By Cheng Shen
Photo by Jeff Sanfacon, ATA
It was three years ago at MIIS that I first heard about the American Translators Association (ATA), but the idea of a professional organization felt distant at the time when I was just a second-year student. (Kudos to the second-years that made it to the conference!) After one year of scheduling conflicts and another of geographical ones, this year’s ATA Annual Conference in Boston works perfectly in every way, especially now that I am based in New York after graduation.
As a slightly “overdue” first-time attendee, I would like to share some of my experiences from ATA66 so that you might gain a head start or feel encouraged to join—if, like me, you are coming to it a little later. That said, it is never too late to become part of the community when the timing feels right for you.
Before It All Starts
I consider myself a planner, yet I had few clues about what to prepare for or expect before the conference. Fortunately, I have several friends who have attended previous iterations. They invited me to the Chinese Language Division (CLD), where Rony Gao, Assistant Administrator of the CLD, was exceptionally attentive and helpful in providing all the resources and information one might need.
Looking back, it may not have been a bad idea to leave some room for serendipitous encounters—much like in life itself. You may stumble upon a speaker with whom you would like to continue the conversation or a colleague you have interacted with online but never met in person. Moreover, as a CLD member, you would never have a dull moment—there were dinners, board games, and even karaoke for everyone to join.
Sessions–Research Beforehand
Rich and engaging sessions are a major highlight of the ATA Annual Conference. You have likely heard about the wide variety of topics offered each year. Just this year, the gamut ran from hands-on practical sessions such as “Demystifying ATA’s English-to-Chinese Certification Exam: What Graders Want you to know” to broader discussions like “A Sociolinguistic Approach to Bilingualism”; from field-specific presentations such as “Technological Change and its Practical Impact on Technical Translation at the World Intellectual Property Organization” to those addressing timely and highly debated topics such as “Are You AI-Resilient?” To give a sense of the scale, this year, there were 42 sessions available solely on Friday afternoon.
If I were to offer one suggestion, it would be to conduct a fair amount of research in advance on the topics or maybe the speakers and identify several sessions that interest you most. This preparation can help prevent feeling overwhelmed when multiple sessions occur simultaneously.
Visibility
From the sessions I attended, the most significant take-away, if it can be summed up in a single word, would be “visibility.” This concept was highlighted in the session “Are You AI-Resilient?” by Joachim Lépine. Contrary to my expectations of a trendy AI-focused talk, Joachim emphasized the human element and what it truly means to be a translator or interpreter. Visibility does not refer to professional roles—translators and interpreters are often unsung heroes and, in most cases, remain largely invisible. Rather, it’s about mindset: it is how we connect with clients and, ultimately, with the world at large.
The concept of visibility extends beyond the profession—it can also serve as an attitude toward life. It is not about being vocal or standing out, but more about genuine sharing, forming meaningful connections, and stepping beyond our own perspectives—a task often easier said than done. In many ways, this is also what encouraged me to share my experiences here with you.
Serendipity
Finally, please bear with me for using the word “serendipity”—overused as it may be—yet I cannot find another word as precise and beautiful to capture the sense of magic I experienced at ATA66.
As mentioned, it is advisable to leave some room in your schedule, as you may encounter like-minded individuals who share your passions, visions, or even concerns. I would say that this type of serendipity is what I appreciate most about ATA. The community is cohesive enough to foster shared values and interests, yet broad enough to expose you to diverse voices, each offering a unique perspective.
If visibility represents the inner drive that encouraged me to share my experience, then the serendipity of a brief conversation with Sijin Xian, Yifeng’s editor-in-chief, exemplifies the whims of chance presented to me. I ran into Sijin on the last day of ATA66, on our way to the closing ceremony. During that short twenty-minute encounter, I learned about her active involvement within the ATA community and was honored to be invited to write about my experience as a first-time attendee.
At the end of the day, I believe it is not pure serendipity that made these experiences possible. It is because we care—and because we are passionate about what we do. This is yet another beauty of the ATA Annual Conference: seeing so many professionals come together, I am reminded that I am not alone, and neither are we.
Cheng Shen is a conference interpreter and financial translator based in New York. She is a member of the New York Circle of Translators and a graduate of the MA in Conference Interpretation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), Class of 2022. Since then, Cheng has provided interpretation services for business meetings, conferences and government visits. Her clients include Nasdaq, Pfizer, the New York Mercantile Exchange, and the Rockefeller Family Foundation. Cheng also works as a financial translator collaborating with a team that provides translation services for Goldman Sachs.
Website: cheng-sheniverse.com
Edited by Luyi Yang and Sijin Xian.
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