15 Translation Conferences and Language Events to Keep an Eye on
15 Translation Conferences and Language Events to Keep an Eye on
One of the most effective ways to progress in your freelance career is to network with fellow colleagues. Building good relationships and strong connections with other freelance translators will give you not only a chance to get some extra work through referrals, but, more importantly, the opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues and exchange ideas and best practices with other members of the industry.
Translation conferences and language events are the perfect setting for some good old networking. Add interesting and enriching seminars and presentations on top of that, and you have the perfect combo for a great business and personal development experience.
Some events are free to attend, but you will have to pay a fee for most translation conferences. To save you some time and help you decide which conference or event is best for you and your budget, in this article I collected information about 15 European translation conferences and language events you should keep an eye on over the next few months.
[This list is being updated on a regular basis. Last update: 06 March 2018]
Translation and Localization Conference
Organised by Localize.pl, Textem, Wantwords and Big Talk School
When: 23-24 March 2018
Where: Warsaw, Poland
Price: €180 (ca. £160) – discounts available
Description
Over the past two years, three major forces have been impacting the language services industry. First, increased investment by private equity firms has been driving consolidation among language service providers. Second, technological process is accelerating. New user interfaces allow translators to interact more intuitively with machine-generated output. At the same time, neural machine translation is rapidly improving, leading to increased MT adoption. Finally, demand for translation, interpretation, and other language services continues to grow fast, as the digitalization of business creates entirely new categories of buyers.
Language World
Organised by the Association for Language Learning
When: 23-24 March 2018
Where: Hinckley, UK
Price: £403 (ca. €450) – discounts available
Description
The Association for Language Learning’s annual conference and CPD event offers a packed programme with speakers from across the languages sector which attracts up to 250 participants a day, with a large number coming from primary and secondary schools.
BP CONFERENCE 2018
Organised by B+B Mezzofanti Bt. & Csaba Bán
When: 19-20 April 2018
Where: Vienna, Austria
Price: €318 (ca. £285)
Description
Bringing together freelance translators from across Europe and beyond for professional development and fun networking.
Localization Unconference 2018
Organised by Teresa Marshall, Scott Schwalbach, Shawna Wolverton and Ultan O Broin
When: 26-28 April 2018
Where: Berlin, Germany
Price: €15 (ca. £12)
Description
No stuffy general sessions or arcane topics. No audience reading e-mail during presentations. No terrible suits. No buses to social events. And no PowerPoint karaoke or sales pitches. Instead, only your internationalization and localization topics hosted in a discussion format between you and your peers. It’s the opposite of a conference – it’s an unconference. The German localization un-conference also features two pro bono tracks: a hackathon and a translathon. The un-conference takes place on Thursday; the hackathon/translatathon runs from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon. Please register individually for each event!
APTRAD’s 2nd International Conference
Organised by APTRAD
When: 17-19 May 2018
Where: Porto, Portugal
Price: €330 (Ca. £295) – discounts available
Description
The conference, based on the theme “Translation challenges over the next decade and how to address them”, will explore the challenges of a professional freelance translator and/or interpreter during the next decade and how to address and overcome them.
Click here to see the programme
Staging the Literary Translator
Organised by the University of Vienna
When: 17-19 May 2018
Where: Vienna, Austria
Price: €260 (Ca. £235) – discounts available
Description
The aim of this conference is to set an interdisciplinary stage to discuss theoretical and methodological challenges that come with studying the literary translator, bringing together diverse approaches and multiple perspectives, such as cognitive science, sociology, psychology, creativity studies, identity studies, gender and queer studies, etc. Contributions are welcomed that focus on the literary translator, who, traditionally, tends to remain in the wings, shedding new light on psychological, emotional, physical, social, and cultural facets of the translator’s persona and identity.
Programme not yet available
EAMT 2018
Organised by the European Association for Machine Translation
When: 28-30 May 2018
Where: Alicante, Spain
Price: N/A
Description
The annual EAMT conference showcases the very latest in MT tools and technology, with participants representing companies and institutions already using or being potential users of MT, localisation companies using MT in the translation workflow, renowned MT scientists and researchers, companies and institutions developing MT systems, R&D teams from both private companies and public universities. Conference presentations feature in-depth descriptions of the latest MT technology, enterprise use cases from large corporations and organisations using MT, best practices from the global localisation industry, the fruits of cutting-edge research from universities and research centers, and the results of EU-funded ICT projects.
Programme not yet available
CIUTI 2018
Organised by CTISS
When: 30-31 May 2018
Where: Edinburgh, Scotland
Price: £95
Description
The digital era, characterized by technology which increases the speed and breadth of knowledge turnover within the economy and society, now embraces every aspect of our lives. The impact of new technologies is changing the very nature of language and communication, causing adjustment in every aspect of who says what, to whom, how, why, and with what effect. These developments interact in increasingly complex, pivotal and pervasive ways with demographic shifts, caused by war, economic globalisation, changing social structures and patterns of mobility, environmental crises, and other factors. Translators and interpreters attempt to keep up with these shifts. This conference is designed to reflect upon the innovations in research, practice and training that are associated with this turbulent landscape.
Programme not yet available
Polyglot Gathering 2018
Organised by E@I
When: 30 May – 3 June 2018
Where: Bratislava, Slovakia
Price: €140 (ca. £125) – discounts available
Description
The Polyglot Gathering is an informal event which takes places once a year and brings together polyglots (people who speak several languages) and language enthusiasts from all over the world. It is a five-day event with lectures, workshops and social activities for everyone who loves and enjoys languages.
Programme not yet availble
LocWorld37
Organised by The Localization Institute and MultiLingual Computing, Inc.
When: 6-8 June 2018
Where: Warsaw, Poland
Price: N/A
Description
LocWorld is the leading conference for international business, translation, localization and global website management. Attendees are the people responsible for communicating across the boundaries of language and culture in the global marketplace. With a specific emphasis on global business, the conference provides an opportunity for the exchange of high-value information in the language and translation services and technologies market.
Programme not yet available
eTransFair
Organised by the Centre for Interpreter and Translator Training of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)
When: 28-29 September 2018
Where: Budapest, Hungary
Price: N/A
Description
The conference will address several issues from the aspect of training needs and will attempt to discuss e.g. what skills translators, interpreters and T/I trainers will need to have in 2-5 years’ time to succeed in their jobs; how trainers will need to assess students to best reflect market requirements, or how the latest trends in the digital market have shaped the language industry and what responses the academia can give to keep up with the speed, and to maintain employability.
Programme not yet available
MET Meeting 2018
Organised by Mediterranean Editors & Translators
When: 4-6 October 2018
Where: Girona, Spain
Price: €320 (ca. £290) – discounts available
Description
The annual Mediterranean Editors and Translators Meeting (METM), now in its twelfth year, is an established CPD and networking event – a highlight in the calendar for many editors, translators, interpreters and other providers of English-language support services in the Mediterranean area and beyond.
Language Show Live London
Organised by Upper Street Events
When: 9-11 November 2018
Where: London, UK
Price: Free
Description
Language Show London is Europe’s largest exhibition for anyone with a passion for languages. Spanning three days, the event will offer you the chance to attend over 60 CPD certified seminars and workshops, meet the best language suppliers with over 150 exhibitors, and network with thousands of other language teachers, learners, translators and linguists who love languages as much as you.
Programme not yet available
Canary Translators Conference
Organised by Nicole König
When: 15-18 November 2018
Where: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Price: N/A
Description
Coming soon
Programme not yet available
ExpoLingua Berlin
Organised by ICWE
When: 16-17 November 2018
Where: Berlin, Germany
Price: Free
Description
EXPOLINGUA Berlin in the must-attend annual event for anyone with an interest in learning and teaching foreign languages, international travel and global cultures.
150+ exhibitors from more than 30 countries and a programme of workshops, seminars and performances provide you with extensive information on international, local and online language courses, internships abroad, working overseas and general information about travel and cultures.
Programme not yet available
More interesting events:
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