Poll: Do you believe attending conferences is worth the time and money? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you believe attending conferences is worth the time and money?".
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| | | | Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 23:49
Inggris menyang Jerman
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I haven't attended a lot of conferences, personally, but from what I hear (and got to witness first hand at last year's tekom in Stuttgart), most of them have degenerated to blatant AI propaganda shows, so, no thanks.
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I used to go to conferences, workshops and seminars when I worked as staff translator, although only a few were worthwhile, but for the last ten years every time I plan on attending one, work comes my way or some family thing comes up that clashes with it...
| | | | Lieven Malaise 
Belgium
Local time: 23:49
Member (2020)
Prancis menyang Walanda
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As a freelancer they are a redundant distraction from what really matters: work.
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Oscar Núñez Alfaro
Costa Rica
Local time: 15:49
Member (Oct 2026)
Inggris menyang Spanyol
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I have never attended a conference before, but It would be fantastic to meet some colleague translators in person, talk about the profession at first hand and have some fun.
| | | | Mario Chávez
United States
Local time: 17:49
Inggris menyang Spanyol
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| Back in the day... | Jun 3, 2025 |
...ATA (American Translators Association) conferences were instructive, social events. My first, in 1993, took place in Philadelphia. I attended some technical sessions (markup languages was one) and other sessions having to do with the activity of translating. Also met new colleagues and potential clients.
I took a more active part in subsequent years by giving presentations. After 2000, however, ATA conferences started to feature more sessions about marketing yourself as a transl... See more ...ATA (American Translators Association) conferences were instructive, social events. My first, in 1993, took place in Philadelphia. I attended some technical sessions (markup languages was one) and other sessions having to do with the activity of translating. Also met new colleagues and potential clients.
I took a more active part in subsequent years by giving presentations. After 2000, however, ATA conferences started to feature more sessions about marketing yourself as a translator or interpreter. In the space of a few years, marketing sessions went from one or two to a dozen. Educational sessions stagnated into basics and the conference sponsors were the same people: Trados, SDL, Plunet, TransPerfect and many other technology vendors. One of our favorite vendors was a Dutch seller of dictionaries for all kinds of language combinations and fields. He eventually stopped going to conferences due to the unfair competition from online resellers like Amazon.
As far as the ATA is concerned, its annual conferences take place in touristy cities, which by definition are big and expensive. Hotel stay plus airfare plus the conference fees make for an expensive conference and I had to deprioritize going to such conferences.
I still think that professional conferences are ideal to connect with colleagues and learn from them. But conference sessions have come down in quality and up in salesmanship of the shiniest toys in the market, like generative AI. Associations such as ATA resemble more a MLM (multilevel marketing) organization than a professional one. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Depends, but usually yes. | Jun 3, 2025 |
I have attended conferences that aren't organized by any translation association and aren't related to translation but are related to a working field, which are always very useful.
Useful for networking, as they are a meeting point for field specialists, useful to acquire knowledge from established experts, and useful to keep updated on what's going on within that particular field.
So, if any freelance translator thinks there's no need for conferences at all, I r... See more I have attended conferences that aren't organized by any translation association and aren't related to translation but are related to a working field, which are always very useful.
Useful for networking, as they are a meeting point for field specialists, useful to acquire knowledge from established experts, and useful to keep updated on what's going on within that particular field.
So, if any freelance translator thinks there's no need for conferences at all, I recommend they take their head out of the translation hole once in a while and discover conferences in other fields, but for that, more humility and less arrogance are needed. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Denis Fesik
Local time: 00:49
Inggris menyang Rusia
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| If you enjoy networking, then yes | Jun 3, 2025 |
If you're like me, then no. I did attend one conference when my company made it free for me and even learned one thing (the general consensus on how to punctuate lists to avoid being like a Russian bureaucrat/engineer who probably receives a package with a few hundred semicolons before sitting down to write anything). I could have found ways to get more out of the event if I were a networking person. For example, I could have talked to one of the legends of our profession. Something tells me, th... See more If you're like me, then no. I did attend one conference when my company made it free for me and even learned one thing (the general consensus on how to punctuate lists to avoid being like a Russian bureaucrat/engineer who probably receives a package with a few hundred semicolons before sitting down to write anything). I could have found ways to get more out of the event if I were a networking person. For example, I could have talked to one of the legends of our profession. Something tells me, though, that many freelance translators are poor networkers just like me ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chávez
United States
Local time: 17:49
Inggris menyang Spanyol
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| Off-translation conferences are valuable too | Jun 3, 2025 |
In 2015 I attended a conference on medical devices in Minneapolis, MN. During a chat with one of the exhibitors, I broached the topic of the risks of hacking faced by devices connected to the internet. To this exhibitor, the topic was surprising. I mentioned, as a potential risk, what if someone's pacemaker is hacked?
So, one gets to learn a great deal in other professional conferences. Let curiosity and your thirst for knowledge guide you. You never know!
Maria Laura Curzi wrote:
I have attended conferences that aren't organized by any translation association and aren't related to translation but are related to a working field, which are always very useful.
Useful for networking, as they are a meeting point for field specialists, useful to acquire knowledge from established experts, and useful to keep updated on what's going on within that particular field.
So, if any freelance translator thinks there's no need for conferences at all, I recommend they take their head out of the translation hole once in a while and discover conferences in other fields, but for that, more humility and less arrogance are needed.
| | | | Daryo
Local time: 22:49
Serbia menyang Inggris
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| If you happen to be (one of) the interpreter(s) | Jun 3, 2025 |
it usually is worth your time. Nothing to 'believe' - proven.
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