From the President-Elect
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
madalena@accessibletranslations.com
Twitter: @mszampaulo
The call for proposals for #ATA62 closed on March 1, with more than 320 proposals for this year’s hybrid conference. Whether you choose to attend in person or virtually, there will be something for everyone!
The hotel block for the conference is now open, and discounted rates are available at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis until October 1 or as space allows. The hotel staff are working with us to make sure we feel safe throughout our stay. I’m already looking forward to seeing many of my closest “word friends” in person this fall! Until then, let’s take a look at what to expect in Minneapolis and virtually this year.
In-person attendees will note COVID-19 protocols and precautions throughout the conference venue. At this time, attendees will be required to wear masks, maintain social distancing whenever possible, and use sanitizing stations throughout the hotel. Our Welcome Celebration and networking events will have highboy tables instead of the typical round tables, plexiglass partitions where necessary, and accommodations for social distancing. We’ll let you know if any of these precautions are adjusted by the time we meet in Minneapolis.
We’ll have 120 educational sessions from Thursday through Saturday. All 120 sessions will be recorded and available after the conference for long-term access. Each session room will have a limited capacity for attendees (due to social distancing guidelines), so make sure you arrive on time or early! If you can’t make it in person to a session, you can also attend via livestream from anywhere you wish.
There will be 30-minute breaks between sessions to allow hotel staff to clean the rooms. In the Exhibit Hall, you can expect to see more space between exhibitor booths, as well as a cap on the number of people allowed in the Exhibit Hall at one time. You can take advantage of the Exhibit Hall in person or gather information from exhibitors virtually. We’ll have to-go options for meals in addition to the restaurants in the area. There will also be two in-person certification exams offered, one on Wednesday afternoon and the other on Saturday morning. Here’s a quick breakdown of each day’s events:
Wednesday
We’ll offer 16 Advanced Skills & Training (AST) sessions by an outstanding group of presenters. All AST sessions will be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing except for the two certification exam preparation workshops for English<>Spanish. Virtual attendees will have the option to attend the Buddies Welcome Newbies and Stronger Together Networking events, while in-person attendees can attend the onsite Buddies Welcome Newbies event and the Welcome Celebration.
Thursday
We’ll have a full day of events on Thursday, starting in the morning with Zumba and Mindful Movement, followed by Breakfast with the Candidates for in-person attendees. The Annual Meeting of Voting Members will be livestreamed so all Voting members can hear from this year’s candidates for three director positions and three officer positions before casting their votes. As usual, all Voting members will be able to cast their votes online via proxy. The day will continue with 30 educational sessions, Brainstorm Networking for virtual attendees, and Stronger Together Networking for those attending in person.
Friday
Zumba and Mindful Movement will take place again bright and early on Friday, followed by Breakfast with the Board (for those attending in person). The Annual Meeting of All Members and the Annual Awards Ceremony will be livestreamed again this year.
This year, the Honors and Awards Committee will select winners for the Dynamo, Outstanding Mentoring, and Rising Star Awards. Nominations must be received by May 31 for these awards. We’ll also honor individuals for the Ungar German Translation Award, the Student Translation Award, and the ATA62 American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI) student scholarships. For more information on all the awards, please see the link in the sidebar.
We have 40 educational sessions scheduled in the morning and afternoon, as well as a lunchtime Job Fair event for in-person attendees. We’ll wrap up the day with Brainstorm Networking (for in-person and virtual attendees), the Literary Division’s After Hours Café (for virtual attendees), and Speed Networking (for virtual attendees).
Saturday
Finally, on Saturday, we’ll finish off the week with our morning movement sessions followed by the ATA Military Veterans Circle Meetup, a great opportunity for fellow military veterans and defense language professionals to gather and network. Saturday will also be our longest day of educational sessions, with 50 presentations on the schedule. As always, we’ll gather on Saturday afternoon for our Closing Session, celebrating our time together and looking ahead to next year’s Annual Conference in Los Angeles! The Closing Reception will follow for in-person attendees.
No matter which way you attend the Annual Conference this year, I know you’ll enjoy our time together. Watch for registration to open in July!
Useful Conference Links
ATA62 Website
https://ata62.org
ATA62 Hotel Information
https://ata62.org/hotel
ATA Honors and Awards
http://bit.ly/honors_awards
ATA62 American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation Student Scholarships
http://bit.ly/AFTI-scholarship
ATA Active (Voting) Member Information
www.atanet.org/member-center/become-a-voting-member
It takes five minutes to complete the form. Do it today so you can vote in this year’s election!