From July 23rd to 26th, 2019, the IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm) 2019, hosted by the IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS), took place at RWTH Aachen University in Germany.

The theme was “professional communication in a digitalized world”, but this conference also covers various aspects of communication within professional and technical contexts.

A delegation of Chinese academics and professionals in the field of technical communication attended this international conference. PingCAP, a database startup that I have been working for, was invited by lecturer Zhijun Gao from Peking University (program chair) to attend this conference. So I had the privilege to share insights into the documentation development practices of a tech startup, with my experience in TiDB database documentation.

My sharing “Documentation Development Practice in Open Source Startups - Take PingCAP as an Example” has been included in the ProComm 2019 conference proceedings.

Table of Contents

First impressions

The conference began with a warm welcome at the registration area called “forum M,” where conference volunteers, including familiar faces from Peking University, greeted attendees.

This initial interaction set a friendly and inclusive tone. I got a conference bag and my badge there.

The conference also provided badge icon stickers representing different communication topics, facilitating networking and conversation. The five icons covered the following topics:

• Digitalization & Communication
• Science Communication
• Teaching
• Technical Writing/Documentation
• Usability/UX

And the conference provided two booklets: one detailed the schedule and agenda, while the other offered a guide to exploring Aachen. Attendees could choose sessions of interest and plan their time accordingly.

Exploring essence

This ProComm conference featured a range of academic discussions, predominantly attended by educators and students from various countries.

The titles of some sessions were intriguing, although the content sometimes deviated from my personal expectations. Regardless, the engaging titles served their purpose of attracting participants. Of course, some of the more practical topics and keywords also attracted me to listen. Topics ranged from cultural differences in technical communication to design thinking genre knowledge.

The panel of “Technical Communication in China” featured four presentations from representatives of Peking University, Tongji University, and PingCAP.

Tech Writer’s sharp eye

There was a small hiccup. The day before the panel of “Technical Communication in China”, when I was looking at the agenda in the booklet, I found that the Part 2 and the other three sessions in the same time slot were written in the same room.

So I told the program chair immediately, and after his communication, it was indeed a mistake. The conference staff made a prompt adjustment to ensure a seamless experience for all attendees. It seems that something went wrong at the review stage before the booklet was printed.

A memorable adventure

Summing up this journey in one word would be “hot.” After all, the venue was not air-conditioned in the 35 degree Celsius heat. The scorching heat mirrored the enthusiasm of the attendees, while the conference itself provided a platform for cross-cultural learning and sharing of professional communication insights.

As I wrap up my reflections on IEEE ProComm 2019 and my first trip to Germany, I’d like to share some photos I took during my stay. These pictures capture my exploration of Germany and tell the story of my journey.