Face to face

September was extremely busy, but I did manage to fit in a couple of translation events. As much of my work as a professional translator is computer-based and contact with colleagues and clients normally takes place via email, it was great to meet other translation professionals face to face.

20 Sept 2007: Association of Translation Companies – Annual Conference
This one-day event took place in London and was attended by representatives from translation agencies and companies in addition to several freelance translators like myself. As well as networking opportunities there were a number of interesting talks. I was particularly inspired by Chris Durban’s talk on behalf of the American Translators’ Association (ATA) which detailed the organisation’s PR mission. Suggestions were also made about outreach work, for example, to schools. This is something that I have been considering and therefore was excited to learn that a wealth of resources for such programmes can be downloaded from the ATA’s website.

29 Sept 2007: ProZ.com – International Translator Day event
A much more informal affair, this event was held in Bristol and was a chance for members of the ProZ.com translation website to meet 'offline' for a change. Several freelance translators attended, all offering a variety of language combinations and subject expertise. It was interesting to see how other translators deal with various professional issues. I also gained an insight into other areas of the industry that I do not personally work in, such as interpreting for the prison service.