Sunday, January 20, 2008

Gearing up

I am a member of the American Translators Association, and each year they have one big annual conference. They spread the locations out pretty good, and I try to attend whenever it happens to be close to my vicinity. So far I have went to Atlanta, GA and here in Florida. The conference is always held in the first week of November, so lucky for me they like to have it often in Florida!

This year it is time again for Florida to host, Orlando to be more specific. My very first ATA conference was actually also in Orlando, 8 years ago. It is a huge conference with attendees from all over the world. A chance to meet some of the people I work with regularly in person. I usually skip the dinner and dance they have at the end, it is a very stuffy shindig with mostly old OLD people shuffling around the floor doing the foxtrot. They do have a Salsa-dancing night too, but dancing is so not my thing... It is difficult just having to mingle, I don't particularly like small talk with people I don't really know. Well, you know!

It is usually difficult to get a room at the actual hotel where the conference will take place, but I have also found that it is better to be off site, just nice to be able to completely relax after a full day.

This year I am only attending one day, since that is usually all it takes to make the necessary connections. And believe me, I always get a huge upswing in business after having marketed myself at this conference!

I already booked the hotel, a nice Radission Resort, and Ken and Sarah will come with me. I am planning on attending all Friday, and then the three of us can go to a Disney park on Saturday.

And it doesn't hurt I will be staying close to IKEA as well! So that will be great! A little something to look forward to in the fall...

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