My First ATA Conference

Author: Jeff Hollingshead

Jeff Hollingshead
Jeff Hollingshead

I enjoyed my first experience at the ATA conference in Denver this year. On one hand, I welcomed the deviation from my regular work cycle to spend time with other language professionals in such a nice city. Beyond simply a pleasant environment, however, I appreciated the subject-matter expertise of the presenters and the social aspects of the conference.

The presenters displayed
in-depth knowledge of their topics

The presenters displayed in-depth knowledge of their topics—whether speaking on legal or financial translation, patent searching, software use, or any of the other areas covered at this year’s conference. They also provided resources, such as hand-outs, and noted other print and on-line resources as pertinent. The speakers fielded questions and were often accessible to conference attendees before and after their presentation.

In addition to the sessions, I enjoyed meeting and interacting with other translators. The conference provided endless opportunities, whether in between sessions, breakfast, happy hours, networking sessions or the conference dance, not to mention the GLD get-together. I took advantage of these moments to ask questions and learn from the experience and knowledge of the other attendees.

Lastly, it was really nice to meet some of the individuals whose names I had become familiar with from reading the GLD newsletter. Moreover, I appreciated the welcoming attitude of the individuals I was able to meet, particularly considering that this was my first experience at the conference.

Jeff Hollingshead is a German Translator at Leggett & Platt International and Translation Services Department in Carthage, Missouri. He can be reached at jeff.hollingshead@leggett.com