Priory Translations has recently become a member of the Association of Translation Companies, and in September Emma had the pleasure of attending the Thrive 2024 Unconference in Birmingham.
_________________________________________________________________________
As Thrive 2024 was my first ATC event, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but as soon as I arrived, I was made to feel very welcome. The unconference format, with an intentionally smaller number of participants, was a great introduction to the organisation and offered lots of opportunities to make new connections. With such a wide range of services, specialisms and job roles represented, it was a valuable way to learn about the changes, challenges and opportunities that exist in the different sectors of our industry and feel part of a supportive new community.
The theme of the two-day event, held in the city's well-known Jewellery Quarter, was "boosting your company not just to survive, but to grow and to thrive", and each session was packed with advice, guidance and tips to help companies do just that. The programme of speakers and interactive discussions encouraged us to look at many different aspects of our businesses, including sales and marketing, negotiation skills, team management, networking strategies and digital systems.
For me, the key takeaways from the event were:
· Ask questions – the more you understand your clients, your industry and those you work with, the easier it is to identify problems you can help to solve or needs you can meet. This in turn can create new opportunities and bring you into contact with others.
· Build strong relationships – technology may be playing an increasingly significant role in our personal and working lives, but with so much information and choice available, the advice and support of trusted professionals and colleagues is perhaps more crucial than ever.
· Use your time wisely – when there are so many opportunities available and you're keen to take advantage of all of them, it can be easy to try to do too many things at once, so take your time to consider which opportunities are worth pursuing and how to approach them most effectively.
· Have a plan – setting objectives, sharing them with others, reviewing them regularly and adapting them when you need to will help you stay on track and help you to decide where to invest your time and energy.
· Consistency is key – whether it's across your branding and social media presence, correlating your words and actions, when implementing a marketing strategy or in maintaining client relationships, you should stick to your plan over time.
Above all, the ATC’s Thrive 2024 unconference served as a vital reminder of the importance of universal human skills and interactions in helping businesses to flourish. It was a great opportunity to reflect on what we currently do and provided plenty of new ideas that we can apply. I'm very grateful to everyone who made me feel so welcome and am already looking forward to my next ATC event!