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Is attending to the ATA conference really worth it?
Thread poster: Language Connection
Language Connection
Language Connection  Identity Verified
Panama
Local time: 02:35
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Aug 14, 2015

Hi,

We are a team of three translators and we are looking into atending the 2015 ATA conference in Miami, Florida. Basically, my forum question is; can you expect any kind of business growth from going to the ATA conference? Can you actually see some business growth after doing networking at the conference or is it just a conference for insight on market trends ?

Please share you two cents. Thanks, Jesus
 
Jenae Spry
Jenae Spry  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 00:35
French to English
Depends on your current status and goals Oct 16, 2015

I assume you've made your decision by now since you posted this in August and no one replied (shockingly). I posted a blog about this a few days ago since the prices go up again tomorrow, so in case there's time for you to make a decision, I thought I'd leave the post here.

Basically, I think that referrals are a great way to get clients, but depending on your career stage, you also need to be sure you're leaving money in your budget for attending subject matter conferences (e.g., ... See more
I assume you've made your decision by now since you posted this in August and no one replied (shockingly). I posted a blog about this a few days ago since the prices go up again tomorrow, so in case there's time for you to make a decision, I thought I'd leave the post here.

Basically, I think that referrals are a great way to get clients, but depending on your career stage, you also need to be sure you're leaving money in your budget for attending subject matter conferences (e.g., a legal conference if you provide legal translations).

http://successbyrx.com/2015/10/08/56th-ata-conference-should-i-go/ ▲ Collapse
 
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 03:35
Romanian to English
+ ...
it depends, Oct 16, 2015

for US based interpreters/translators, attending the ATA Conference helps obtaining the necessary credits for CE (contd.edu), otherwise, in my opinion, not too many other benefits.

Please, don't get me wrong. I work in a very narrow niche of legal translation & interpreting and it is difficult to network in my specific field.

I benefited from having my name on the ATA list of translators & interpreters, but never got anything from attending the conference.
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:35
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Thought I'd replied Oct 16, 2015

I remember seeing it but I was probably waiting for more informed opinions to be posted.

I'm not an ATA member but I do attend ProZ.com conferences and not just local ones. They are expensive and maybe impossibly so for beginners but most of us can claim the attendance fee, flights, hotels and maybe a few other things as business expenses. So it does help reduce the tax bill!

I don't attempt to view my attendance in strict monetary terms. The ROI can be highly intangib... See more
I remember seeing it but I was probably waiting for more informed opinions to be posted.

I'm not an ATA member but I do attend ProZ.com conferences and not just local ones. They are expensive and maybe impossibly so for beginners but most of us can claim the attendance fee, flights, hotels and maybe a few other things as business expenses. So it does help reduce the tax bill!

I don't attempt to view my attendance in strict monetary terms. The ROI can be highly intangible, but it is there. In part it comes from tips you pick up during presentations and workshops and when chatting with others. Methods of working, lucrative niches so far unexplored, no end of software tools you'd never heard of, advice on how to get direct clients, reports on which agencies to stay clear of...

But the main advantages come from networking. This is so important nowadays - it isn't so much what you know but who you know - and who knows you. You'll meet (and exchange cards with) agency bosses, top representatives of the organisation running the conference, conference speakers, and very many fellow translators. They can all impact on your professional life at a later date. Even fellow freelancers may start to outsource or open agencies in the future, or they may need holiday/sickness/maternity cover, or their regular clients may need your pair or your niche... All these have resulted from my own attendances over the years. I also met a long-standing client, which was fun.

Even if you've got nothing left to learn you can still benefit from a conference. You can give a presentation. That must be so rewarding. So I think all translators should have a budget for this type of event, without expecting to see a 150% ROI within a year. Keep an open mind and, above all, enjoy it!

(Edited to sort out a cut and paste mess.)

[Edited at 2015-10-16 09:59 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 


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Is attending to the ATA conference really worth it?







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