ATA66 Conference Preview: Business Practices Education at ATA66

From the Next Level team: This is the first of two articles to help our colleagues attending the ATA 66th Annual Conference in Boston, MA. This week we cover some of the educational content at the conference, and next week we’ll republish a post by Oliva Caputo on local attractions in Boston.

The American Translators Association Annual Conference is just around the corner. In what’s become an annual tradition, I’m reading through the conference website and mulling over the presentations I’d like to attend, especially the business-related talks. The choice is never easy, and this year business itself hasn’t been easy for many of us. If that’s been your experience in 2025, maybe attending a business practices presentation will give you some new ideas and a fresh perspective on how to succeed as a language professional.

But how exactly do you make that choice? For the past few years, I’ve matched session descriptions with the needs of several fictional translators and interpreters. Here are my imaginary friends for 2025, along with my suggestions for business-related presentations that may appeal to them.

Tatiana is a translation student who hopes to find her first clients after she graduates in the spring of 2026. She’s not confident about her business acumen and would like some guidance.

• Carving Out Your Path – Seasoned professional Giovanna Lester will offer advice on marketing, customer service, and other key skills for freelancers, as well as useful tools for language professionals. This session is for beginners and is tailor-made for Tatiana.
• SCORE: A  (Mostly) Free Resource to Grow Your Business – Tatiana would likely benefit from professional guidance as she seeks to establish herself. I will introduce attendees to the United States’ largest network of volunteer business mentors and explain how to apply for a mentor and use the vast array of other resources SCORE offers. Having worked with two different mentors, I know I’ve benefited from their outsiders’ perspective. Hopefully, people like Tatiana will check into SCORE’s resources and find something to help them as well .

Guillermo is an interpreter who wants to up his game. He’s been burned by misunderstandings with new clients who don’t know how to work with an interpreter. He thinks he should have some educational blog posts to show new clients, but the idea of writing a blog is painful; he’s more of a talker.

• Power Up Your Freelance T&I Business through Client Education – Jessie Liu and Tianlu Redmon will talk about how to educate clients, and they’ll highlight the benefits of taking the time to teach clients how to work with T&I professionals. Guillermo will find some actionable steps he can take to improve his own client relationships.
• Amplify Your Voice! How to Craft a Powerful Podcast for Linguists – Guillermo may find podcasting fits his friendly, talkative personality better than blogging. In this Advanced Skills and Training session, Dolores Rojo Guiñazú will explain all stages of the podcasting process. She says, “In a world full of written content, podcasting lets us connect at a deeper, more human level. . . . It is about positioning yourself as a thought leader, nurturing client relationships, and opening doors to collaborations. It is a marketing tool that keeps working for you long after the recording ends.”

Niels’ business has been hit hard by recent changes in the industry, especially the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He’s disillusioned and not sure how to bounce back and enjoy the type of success he had a few years ago.

• Are You AI-Resilient? – Joachim Lépine’s presentation is aimed squarely at the elephant in the room – the technological advances that have disrupted our work so severely. According to Joe, “AI can be a scary topic for us as translators and interpreters—but what if it could become the catalyst for long-overdue mindset shifts that will carry our professions into the future?”
• Staying Ahead of the Curve – This session, listed in the Interpreting track, looks at what happens and what to do when life throws you a curveball. Javier Castillo will present ways to future-proof a career.
• Presidents’ Panel: Strategies For a Changing Future – ATA President Geoff Koby and other industry presidents and leaders will participate in a panel discussion on the future of our industry. Niels will learn how the T&I associations he belongs to can advocate for him and other language professionals, and he’ll gain a wider perspective on the direction the profession is taking.

Simone has been trying to move from agency work to direct clients this year, with little success. She can’t seem to get a handle on marketing in a way that works for her. Networking is a particular problem; Simone doesn’t feel she can dress professionally and wishes she could look better and feel more confident when talking with potential clients.

• The Art of Persuasion: Nudge Your Prospects Into Saying “Yes!” – Mariella di Bua will present some copywriting strategies that should help Simone craft more effective marketing copy.
• Freelance Freedom: Shift Your Mindset, Manage Risk, and Market Smart – Veteran presenter Molly Yurick will discuss ways linguists can gain more control over their business operations. She says, “I used to feel small as a freelance translator in such a big market and industry and used to act small in line with that way of thinking. Some life experiences . . . helped me take on a more business-oriented mindset. I started acting bigger and operating my business very differently. . . . My talk will provide practical strategies for strengthening long-term stability, and I’ll also share a straightforward email marketing approach that helps professionals stay visible and top-of-mind with new and existing clients.”
• Translating and Interpreting in Style – Kelsey Trotta will discuss professional wardrobes and how to build one, as well as how to dress in a manner that will resonate with target clients. Simone will learn both how to dress and how to shop for clothing she can wear with confidence. As Kelsey explains, “Trends may come and go, but being well-dressed never goes out of style. When people tailor their look to their target market, it helps them attract higher quality clients by communicating that they understand and respect their client without saying a word. In my talk, I even discuss a case study where a wardrobe change transformed the client’s ROI in a week.”

Taylor is still fairly new to the profession and wants very much to succeed. They love all the linguistic challenges of their work, but the day-to-day administration of a freelance business has never been smooth sailing. Taylor needs some guidance on how to keep organized and on top of all the little things that make business run smoothly.

• The Project Management Bible: Principles, Challenges, and Strategies – A solid understanding of project management could help Taylor streamline daily operations and avoid missed deadlines, forgotten invoices, and other issues. Milly Golia and Rocio Manfredi will outline the entire project management process for freelance translators.
• Beyond the Clock: Using Time Tracking to Improve Your Business – Shizuka Otake will go beyond simply tracking time to explain how time data can help with business management and decision making. Taylor may find tracking the time spent on projects and business tasks reveals patterns they can change or get rid of entirely.

Descriptions of these and other sessions, including times and room assignments, can be found at the conference website. Which presentations do you plan to attend, and why? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Danielle Maxson has been translating since 2009 and specializes in medical translation with a focus on patient records. She is an ATA-certified Portuguese to English and Spanish to English translator and the chair of ATA’s Business Practices Education Committee. Before focusing on translation, she worked as a Spanish teacher and a medical interpreter. For more information, visit https://dmaxsontranslates.com.