BP14 - the poem

A conference in Budapest, that sounds like fun,

Many on offer but this could be the one.

A conference a year is my ultimate goal,

Good for my business, even better for my soul.

Fast forward some months and it’s fait accompli,

I arrive at the hotel, two colleagues with me.

The rain pours down, the thunder booms,

The man on reception messes up our rooms.

But all is soon forgotten as we head for the city,

And are taken to a café that’s really rather pretty.

After a convivial evening, I know one hundred percent,

It’s going to be memorable, money well spent.

The morning dawns, the real work starts,

The focus a profession so dear to our heart.

A job we love, our true vocation,

Of course this has to be translation.

A keynote speech with a panel debate,

The market is changing, so what is our fate?

The overall consensus: we will find our way,

Good translators are here to stay.

Feel and think like an expert, act like one too,

Wise words from Marta that certainly ring true.

Knowledge workers must all join the campaign,

It’s not our fingers, it’s what we do with our brain.

Specialise, stand out, offer something more,

Know what you’re good at, find an area you adore.

Working with others is a viable option,

Nigel Saych has a system ready for adoption.

SEO, branding, Easling, transcreation,

Tourism, medical, quality, collaboration.

The programme is vast, the topics diverse,

Far too many to include in this little verse.

And after the learning there’s plenty of fun,

Time to relax, the hard work is done.

Networking galore, meeting friends new and old,

Business cards exchanged, experiences told.

A cruise on the Danube, the view is divine,

Good food washed down with exquisite wine.

Some translators dance, others entertain,

We all welcome the chance to rest our brain.

After a gala dinner some head to the baths,

Others gather at the hotel to enjoy a few laughs.

As wine bottles are emptied, our sad thoughts we banish,

Our new-found friends are not going to vanish.

With social media we’ll all stay in touch,

United in an experience we enjoyed so much.

And as for the next one we’re relying on one man,

Conference organiser extraordinaire, Csaba Ban.