Hidden demand, premium clients, agency & accountability: making these concepts (and realities) work for you and your practice.
To state the obvious: the translation industry is in flux. With AI and other factors reshaping markets, many practitioners are struggling to adapt. Standard T&I business advice—all those hot tips and tricks—often falls short, leaving even the most vocal advocates scrambling for answers. Amidst the turmoil, how can skilled translators build a sustainable, thriving future?
Chris Durban is a voice backed by experience. She has worked closely with demanding, high-level clients, spoken at length with peers around Europe and beyond, and tracked industry trends, taking ample notes along the way. In this evolving presentation (US edition adapted especially for NYCT, after London in 2025), she will share fresh insights and practical strategies to help professional translators navigate these changes more easily. If you are serious about your translation career and ready to do the work, this session will be of great interest.
On the agenda:
- Redefining your value and positioning—beyond just “finding clients”
- Increasing your impact and income—without chasing productivity at all costs
- Adapting to market shifts while avoiding generic marketing fluff
- Developing creative, sustainable growth strategies
Q&A (bring your questions!)
Quality basics: it starts here (two practical exercises to bring the discussion back to the foundation of any successful premium translation practice—the quality of the work itself)
ABOUT CHRIS:
Chris Durban grew up in northern New York State, and studied modern languages for a year in Montreal before moving to France where she shifted to languages and business studies at the Université de Paris.
After several years as an in-house Fr to En translator at a Paris bank, she went freelance. Four decades on, her client base includes large corporations and SMEs in France and other countries, with a focus on high-profile, high-visibility and high-risk situations in business strategy, investor relations and financial communications.
Chris was awarded SFT’s Caravelle Florence-Herbulot in 2020, ITI’s John Sykes Memorial Prize in 2018, and ATA’s Gode medal in 2001, for contributions to the profession. She is co-founder and co-organizer of both SFT’s Université d’été de la traduction financière (UETF) and of “Translate in…” training events focusing on writing skills for translators.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-durban-translator / chris.durban@gmail.com
DATE AND TIME: October 10, 2026 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS: Pier 57 – Oyster Classroom
Enter Pier 57, NYC, through the main entrance at 11th Avenue (Hudson River Greenway/West Side Highway) and West 15th Street.
Walk straight through the Market 57 food court. After exiting the food court, the Community Classrooms will be on the right-hand side. Find Oyster Classroom.
MAP
COFFEE BREAK INCLUDED!
We look forward to seeing you for an engaging afternoon!
