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Technical Communication Competition

Information for Entrants and Judges

Competition Home • Entrants • Judges • Schedules • Awards • Winners • Contacts • FAQs

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Competition Committee Roles and Responsibilities

Running the chapter competition is a large project. Several people are needed to share the responsibilities. At the minimum, these include the Competition Committee Manager, Judging Manager, and Entries Manager.

The current competition volunteer positions are listed below. If you are interested in volunteering, review the vacant positions available on the Competition Contacts page, and the descriptions below. If you are interested in filling one of the positions, or just to help on the committee, submit the Volunteer Signup Form.

Position Descriptions

Awards Celebration Location Coordinator

The Awards Celebration Location Coordinator's responsibilities are to tcoordinate the speaker and/or workshops, hotel logistics, equipment, handouts, and catering. You will receive instructions on how to handle each of these components, and will work with a team to make the event successful.

This is a great way to ease into event management while also qualifying for free attendance at the awards celebration you are managing.

In exchange for your services, we will give you a free meal at the luncheon. Please register online [not taking registrations yet] for the luncheon so that we know which entrée to order for you).

Time commitment: Noon until 2:30 p.m. on the day of the awards celebration. Preparation: 6-8 hours between August and February.

Awards Celebration Photographer

The Awards Celebration Photographer's responsibilities are to take photos of each person as they receive their award at our competition awards celebration. Make these photos available on Snapfish or some other web-based photo distribution site so that award winners can purchase copies. Also take casual photos of the entry displays, speaker, and attendees at the event.

In exchange for your services, we will reimburse you for your film cost and will give you a free meal at the luncheon. Please register online [not taking registrations yet] for the luncheon so that we know which entrée to order for you).

Time commitment: Noon until 2:30 p.m. on the day of the awards celebration. Optional: 9:00 a.m. until noon.

Competition Committee Manager

The Competition Committee Manager's responsibilities are

Oversee all aspects of the competitions
Request the Chapter President to contact other STC chapter presidents for permission to use their mailing lists and have them sent from the STC office.
Find volunteers for competition committee positions. Guide and assist committee managers
Serve as liaison to the STC office and the international competition managers
Obtain competition information from STC office
Handle all preliminary activities
Establish and monitor the schedule
Establish and monitor the competition budget
Solicit corporate support
Assume the responsibilities of any leadership roles that aren't filled
Attend monthly board meetings to provide updates on the competition
Write and send out letters (with the judges evaluation sheets) to all submitters notifying them if their entry won an award or not
Work with the Locations Manager or Awards Celebration Location Coordinator on how award certificates will be distributed at the Awards Celebration
Mail letters and award certificates not picked up at the awards celebration as needed
Send qualifying entries to the international managers along with an inventory and proper entry fee by the necessary deadline
Find and purchase gifts for judges and volunteers
Serve as the link between the chapter and the exchange chapter's contacts (if applicable)
Preside over judging and awards events
Resolve any issues that arise during the competition process
Prepare a final report for the records
Find a judging exchange partner and serve as liaison to the partner (if chapter decides to participate in judging exchanges for the year)
Create or revise local competition guidelines to reflect current procedures
Assemble and relay all pertinent information, records, and recommendations to the next Competition Committee Manager

Judging Manager

The Judging Manager's responsibilities are

Develop a schedule for judging (in conjunction with the Competition Committee Manager)
Recruit judges
Follow up with a letter confirming the schedule and their commitment
Develop judging teams from the judging volunteers
Assemble judging packets for each judging team
Maintain identification badges for meetings
Plan the consensus judging (work with the Locations Manager or Awards Celebration Location Coordinator for facilities and any necessary equipment)
Hold training session for judges
Coordinate the distribution of entries to the judges (in conjunction with the Entries Manager)
During the period of private evaluations, work with team leaders in monitoring the progress of judges
Preside over consensus judging
Help collect and box entries at the Consensus meeting
Evaluate judge performance and maintain database of judges
Send thank you letters or other acknowledgments or gifts to the judges (coordinate certificates or awards with the recognitions manager)
Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager

Entries Manager

The Entries Manager's responsibilities are

Field questions from submitters after the Call for Entries is mailed
Develop spreadsheet to record all entries
Receive and log the entries
Inspect submittals for complete information, correct entry fees, and correct category
Verify that entries meet the criteria for submission and are in the appropriate category
Acknowledge receipt of entries
Record information in the database or spreadsheet as it becomes available; provide appropriate reports
Coordinate the sort days (unboxing entries through mailing chapter entries to the international competition)
Work with the Judging Manager in distributing entries to judges for their evaluations
Receive the chapter entries after they are judged by the exchange chapter (if applicable)
At judging consensus meetings, keep track of entries and retrieve all of them when judging is complete
Handle chapter entries after they are judged
Provide award information for use in preparing the Awards Celebration booklet
Distribute entries to submitters after the Awards Celebration if prearranged to do so
Handle disposition of remaining entries
Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager

Finance Manager (often the Chapter Treasurer)

The Financial Manager's responsibilities are

Work with the Competition Committee Manager in preparing a budget
Monitor income and expenditures
Review any contracts before they are signed
Handle reimbursements to competition volunteers, payments to vendors, and STC
Prepare a final financial report for the Competition Committee Manager

Locations Manager

The Locations Manager's responsibilities are

Locate individuals and organizations willing to donate services such as design, printing, mailing, and facilities
Make room arrangements and catering needs for the pickup meeting, judging meetings, consensus meeting, and the Awards Celebration
For online communication entries that require computer equipment, find equipment for judges to use to review the entries
Arrange for equipment to be on site and working when required
Work with competition committee in installing the entries to be reviewed
Be responsible for return of the equipment and the condition of the judging site
Arrange for any equipment that is necessary for displaying online entries; set up the display of winning entries at the event; be responsible for return of equipment
Receive RSVPs for the Awards Celebration

Competition Publications Manager

The Competition Publications Manager's responsibilities are

Develop a theme for the competition (in conjunction with the Competition Committee Manager)
Create the Call for Entries, application forms, theme artwork, receipt response postcards, and Awards Celebration program
Maintain USPS and e-mail mailing lists for the Call for Entries
Recruit individuals and organizations for donated services (such as graphic design, printing, and mailing)
Locate printer
Organize physical mailing and distribution
Prepare input about the competition for the chapter Web site, blog, and other social media

Outreach Manager

The Outreach Manager's responsibilities are

Contact documentation groups to let them know about the competition
Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager

Publicity Coordinator

The Publicity Coordinator's responsibilities are

Prepare material to publicize the competition for the chapter newsletter, chapter Web site, and the media
Receive list of winners from the Competition Committee Manager
Publicize the awards event
Send notices about the winners of the competition to the media
Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager

Recognitions Manager

The Recognitions Manager's responsibilities are

Work with the Competition Manager in deciding what kinds of awards will be presented to winners (certificates, engraved mementos, and so forth)
Print blank certificates if needed or purchase preprinted certificates and frames (for Best of Show)
Receive list of winners from the Competition Committee Manageror Database Coordinator
Coordinate production of all award certificates and framed Best of Show awards
Send thank you certificates to all judges
Produce and mail duplicate certificates when additional copies are requested

Past Competition Committee Manager

The Past Competition Committee Manager's responsibilities are

Stand by to give advise to the Competition Committee when needed based on previous experience with the chapter competitions
Be available to answer questions relating to entries and winners for the previous competitions

Competition Committee Advisor

The Competition Committee Advisor's responsibilities are

Stand by to give advise to the Competition Committee when needed based on previous experience with the chapter competitions

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