From the President-Elect: The Final Countdown - American Translators Association (ATA)

By The ATA Chronicle

From the President-Elect
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
madalena@accessibletranslations.com
Twitter: @mszampaulo

Who else is counting down the days until we reunite in Minneapolis (and virtually) at ATA62? Surely it isn’t just me!

This year’s Annual Conference model will be another new one for ATA as we hold a hybrid conference for the first time. Registration opened in late July, and the full conference schedule is online. Here’s what you can expect.

Safety Measures

We and our host hotel, the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, are prioritizing the safety and well-being of on-site attendees. The hotel staff continues to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are highly recommended for vaccinated guests and required for unvaccinated guests.

In addition, all in-person attendees MUST provide proof that they are fully vaccinated OR have a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours prior to checking in at conference registration. We, of course, encourage everyone, even those who are fully vaccinated, to get a test before arrival to maximize safety. We’ll continue to follow the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Hyatt Company.

Wednesday

We’ll have 15 Advanced Skills and Training (AST) Day sessions in the morning and afternoon, 14 of which will be streamed and recorded for virtual attendees. These sessions are a mix of workshops for translators and interpreters looking to enhance language-specific or business-related skills.

There will be a midday Buddies Welcome Newbies event and an evening Stronger Together Networking session for virtual attendees. On-site attendees may attend the evening Buddies Welcome Newbies event before the Welcome Celebration.

Thursday

We’ll kick off the first full day of the Annual Conference with Breakfast with the Candidates, the Student Meetup, Zumba, and Mindful Movement for on-site attendees. These will be followed by the Opening Session and the Annual Meeting of Voting Members and Election. The Annual Meeting is open to all members (i.e., conference registration is not required). Members will receive instructions from ATA Headquarters on how to attend the governance meetings.

If you’re a voting member, please watch for an email so you can vote by proxy. We’ll be electing officers and directors this year, in addition to voting on five proposed Bylaws amendments. (You can read the statements from this year’s candidates and the proposed amendments in this issue!)

Once the morning meetings end, we’ll have 30 educational sessions for you to enjoy. The Business Practices Education Committee will host a virtual Brainstorm Networking event for remote attendees, while those who attend in Minneapolis can participate in the on-site Stronger Together Networking event.

Friday

On Friday, we’ll hold Breakfast with the Board, the TweetUp, Zumba, and Mindful Movement for on-site attendees. This will be followed by the Annual Meeting of All Members and Awards Ceremony. You don’t want to miss hearing about our new award winners this year!

We’re changing up this year’s Job Fair by holding it during lunchtime on Friday. So, be prepared to meet with companies looking for your expertise and language pair(s)! All attendees will have the opportunity to choose from 40 educational sessions before the evening networking events: on-site Brainstorm Networking (thank you, Business Practices Education Committee!) and Virtual Speed Networking. Later in the evening, the Literary Division will host the After Hours Café in its popular virtual format based on last year’s positive feedback.

Saturday

On Saturday morning, we’ll have one more chance for you to fit in some Mindful Movement and Zumba before a full day at the conference. The ATA Military Veterans Circle Meetup and the Newbies Meetup will take place on-site during breakfast. The day will continue with 50 educational sessions, followed by the Closing Session for all attendees in the evening.

To round out our Annual Conference reunion, on-site attendees can attend the Closing Reception to say farewell to friends and colleagues before heading to dinner and the new Game Night hosted by the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI).

Who Can Access the Virtual Conference?

All conference registrants will have access to the virtual component. Attendees will retain access to the educational sessions after the conference, so don’t worry if you can’t make it to a session at the same time it’s being held, or if there are two you want to watch at the same time.

What Else Will On-Site Attendees Get?

The Exhibit Hall will be open throughout the conference. Find new business and get your questions answered by vendors and sponsors. We have worked to improve the line of communication between attendees and exhibitors this year, and we hope you’ll enjoy the updates to the virtual conference platform. The Tool Support Stations and the Dictionary Exchange will also be back! Watch the conference schedule to find out where to go.

Are you in need of a new professional headshot? Our headshot photographer is back! Get three headshots for $40 and update this important piece of your marketing while you’re in Minneapolis. Appointments can be made directly through the conference event schedule.

Before I wrap up my penultimate column as ATA president-elect, I’d like to extend my personal thanks to the ATA Headquarters staff. Without their countless hours of hard work and sweat, the conference would not be the incredible event we all know it to be. If last year and this year have shown us anything, it’s that the flexibility and support of our staff have carried us through!

Thank you, our members, for putting your trust in me as your conference organizer again this year with two new conference models in a row! It will be a joy to be reunited in person again with those who can make it. I hope to see as many of you in person this year as possible!