ATA-TCD Conference in Denver, Colorado
McElroy VP of Operations Kim Vitray was pleased to again organize and host the 9th Annual Conference of the Translation Company Division of the American Translators Association in Denver (Englewood), CO, on July 17-20, in her role as Administrator of the Division. The event drew 82 attendees from around the world, including visitors from Guatemala, Canada, Germany, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. We were especially pleased to have ATA President Jiri Stejskal and President-Elect Nick Hartmann with us for the conference.
Our Thursday evening banquet was a thoroughly enjoyable occasion of reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, accompanied by lakeside cocktails and a Colorado buffet. The Inverness Hotel and Conference Center was a superb venue and provided topnotch customer service—a completely professional and accommodating atmosphere for both business and socializing!
Conference sessions this year covered a variety of topics of interest to translation company owners and managers, again with a focus on workflow tools and project management. Presenters and their subjects included Ben Sargent, Common Sense Advisory, “Trends in Translation Technology, Take Two”; Hannah Grap, Language Weaver, “Why Machine Translation Is Making a Comeback: New Technology and New Opportunities”; Jost Zetzsche, International Writers’ Group, “The Technological Vice Grip: Is It No Way or the Giant’s Way?”; and Bob Donaldson, McElroy Translation, “Theory of Constraints: Challenging the Dominant Project Management Paradigm.”
Peggy Sundstrom surprised us after her session by bringing out from under the podium her service-dog-in-training, who had remained completely still and silent for nearly two hours (except that a couple of particularly attentive attendees noted that the podium had a tail)! Jost Zetzsche’s session developed into a very lively and participative session about the tool industry and how both vendors and language service providers can make the most of relationships and opportunities. And we were pleased to have our event, and the translation industry, publicized on one of Denver’s local television stations.
On Saturday evening, a group of attendees participated in an optional activity: fabulous dining at The Fort, an award-winning restaurant in the foothills of the Rockies specializing in buffalo steaks and other Western game and seafood dishes. We won’t soon forget the “Rocky Mountain Oysters,” or founder Sam Arnold’s unique toast: “Here’s to the childs what come afore, and here’s to the pilgrims what’s come arter. May yer trails be free of grizzlies, your packs filled with plews, and may you have fat buffler in your pot. WAUGH!”
The conference closed with a leisurely breakfast on Sunday morning before everyone returned home. We are still collecting feedback about the event, but preliminary comments were “It was dynamic and informative—one of the best ever,” and “The conference was not only refreshingly educational but also a good avenue to evaluate ourselves among our peers and build good friendships.”
