

Why be a judge?

Being a judge for the competition is a great experience. As a judge you will view a broad range of your peers' work and see first-hand the wide variety of media through which we communicate and the many industries that employ our skills and talents. It is a great opportunity to network with other experienced technical communicators from all over Europe and to share a passion for technical communication. You don't have to be an STC member to be a judge, and you can both enter and be a judge. The competition team will make sure that you don't judge an entry from your company.

The judging process is explained in the Judges' Guidelines, which are available at www.stc-europe.org. You will be sent the entries, evaluation forms, and the contact details of your judging team members by post at the end of October. You will receive up to four entries to evaluate. If you would like to become a judge, complete the Judge Application form available on the web site. Judges work virtually in teams of three. We don't hold face-to-face meetings as judges are located across many European countries.

And then we celebrate

We will be holding the awards event in Paris at the end of January 2007 to celebrate the winners. It is also an opportunity to see all the entries and to network with communicators from across Europe.

For further information, please contact our local STC chapter Competitions Manager Karen Lewis or the competition manager, Jennifer O Neill

Important web link:

Competition information and forms: www.stc-europe.org

Important dates to remember:

• Deadline for submitting entries: 16 October 2006
• Deadline for applying to be a judge: 16 October 2006
• Judging period: end of October to mid December 2006
• Results announced: mid December 2006
• Awards event: end of January 2007 in Paris

Karen Lewis
Email: competition@stcuk.org
Mobile: +44 771 889 5657