2008 events and training resources for communicators –

Something for everyone: business owners, freelancers and staff

Communication Central presents practical programs of value to communicators at all levels, both in-house and freelance, employee and employer. Currently planned offerings are listed below; more details will be available shortly. Programs are held at the Renaissance, 2500 East Avenue, Rochester, NY, unless otherwise noted. Details subject to change; consult www.communication-central.com for program details and new information or call (585) 248-0318.

Cost unless special program: $30/person for members of the EFA, STC, AWC, and Writers & Books, and participants in the 2006 and 2007 Communication Central conferences; $40, others. Discounts for series offerings, such as "Websites 101/102/103," and for taking more than one program in a given year. Contact Communication Central to see if your professional organization is eligible for the discounted rate.

Payment may be made by check or via PayPal. Click here for a PDF describing upcoming programs; here for a PDF version of registration form. If using PayPal or planning to pay at the door, please send form to Communication Central, 2500 East Avenue, Suite 7K, Rochester, NY 14610, or fax to (585) 248-3638.

August 21: “Getting the Most from Professional Organizations,” Kat Nagel, Owner, MasterWork Consulting, and Co-owner, Communication Central

Joining a professional organization can be a ticket to new jobs, improved skills and great friendships. Getting the most out of your membership is a skill of its own. Meet members and volunteer coordinators from several local communications-related professional organizations, and learn how to maximize your return from these excellent networking sources.

September 26-27: “Creating a Professional Presentation in Print, Online and in Person,” 3rd Annual “Build Your Communications Business” Conference; East Avenue Inn, Rochester, NY; featuring Jack Lyon of the Editorium (www.editorium.com) on Friday afternoon, Sept. 26, and other presenters to be announced! We are in the process of finalizing presenters and fees, and should have registration material shortly. Feel free to make your flight and hotel reservations now: www.eastavenueinn.com, 384 East Avenue, 585-325-5010; conference rates - $69/night, room with two double beds; $59/night, room with king-size bed.

October 16 : “Inch by Inch, Row by Row: Tending Your Client Garden,” Kat Nagel, Owner, MasterWork Consulting, and Co-owner, Communication Central

Once you’ve established your communications business, you need to build it up and keep it growing, by keeping current clients and continually finding new ones. The tips from this session will help you keep your client garden in bloom.

November 20: “Holiday Promotions for Freelancers,” Kat Nagel and Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Co-owners, Communication Central

It’s one of those perennial questions for business owners, whether the business is a company with several employees or a one-person freelancing venture – what’s an appropriate way to thank current clients and promote your services to prospective new ones? The holidays are a perfect time for answers from colleagues who have made holiday promotions a byword of their businesses.

December 18: “New Year’s Resolutions and Goal-setting for Business Owners,” Kat Nagel and Ruth E. Thaler-Carter,
Co-owners, Communication Central

What’s the best way to wrap up the old year? By focusing on the new one. Energize your approach to your business with ideas for making the new year your best one yet!

To attend these programs, you may make advance payment by check to: Communication Central, 2500 East Avenue, Suite 7K, Rochester, NY 14610, or PayPal to: conference@communication-central.com. Payment also may be made at the door by check. To pay at the door, please fax registration form to (585) 248-3638 in advance.Please register in advance so we can provide sufficient seating, handouts and refreshments.

Who we are

Communication Central is a business and training venture of freelance writer/editor and presenter Ruth E. "I can write about anything!" (TM) Thaler-Carter and tech writer/editor Kat Nagel. Our goal is to develop and offer programs for aspiring and current freelance writers, editors and others in the communications field who seek advice and assistance in launching and enhancing their businesses and skills.We are available for presentations to professional organizations and onsite editorial services at local businesses.

Nagel and Thaler-Carter draw much of their inspiration and knowledge from their involvement in professional organizations, as well as their professional experience. Because they both have gained insights and opportunities through these activities, they believe strongly in networking and "giving back" to colleagues. They are both active in the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA; www.the-efa.org), with Thaler-Carter presenting workshops and producing the publication noted above, and serving as editor of EFA's national newsletter and as Rochester chapter coordinator. Nagel is active in the Society for Technical Communication (STC; www.stc-rochester.org), serving as chapter webmaster and newsletter editor, and in chapter conference program planning. Both have spoken at STC-Rochester's annual conference. Thaler-Carter also is active in the Society for National Association Publications (www.snaponline.org) and Association for Women in Communications (AWC; www.awc-rochester-org), currently as Rochester chapter newsletter editor and VP/Communications, and previously as a member of the Columbia and St. Louis, MO; DC; and Baltimore chapters; Nagel serves as webmaster for the Rochester, NY, chapter. Thaler-Carter also has been actively involved with a number of other professional organizations over the years in St. Louis, DC and Baltimore.

Our networking service

To fulfill our goal of serving as a central point for information about the communications world, we giveorganizations and colleagues the opportunity to list upcoming events of interest to colleagues. For current listings and information about submitting your event announcements, just go to the Events Calendar. We also offer registration discounts for association members for most of our events and programs.

Increased availability

Communication Central co-owner Kat Nagel is revitalizing her business, MasterWork Consulting. Watch this space for further details.

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Our 2006 conference

The first "Build Your Communications Business" conference, held September 29-October 1, 2006, in Rochester, NY, was a great success!

The 2006 conference featured presentations from Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-fed Writer, The Well-fed Writer: Back for Seconds and his newest, The Well-fed Self-Publisher; Hilary Powers, popular Microsoft Word® guru; business-development/marketing advisor Mary Anne Shew; tech writer/editor Kat Nagel; and freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter.

Here's what participants had to say:

"I can't say enough great things about Hilary and her workshop. It was wonderful to meet her and learn from her in person. Thanks, Hilary, for a terrific program! ... Thanks also to Ruth and Kat for all the preparation that made it such a success."

"[T]hank you SO much for a lovely, informative luncheon! I bought Peter's book with his signature and am already into it. The table I sat at was wonderful and I made contact with (a colleague) who also does academic writing. Have ideas about something I can do with ebooks. Peter is right. Writing, not copywriting."

"I want to congratulate you on a great conference and for having such an entertaining, informative speaker (Peter Bowerman) for your first event!"

"I'm really glad I decided to come. Thanks for putting this together. I look forward to next year!"

"Thanks for putting together a great conference!"

" ... what a GREAT conference!! I'm so glad I could attend! I'm recommending it to others, and I hope I'll be able to be there again next year."

Click here for 2006 program, topic and speaker details. For insights into what we learned from the experience of organizing and hosting that event, check out Ruth Thaler-Carter's article at the AdHub: http://www.adhub.com/columns/ruth_thaler_carter01.html

For background information about Ruth and Kat, just go to our individual websites (www.writerruth.com and www.masterworkconsulting.com).