By Gio Lester ©2017
Disruptive. Disruption. It is the in thing to do, to be, to strive for.
And that is at the core of a new project officially launched early this month – a virtual T&I conference with one foot in Brazil and the other, in the US. My partner in this project is the Brazilian translator Márcia Nabrzecki, and I operate things in the US.
And just like every T&I professional, we love conferences! Getting together with our colleagues, hearing about new developments and trying them out right there and then, meeting new people… But reality can put a damper on all that enthusiasm: the expenses, the time away from the office, time away from family can make the experience difficult.
When reality is not perfect, we usually dream about the ideal condition. And we started day-dreaming with an event that we could attend easily and without all the expenses involved. How to make this dream come true? Well, if you don’t have it, you create it! That’s where disruption entered again into play, and we conceived a virtual translation and interpreting conference – ConVTI-2017.
The latest technological developments in communication and broadcasting make ConVTI (//kon-vee-tee-eye//) possible: highly sensitive computer cameras, gaming headphones, video recording and broadcasting platforms, even event apps that allow colleagues to interact and network remotely.
Many others thought this was a dream worth pursuing and they have put their names and expertise behind us. The event will cover gaming, sign language, translation quality, interpreting, changes in the legal arena, contract language, technology’s role in our future and more.
Will ConVTI-2017 replace in-person events? We don’t believe so. Márcia and I hope, however, that it will quench the thirst of those who can’t attend in-person events, fill in the gap between them, and help us earn those coveted continuing education credits to maintain our certifications. Most importantly, it will not break the bank.
ConVTI-2017 will be in three languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish. Pre-recorded sessions will be subtitled and live sessions will have simultaneous interpreting (in the same languages) using HeadVox. We are planning showcase sessions focusing one day on translation, the other, on interpreting.
In addition, Márcia and I also looked for an entity that shed a positive light on our professions to share our bounty with. Translators Without Borders is that entity. In recognition for the work they do promoting well-being, breaking linguistic barriers to bring understanding, compassion, unity and service around the world, TWB will be the recipient of 10% of ConVTI-2017 net proceeds.
We invite you to learn more about ConVTI-2017 at https://convti.com and engage with us on social media (@ConVTI2017 and FB ) . And if you have any idea or suggestion, we would love to hear that too! You can reach us at info@convti.com.
This article was originally written and published in The Open Mic a platform for language professionals.
