12 reasons why the Corporate Writers & Editors Conference rocks

Oct. 12, 2011. University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center. Ragan’s Corporate Writers and Editors Conference. One day, eight hours, seven speakers, six sessions, (fiiiiiive golden rings. Sorry, couldn’t help it) and some pretty darned good coffee.

I attended this conference without any preconceived notions. I had no idea what to expect other than what was outlined in the objectives. I was thrilled throughout. The tips, suggestions and presentations could all be immediately and easily applied to my role. Joy!

So, here we go, the top 12 things I learned:

1. We’re not communicating. We’re not entertaining. We’re doing both. It’s called communitainment.

2. My audiences have ADD. They walk and text; they talk on the phone while ordering lunch; and even read news headlines online during lunch breaks. These people no longer want to read articles that span pages. They want information in seconds, not minutes. They want Cosmo-type headlines. We’ve got to act like we’re writing glossy magazine headlines.