Newbies and buddies at the ATA Conference in San Antonio August 14, 2013
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in ATA.trackback
Today I learned about a fun program for people attending the ATA Annual Conference for the very first time. I have been presenting the Tips for First-Time Attendees session since 2006 in New Orleans. It is always the first session of the conference (on Thursday). Knowing how overwhelming and intimidating the Welcome Reception on Wednesday night can be for newcomers I’ve always felt bad that my session wasn’t able to give them tips on how to navigate it. Last year’s webinar allowed me to finally address this, but Helen Eby and Jamie Hartz came up with a brilliant idea to fill that niche. The “Buddies Welcome Newbies” event will pair up first-time attendees (“newbies”) with seasoned attendees (“buddies”) to give them a friendly face at the conference. The event is planned for Wednesday night from 5:15 to 6:00 – just before the Welcome Reception! The event will focus on pairing people up and teaching them valuable networking skills they can use during the conference. More information will be sent out soon. I plan on volunteering as a buddy, and I hope my fellow seasoned attendees will join me.
Musings from an overworked translator 
I agree! This looks like an excellent and much-needed addition to the conference! I plan on being there as a buddy too!