The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022 - 5

While cost-cutting measures may
seem like a negative development
to some, we see them as necessary
to maintain the financial health of
the Association going forward.
year's conference is likely
to be well attended but
also costly to put on. With
the rising cost of food and
beverage (F&B) throughout
the U.S., it's no surprise that
our F&B expense is currently
projected to be higher than
what we originally budgeted.
In an effort to keep F&B costs
under control, the Board is
thinking of creative ways
to provide our usual events
where food and drinks are
served without increasing
the cost for attendees and
without spending beyond our
means. So, if you see some
changes at breakfast or the
Welcome Celebration, for
example, please understand
that these changes are one of
several efforts to keep costs
under control while still
offering an unforgettable
and valuable experience
to attendees.
In addition to small
changes to F&B at our next
conference, I've asked
the Board to consider the
possibility of updating our
conference model going
forward. While we do have
conference locations already
booked for the next several
years, we need to think
about the lower attendance
we've seen over the past four
or five with an eye toward
what's in the Association's
best financial interest. It's
incredibly expensive to
put on a conference, so by
www.ata-chronicle.online
assuming fewer than 1,2001,500
attendees, we're able
to look at hotel spaces in
tier-1 cities (the ones we all
love to visit!) with a more
compact space than what
we've contracted for the past
several years. This means we
could potentially reduce the
space we need for sessions
and events as well as the
room block, which would
make our conference less
expensive to put on. As we
gain more attendees over the
years, we can increase the
size of the spaces and room
blocks we need. I see this as a
win for everyone.
ATA Headquarters
Location
Our office lease for ATA
Headquarters (HQ) is
expiring later this year. With
the majority of staff working
remotely since the start of
the pandemic, the possibility
of having a smaller footprint
for our HQ offices is a reality.
While ATA must maintain a
physical space of some size,
the Executive Committee
has asked Executive Director
Walter Bacak to look for a
significantly smaller office
space that will allow our
staff to come into the office
to handle any administrative
work that must be done at
HQ and continue to work
remotely. This change means
savings across the board for
ATA. The Board agreed that
such a change makes sense
given the new landscape of
remote work and the goal to
keep expenses in check.
Savings that Open Doors
in the Future
While cost-cutting measures
may seem like a negative
development to some, we see
them as necessary to
maintain the financial health
of the Association going
forward. These changes open
a door for ATA to be nimbler
in the future. Spending less
on some of the nice-tohaves
means we have more
resources to dedicate toward
the must-haves and the
programs that continue to
offer our members the
benefits and experiences that
have a direct effect on their
businesses and professional
development. The Board has
a fiduciary responsibility to
disburse ATA funds prudently
and for the benefit of the
entire Association, and I'm
confident these efforts will
pay off (no pun intended!)
for years to come.
USEFUL LINKS
ATA Voting Member Information
www.atanet.org/member-center/membership-review-process
It only takes a few minutes to complete the form.
Do it today so you can vote in this year's election!
ATA Board Elections Policy
www.atanet.org/about-us/policies/board-elections-policy
ATA Board Meeting Summary
www.atanet.org/membership/minutes.php
ATA Conference Website
https://ata63.org
ATA63 Conference Hotel Reservations
https://ata63.org/hotel
American Translators Association 5
http://www.atanet.org/member-center/membership-review-process http://www.atanet.org/about-us/policies/board-elections-policy http://www.atanet.org/membership/minutes.php https://www.ata63.org https://www.ata63.org/hotel http://www.ata-chronicle.online
The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022

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