The ATA 58th Annual Conference in Washington (October 25-28, 2017) will draw over 1,800 attendees, bringing together translators, interpreters, educators, language services companies, and project managers. Making a presentation to such a diverse audience is an excellent strategy to gain recognition as a leader and expert in your field.
Alisa on her first ATA conference
Alisa Hamilton shares her first-timer impressions from the ATA Conference in San Francisco 2016:
Alisa Hamilton with Erling Dugan (middle) and Carlos Umaña (right).
ATA57 was my very first ATA conference. Truth be told, I had never attended a professional conference of any kind in my entire career and I had very little idea of what to expect. And I will be honest, my first impression was one of complete and total overwhelm. So many people rushing about, so many rooms, floors, sessions, exhibitors… and somehow I had to jump in.
Gradually I found my footing, thanks to some helpful tips from the ATA for first-time conference attendees and my wonderful Buddy (a conference mentor provided by the ATA). I sincerely appreciated all the advice and help that the ATA provided, and thanks to these I was enjoying my first conference in no time.