Sunday, 7 May through Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Host Chapter: Washington, DC-Baltimore.

National Harbor, MD / Washington, DC

Conference Headquarters: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, Maryland 20745
Phone: +1-301-965-4000
Fax: +1-301-965-4098

Transportation Services
Gaylord National is just a 15-minute drive from Reagan National Airport and a 45-minute drive from both Dulles and Baltimore Washington International Airports. SuperShuttle and ExecuCar service are available from the airports to the hotel; Hertz is a Gaylord Hotels preferred partner for car rentals. For SuperShuttle and transportation schedules, fees, and driving directions, see Gaylord National Maps and Transportation.

National Harbor Entertainment Transportation

Gaylord National registered overnight guests can enjoy free transportation within National Harbor to MGM and Tanger on the National Harbor Circulator bus as part of the Resort Fee. The Harbor Shuttle bus runs daily 11am-4am. There is also a National Harbor Water Taxi that can take you into DC and Alexandria, VA.

Directions: For information about the National Harbor Shuttles, see the National Harbor Directions page (scroll down to the Harbor Shuttle section).
Public Transit: Use the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus line NH1 from D.C. or NH2 from Alexandria, VA.
Parking: https://parking.nationalharbor.com/
Also see the Gaylord National Harbor Entertainment Transportation page for additional information.

For any questions regarding times or reservations, please call the Gaylord's Transportation Desk at 301-965-2081 or email email hidden; JavaScript is required.

National Harbor Welcome page for local attractions and amenities

64th STC Annual Conference. Theme: "Gain the Edge to Get Results"

• Session Schedule, Speakers, and Attendees
• Add the schedule to your mobile phone:
  1. Sign Up (Register) for the schedule application in the left sidebar at https://stcsummit2017.sched.com under Account / Login or Signup
  2. Bookmark this link in a browser on your https://stcsummit2017.sched.com for your iPhone, Android or Blackberry.
• Download iCal for Google Calendar, Outlook & Apple iCal
• Keynote Speaker: Seth Mattison
• Technical sessions covering topics such as education and training, online documentation, usability, Internet, World Wide Web, SGML, multimedia communication, management, professional development, theory and research, tools and technology, writing and editing
• Conference Proceedings
• Society annual business meeting
• Exposition (vendors of technical communication products and services, STC booths, display of STC Technical Communication Competition winners, vendor showcase sessions, and more).
• Preconference seminars and workshops
• Parties that only technical communicators would want to attend!

• Leadership Day: Sunday, May 7 • 8:00am – 12:00pm
• Hotel Costs (Gaylord National Resort): STC has negotiated a special conference room rate of $229 USD (plus applicable taxes and fees) for single or double accommodations at the Gaylord National Resort. This rate covers registrations 4 May – 11 May 2017. Reserve your rooms at the official Summit hotel, the Gaylord National Resort, for the STC contracted rate at https://aws.passkey.com/event/15224000/owner/54055/landing
• Hotel Details
  • Room descriptions
  • Gaylord Fitness Center & the Relâche Spa & Salon
  • National Harbor Gaylord Resort and Hotel Map (not currently available)
  • Conference Accessibility Notes:
    • The Hotel Accessibility Amenities page lists all accessible entrances in the hotel. Of special note:
      • Pool entrances are all accessible but self-operating lifts or sloped entry ramps are not available for pools
      • Hotel has on-site accessible self-parking
      • Service animals are allowed for persons with disabilities (otherwise, no pets)
      • Urgent Care / Walk-in Health Facilities: Precision Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is approximately 3 blocks from the Gaylord National. Offers the following medical services: urgent care, primary care, orthopedics, sports medicine, pain management, podiatry, and nutrition services. Be sure to tell them you are there for their Urgent Care service.
• Technical Communication Summit Registration Rates:
  

  Registration Fees

  Table contents

  The first column shows the category, the second through fifth columns provide the fee for each type of membership.

  Category	Classic Membership*	Gold Membership	Student Membership	Retired Membership	Nonmember
  Early Bird: 1 Dec 2016 – 31 Jan 2017	$895	$895	$200	$595	$1,350
  Advanced: 1 Feb – 31 March 2017	$1,150	$895	$200	$595	$1,550
  Full Price: 1 April – 7 May 2017	$1,450	$895	$200	$595	$1,750
  One Day: 8, 9, or 10 May 2017	$595	$595	$100	$500	$795
  * New TC Professional Members pay the Classic Member rate.

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Attend This Year's STC Annual Conference

10. You'll get lots of exercise touring the hotel and walking to and from Conference sessions. Explore our nation's capital from our National Harbor hotel. The spectacular waterfront resort, with a stunning 19-story glass atrium and sweeping views of the Potomac River, is steps from National Harbor's premier entertainment and shopping district and only 8 miles south of the nation's capital.The hotel offers resort-style amenities including a spa and fitness center, indoor pool, and six onsite restaurants.

9. You can easily complain to next year's Annual Conference committee about everything you don't like about this year's conference.

8. You will finally have a reason to hand out your business cards.

7. Where else are you going to meet the people on the TECHWR-L mailing list?

6. You'll develop professionally and expand your network of contacts.

5. Two words: tote bag!

4. Winners of the STC International Summit Awards Competition are on display

3. Exposition Hall and Vendor showcase sessions of the hottest tools

2. Singing and dancing

1. The Capital Wheel

Get 20% off when you show your Summit badge!

The Gaylord Hotel provides a coupon book with a valued savings of $100 for area attractions including the National Harbor, just steps from the Gaylord. Visit the Local Area page for more information.

What Else Is There?

If you want to take a break from attending some sessions, or have a family member who is wondering how they can spend their time, there is plenty to do!

• Play: Whether you are coming alone, bringing the family, or entertaining a special friend, there are lots of places for children and adults to play! See the National Harbor's Play Overview page for a list of all the activities available for family fun, date nights, open water swimming, and other venus for getting away from it all.
• Shop: The Best Shopping in the D.C. Region. The National Harbor has more than 160 retailers for every kind of shopper. See the Shop Directory for shops in the Gaylord National Resort, The Waterfront, Tanger Outlets, and the casino's shops in the MGM National Harbor.
• Eat: Oh my goodness! There are more than 30 spots for foodies including fancy restaurants, steakhouses, piano bars, harbor-side dining, cozy coffee shops, and delectable sweets and chocolate shops. Enjoy classic American fare, a variety of ethnic cuisine, and Maryland crab cakes and oysters in the Gaylord National Resort, The Waterfront, Tanger Outlets, and the MGM National Harbor casino.
  

  Where to Eat:

  • The Gaylord National Resort hotel has many restaurants with a large variety of cuisines.
  • Washington, DC Area Private Dining Venus Lists 256 private dining restaurants. Narrow your search by event size, neighborhood, cuisine, and price.
  • Dining at Smithsonian Museums
• Popular Family Attractions

  This is How You Harbor. Explore the National Harbor and tourist attractions in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

  • MGM National Harbor
  • Mid Atlantic Road Trips
  • Smithsonian Museums
  • National Zoo
  • National Children's Museum
  • National Air And Space Museum
  • International Spy Museum
  • Arlington National Cemetery
  • Washington Monument
  • Old Town Alexandria
  • Mt. Vernon
  • Andrews Air Force Base
  • One of 25 Washington, DC Night Tours to see the monuments by moonlight—Beautiful!
    There is a courtesy pick up at the Gaylord National Resort at 6:45 pm for the “Monuments by Moonlight tour”. Reservations are required.

Our Pinterest Tips

Visit the chapter's board on Pinterest for Things to Do in the Washington, DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas before, during, and after Summit 2017. The following is a sample of pins on this board.

Lots more on the full board!

Memories From Past Conferences

• Conference photos
• Conference Session Materials
• Annual conference dates

Need Help Convincing Your Boss?

If you need help convincing your manager, STC has created a sample letter you can use to make your case. Not sure the Summit is right for you? Take a peek at this highlight video from the 2016 Summit to give you a feel of what's in store when attending the Summit.

STC looks forward to seeing you at the 2017 Summit! For questions, please email summit@nullstc.org.