How the digitization of events is offering new opportunities to translation professionals

2020 has certainly been a challenging year, with live events getting impacted dramatically by all the new sanctions that have been put in place in the midst of the Covid crisis. Cancellations of local celebrations, ceremonies, sports leagues and business conferences have been commonplace, yet in the midst of all the new restrictions the events industry has been facing, we are now witnessing a fascinating evolution as a result.

Virtual events are not in their entirety a new phenomenon, yet the global situation has seen their prominence all but explode since March of this year. This dramatic shift has presented a new set of challenges, particularly for the less technically savvy among us, but despite their drawbacks, virtual events also offer a brilliant world of opportunity for their participants. “What are these brilliant new opportunities?” I hear you say – well I’m glad you asked!

1. You can attend from anywhere

No longer do you have to concern yourself with getting to airports, and train stations and allocating the necessary travel expenses for an event – a simple click of a button and you’re there!

Virtual events are also much more likely to be available in a variety of languages, which is especially advantageous for translation professionals who want to attend training events in their native tongue.

2. You can use your time more efficiently

Another great thing about virtual events is that you only have to attend the seminars and training sessions that are pertinent to you. No more sitting in a hotel conference room waiting until the post-lunch training begins – you can now be busy working on your ongoing translation projects and join the sessions relevant to you when you like.

If you are a multi-tasker by nature, you can even have your event sessions running in the background while you continue to do other activities. Your time is now your own again!

3. You can build connections with more people than ever before

Networking has always been a huge part of translation industry events, and with all the new technology on offer, you can meet and connect with people on a much larger scale.

Of course, nothing replaces the traditional face-to-face networking that is so known and loved by our industry inhabitants, but the birth of new event platforms that provide things like breakout rooms, various chat options and video meet and greets allows you so many new ways to meet people that you may never have encountered before.

And if you are naturally more of an introvert, these less intimidating methods for introducing yourself and starting conversations may even be a preferred option!

4. You are part of a digital evolution

To quote Plato, “necessity is the mother of invention”, and as the need for virtual events as an alternative to live ones has sky rocketed, we are all witnessing an astonishing acceleration in the development and sophistication of event technology.

Being able to see all this unfurl, and to be a part of what feels a bit like a digital evolution is an extraordinary thing for the translation industry. So whether virtual events are fulfilling your expectations yet or not, take a moment to appreciate that this incredible transformation has only just begun, and we are the first eyes and ears to experience it.