The ITI Conference is fast approaching and I'm sure many of my fellow translators and interpreters are just buzzing with excitement. After the overwhelming success of last year's online event, this year's hybrid edition is set to be the professional highlight of the year for many of us.
Eager to meet colleagues in person (rather than just online), I booked my ticket as soon as they went on sale. I've posted on social media in the past about how I prepare for online and in-person conferences. But preparing for a hybrid conference has been something of a new experience.
Below are my tips for preparing for the ITI (or any other hybrid conference) as an on-site attendee. As this is my first hybrid conference, they are as yet untested, though still based on previous experience. I'll report on how it all went post-conference.
1. Book accommodation early. Okay, okay, I'm staying with my sister in Brighton for the ITI Conference. But if I weren't, I'd have booked my accommodation not long after my ticket. Brighton certainly wasn't a cheap location for the conference (particularly during half term on a long weekend) and I know some colleagues have hired or considered hiring an AirBnB between them.
2. Book your travel early. Especially if you plan to travel by train. Tickets are so much cheaper when booked in advance.
3. Check you've shared dietary information. If, like me, you have any specific dietary needs, make sure the organizers know this. Having to run off to find food you can eat, or having to wait around for it, is far from ideal (especially if, like me, you need to eat every four hours to keep the grumbles at bay).
4. Decide which sessions you want to attend live and which you want to catch up on later. If you think you'll want to ask the speaker a question, or that the topic will spark an interesting discussion in the room, make sure you attend that session. With a hybrid event you can catch up on other sessions later and hear from other attendees whether any you weren't planning to watch are worth adding to your list.
5. Update your profiles. ITI, CIOL, LinkedIn, Twitter, Insta, Facebook. Wherever you exist online, make sure your profiles are up to date and accurately reflect what you do right now. Make sure people can get a clear idea of who you are and what you do.
6. Fill in your conference profile. When you're filling out profiles, don't forget to complete your profile on the conference platform. Let people know what you do, why you do it and who you'd be really interested in talking to at the conference.
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7. Find out who else is going to the conference. Whether via the conference platform, on social media or in person, find out who's going to the conference that you might want to meet up with or chat to. Several networks have organized events, so that's a good opportunity to meet your network buddies, but you might also want to make time to meet up with other colleagues you know well. If you don't plan it, it's less likely to happen.
That said, it's also a good idea to leave yourself some gaps for spontaneous meetings and chats. No one wants the whole day to be a regimented series of meetings and catch ups.
Try to talk to people you've never spoken to before. This will be lots of people's first conference and newer translators might not know many people. It's up to us more experienced attendees to help them feel at ease in what I know can be an intimidating environment.
One thing I also had to consider with a hybrid conference was whether to try to meet colleagues who are attending online. After lots of thought, I decided that I would focus on catching up with colleagues who are there in person during the event and make time to follow up with colleagues attending online after.
8. Work out how you want to share your details with people you meet. Do you have business cards? Are they hard copy or digital? While I do love a good physical business card, I've created a QR code that people can scan and connect with me via LinkedIn.
9. Plan in breaks. I've honestly not done a great job with this so far. I know there are breaks, but I'm pretty sure I'll be deep in conversation during most of them. That's not really a break as far as conference is concerned. Perhaps you could plan a solo walk along the beach after lunch, or invite just a few colleagues to get away from the hubbub. Fortunately, since all the sessions are recorded, you don't need to worry about missing too much if you do need to find some peace and quiet during the day.
10. Decide how you're going to take notes. ITI has very wisely informed all attendees in advance that no notebooks or stationary will be provided during the conference. That means you need to decide how you're going to take notes during the sessions. You might be a digital fiend, and this year you can even take notes within the Hubilo conference app. But I'm pretty old school and love my stationary and pens.
I use my trusty work bullet journal for everything, so I always know where to find my notes from conferences past. I've even printed the programme, colour coded it and stuck it in...
Don't forget to put your name and a contact number in the front of your notebook in case you misplace it at the conference. It's also a good idea to make sure your emergency contact details are up to date on your phone.
11. Take refreshments. While food will be provided at the conference, it's always a good idea to have some small portable snacks on hand to tide you over. There will also be refill stations at the conference so don't forget a water bottle.
12. Bring a practical bag and don't carry too much. I'll have my phone, a notebook, pens, snacks, a drink, a charger, tissues, sanitizer, sun cream, minimal makeup (only because I'll be on film!), deodorant, painkillers, plasters, a cardigan and maybe an umbrella.
13. Don't forget a charger. When you're out all day, it's always handy to have a charger on hand for when your phone inevitably dies right as you want to take a photo with your colleagues. A fast charger is definitely a good investment in this scenario.
14. Get a map of the venue. If you can't get a map, make sure you at least know where the main rooms are, so you don't miss the start of any sessions or end up in the wrong place. It's always good to know where you are, it makes for a far less stressful life!
15. Schedule time after the conference to reflect on what you learnt and to follow up with people you met or didn't get a chance to meet. It's really important to take time to think about how we want to implement what we learnt at conference and to make a plan to do just that. Otherwise, we'll miss a huge opportunity to take our businesses up a level. Likewise, make time to check in with people you met and those you wanted to but couldn't.
Did I miss anything? Let me know!
