Report on Nordic Techkomm Copenhagen, 2024

This year's conference began on Tuesday, September 17, with a networking event in the afternoon, followed by a sightseeing tour. Attendees had the chance to connect with each other before the conference officially started and explore some of the most iconic sights in Copenhagen, gaining insights into the city's rich history. This relaxed setting provided a great atmosphere for participants to mingle and exchange initial thoughts.

On the morning of the first official conference day, attendees had the choice between morning coffee or the traditional Morning Swim, which provided a refreshing start to the day and was eagerly embraced by many. The conference then officially kicked off with a keynote by Kirk St.Amant, titled “The Psychology of Creating Usable Content: An Introduction for Technical Communicators,” which sparked an engaging discussion among the audience. Other standout presentations included “GenAI for Content Delivery – Insights, Outcomes, and Challenges from Real-Life Implementations” and “New Regulations in Europe: New Tasks and Opportunities for Technical Communication.” These sessions generated significant interest, with many participants asking in-depth follow-up questions. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees praising the relevance of the topics and the energetic atmosphere throughout the day.

Later in the day, Scott DeLoach and Thomas Bro-Rasmussen presented “Automating and Modernizing Technical Reviews,” followed by Joe Gelb’s session on the “2024 Technical Content Benchmark Report: What the Data Tells Us About Content Performance.” Both presentations were highly informative, offering practical strategies and data-driven insights to help attendees improve their work. The first day concluded with a lively networking dinner, where participants, speakers, and sponsors gathered to enjoy good food and drinks while discussing the day's highlights and forging professional connections.

The second day of the conference began once again with the choice between morning coffee or the Morning Swim, continuing the refreshing tradition from the previous day. The day's first session featured Dipo Ajose-Coker’s presentation, “Structured for Success: The Ins and Outs of Implementing DITA and Structured Authoring,” offering attendees valuable insights into best practices for content structuring.

Workshops were a key focus of the second day, offering hands-on experiences for attendees. Andras Juhasz led an interactive workshop titled “Stranded on the Moon – How Can Your Writing Skills Save Your Life?” which encouraged creative problem-solving, while Martin Ley’s “Hands-on: Metadata for Beginners” provided a practical introduction to the use of metadata in content creation.

Before lunch, there were presentations from the conference sponsors. Nolwenn Kerzreho spoke on “Playing for BBC: Building Your Business Case,” offering an in-depth look at developing persuasive business cases. Giacomo Vendemiati’s presentation, “How to Use Your Existing Assets for Faster, Scalable Localization,” focused on optimizing resources for content localization, while Nick Hill shared HERE Technologies’ journey toward an AI-powered content strategy in “Behind the Scenes: HERE’s Journey to an AI-Powered Content Strategy.”

As the conference came to a close, participants reflected on two days filled with informative talks, hands-on workshops, and meaningful discussions. The overall feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with suggestions already being considered for next year’s event. The atmosphere was energetic and collaborative, leaving attendees excited for what next year’s conference will bring. Many thanks to all the participants, speakers, and sponsors who contributed to making this event a success. We look forward to welcoming everyone again next year.