The value of conferences and professional organizations.
December 12, 2011 § 1 Comment
Dear Colleagues,
I attended the American Translators Association conference this past October in Boston. It was one of the best conferences I have attended in my life, and believe me; I have attended many of them. For many years it has been my practice to attend at least the ATA, NAJIT, and other two or three conferences or workshops every year. This summer I attended the FIT conference in San Francisco, and last winter I attended a workshop in Argentina among others. To me, attending these conferences and workshops, and belonging to our professional organizations has tremendous value.
However, I have run across some colleagues who do not go to these events because they claim that these conferences are boring and have little academic content and that the professional organizations do very little for their individual practice and therefore they are a waste of money. I would like to hear what you have to say. Are professional conferences and organizations a valuable tool for the interpreter, or are they simply an unjustified expense?
The Professional Interpreter 
So far, I haven’t known about these conferences. For me undoubtedly getting to know about other colleagues experience or new information on the field will always be useful and rewarding. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to attend a conference or any international event related to my profession and the people behind it. Best regards, Verónica Gutierrez (Mexico City)