My name is Tess Whitty, and ever since I started working as a freelance translator in 2003, I have loved the profession. Before becoming a translator, I worked with marketing, and my education is also in marketing. This means that when I am not translating, I am also passionate about sharing my love of the profession, my experience and my marketing skills with other translators. I do this through presentations, trainings, coaching and mentoring.  This year I also started a podcast for translators, called “Marketing Tips for Translators” (www.marketingtipsfortranslators.com) and published a book called “The Marketing Cookbook for Translators – For a Successful Freelance Career and Lifestyle”, available through Amazon. I love helping other translators with their marketing, and to learn more about the translation business and craft myself. I am a member of ATA, ITI, IAPTI and SFÖ, and I am actively involved in ATA as a committee chair, grader, mentor and school outreach representative.

Why I want to come to the ITI Conference

I might be the delegate that comes from the furthest away. I currently live in Park City, a mountain resort in Utah, USA. I happened to be in London during the last ITI conference and was disappointed that I had not made plans to attend. I know a lot of colleagues who are active in ITI and who attended that conference. I recently became a MITI and have a lot of colleagues and customers in the UK, so I made sure to schedule this conference into my plans. It so happens that it also coincides with another conference for freelance translators in Zagreb the weekend after, and the annual conference for the Swedish translators association held two weeks after this one, so I can do one big trip and attend all three conferences in one go. Ever since I went to my first ATA conference in 2006, I have loved going to translator conferences and get so much out of them, both for my business and my wellbeing. At these conferences I can mingle with people that actually understand my profession (and oftentimes even my jokes).

What I look forward to the most

I look forward to meeting all my colleagues and friends that I have either met before, or have gotten to know through social media, and to learn more business and translation skills from the many good sessions that are scheduled. Being a Twitter-fan, I also particularly look forward to the Tweetup. I have never been anywhere else than London in the UK so I cannot wait to discover Newcastle and experience more of the British culture.