From the President-Elect
Veronika Demichelis
veronika@veronikademichelis.com
Get ready! ATA’s 63rd Annual Conference will be here before you know it, and it’s shaping up to be a fantastic event.
Just before the February Winter ATA Board meeting in Los Angeles, I had several meetings with President Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, ATA Headquarters staff, our event planning vendor, and the conference hotel staff. Work on ATA63 is in full swing, and I’m happy to share some updates with you.
Hosting a hybrid conference in 2021 was a necessary and very welcome decision. However, the cost of streaming and recording all the conference sessions was a heavy burden on the Association’s budget. Having considered the cost of streaming, and in an effort not to raise the price of attending the conference this year, the Board agreed that ATA63 will be a fully in-person event.
Considering the challenges of the past two years and that our last fully in-person conference was three years ago, I want to make sure that ATA63 is an event to remember. At the moment, it looks like we can all look forward to a great conference in Los Angeles—just like we remember them from pre-pandemic times. While we’re all eagerly waiting for the conference registration to open in July, here’s what you can expect.
Conference Hotel: Let me tell you that the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, the venue for ATA63, doesn’t disappoint! Elegant and striking, the hotel looks like a movie set—it has actually been featured in several popular movies and TV series! Walking through the hotel during our site visit, I could imagine our conference attendees enjoying the cozy, yet spacious, atrium with its soaring ceilings, water features, greenery, ample seating, and lots of nooks where you can rest and recharge between sessions, catch up with friends, and have quiet conversations with new connections. There’s a grab-and-go café, a bar that’s buzzing with activity, and a breakfast/lunch restaurant in the lobby area.
Our fitness-minded colleagues will enjoy the hotel gym, complete with treadmills, Peloton bikes, strength machines, free weights, and other equipment. There’s a heated outdoor pool, and, if you’re a runner, you’ll love the indoor jogging track. (Of course, you can also enjoy your run outside in the Californian sun!) Other hotel amenities include a full-service spa, a brewery, a gift shop, and several dining places.
The hotel is centrally located in downtown Los Angeles, a short walk from great restaurants, shopping centers, art museums, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and other popular places to visit. Being steps away from the LA Metro makes it a perfect location to explore the city and the surrounding areas.
ATA has contracted rooms at the Westin Bonaventure for the discounted conference rate of $249 (single/double occupancy), $269 (triple), and $289 (quadruple). Hotel reservations are open. You’ll find the link on the ATA63 website.
Great Sessions and Networking: In addition to conference sessions, you can look forward to an outdoor Welcome Celebration, your favorite networking events, the Job Fair, our popular Book Fair, the Conference Dance Party (yes, we’re bringing it back!), and more! I’ll be sharing updates as we put together the conference schedule. In the meantime, you can catch a sneak peek of ATA63 in this video (https://bit.ly/ATA63promo).
Safety Measures: As always, the well-being of attendees remains a priority. I’ve heard from many colleagues who attended ATA62 in person who said they felt safe and happy to finally get together. You can rest assured that we’re planning ATA63 with the health and safety of our attendees in mind. As of March 4, 2022, Los Angeles County lifted its indoor mask mandate regardless of vaccination status in places such as bars, stores, offices, restaurants, gyms, and movie theaters. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative test is still required at indoor events with 1,000 people or more. Masks are still required at indoor/outdoor public settings for people with COVID, for 10 days after symptoms begin or after a positive test result. We’ll keep you updated as health guidelines continue to evolve.
I’ll be sharing more updates as they become available. See you in sunny Los Angeles, October 12-15, 2022!
Useful Links
ATA63 Conference Website
stg-americantranslators-staging.kinsta.cloud/conference
ATA63 Conference Hotel
Westin Bonaventure
https://bit.ly/ATA63-hotel
Discover LA Visitor Information
https://bit.ly/discover-LA
LA Metro
https://www.metro.net/