The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2022 - 5

The Board
found several
areas where
we can support
our members as
we continue to
see growth in
specific areas of
specialization.
conference in general. We're
seeing increasingly smaller
attendance at our Annual
Conferences, even beyond
the unfortunate effects the
pandemic has had on our
most recent two conferences.
This parallels our slowly
declining membership,
which the Board is also
taking measures to address.
Above all, we must consider
our finances, including
the need to increase the
number of attendees to
cover the cost of holding
our flagship event. So, the
Board is discussing ways to
offer members, sponsors,
and exhibitors an elevated
conference experience while
trying to avoid raising the
price of attendance.
It became clear that
holding an Annual
Conference in Chicago again
would cost much more
than any of our previous
conferences to date. Much
of this is due to the high
cost of food and beverage
and the union requirements
in Chicago. With the goal
www.ata-chronicle.online
of avoiding taking a loss on
the conference and having
membership dues subsidize
the event, we're considering
other options for the 2026
conference and will report
back when we've selected
a venue. I'm pleased to see
that our Board is willing to
forego a popular and vibrant
location to consider other
options where we have
more financial certainty.
This doesn't mean that ATA
will be looking at smaller
cities. In fact, the Board
discussed that the Annual
Conference has been most
successful in major cities
like San Francisco, New
York, Boston, Miami, and
Washington, DC. Therefore,
we're considering what
rotating among these cities
might allow us to do in
terms of attracting more
attendees while elevating
the conference experience
going forward. Stay tuned
for more on this topic.
And while unrelated to
strategy and conference
locations, it would be remiss
of me if I neglected to thank
three individuals who have
made a great impact on our
Board and the Association.
Our colleagues Cristina
Helmerichs and Jamie Hartz
are both finishing their terms
as directors in Los Angeles. I
think it's fair to say on behalf
of the Board that we'll truly
miss having them at our
meetings. Cristina and Jamie
have contributed greatly to
the Board's activity and
ATA's core programs over
the past several years, and
I'm sure we'll continue to
see great things from them.
And finally, as you may
know, our beloved Executive
Director Walter (Mooch)
Bacak is wrapping up 28
years of service to ATA. The
impact he has made on our
Association and the T&I
professions during his time
with us is significant, to say
the least, and he will be
greatly missed by all.
We'll plan to have a proper
send-off and celebration
for Mooch at ATA63 in
Los Angeles!
American Translators Association 5
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The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2022

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