ATC Gold Conference 2026 Programme

Time

Event

Location

Time

Session

10:00 – 10:15

Welcome to ATC Gold!

ATC Chair Corinne Smith & CEO Raisa McNab welcome you to the ATC’s 50th anniversary conference and set the scene for the insightful conversation to follow

10:15 – 11:00

INSIGHTS: Sink or Sail, Coasting is Not an Option. But Where to Next?

Insights panel hosted by ATC research partner Gabriel Karandyšovský: Where is the language services industry really heading, what does industry data tell us about what works and what doesn’t, and how are global buyers and LSCs reacting to the industry’s rapid transformation?

Panellists

• Panel host Gabriel Karandyšovský, Language Industry Researcher
• Mark Rice, Chief Operating Officer, thebigword
• Claudia Müller, Head of Language Excellence, Trusted Shops
• Josef Kubovsky, CEO, Nimdzi Insights

INSIGHTS: Client Voices & Solutions That Work

Genuine insights and client voices from across client sectors from regulated industries to tech start-ups: clients’ pressing pain points, current needs, and future priorities with testimonials from ATC members on the solutions designed to add value.

Panellists

• Panel host Tim Woodhouse, Fractional Growth Leader & Localisation Consultant
• Jamie Brown, Localisation Consultant
• Anaïs Maniaval, Senior Language Manager, Geotab

An opportunity to connect with UK universities offering internships and industry collaborations

INSPIRATION: AI, People & Creativity – ATC Member Showcases

Real, inspirational showcases from ATC member companies innovating to pivot, grow and develop in a challenging market – with focus on AI, people and creativity

• “Dragging Certified Translations into the 21st Century” with Tayo Ademolu, Translayte & Cipher
• “From PMs to Trust Managers” with Oleg Semerikov, Translators Family
• “Embedded: Working in, not for a Client Industry” with Julia Danmeri, TranslateAble
• “Reimagining the Business of Translation” with Fola Yahaya, Strategic Agenda & Robert

INSPIRATION: Building Business Through Commercial Collaborations

Building lasting connections through engagment with client-side trade associations and business organisations is a tried-and-tested route to new business.

A discussion hosted by the ATC’s Commercial & Collaborations Lead Sarah Bawa Mason explores how to make the most out of the opportunities out there.

Panellists

• Victoria Nicol, Founder & CEO, My Language Connection

LEGACY: Industry Voices – Academia, Associations &  Community

How the industry develops is just as important as what we leave behind. Industry voices from across academia, associations and multilingual communities join forces to explore what lies ahead, and what we want to leave as our legacy to the next generation.

A collaborative conversation on the future of language services with:

• Panel host Raisa McNab, CEO, ATC
• Sara Robertson, CEO, Institute of Translation and Interpreting
• Representative from Clear Global / Translators without Borders
• Further speakers TBC

LEGACY: ATC Past, Present & Future

To celebrate its 50th anniversary year, the ATC looks into its past, present and future, and wrap up the day’s takeaways in an engaging panel conversation with:

• Panel host Corinne Smith, ATC Chair & Managing Director, International Translations Limited
• Panel host Roy Allkin, ATC Council Member and past Chair & Founder, Wolfestone Group
• Geoffrey Bowden, General Secretary (outgoing), EUATC
• Further speakers TBC

Time

Session

Drinks Reception

19:30 – 24:00

Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner followed by a Scottish ceilidh and disco

Raise a toast to the winners of the ATC’s 2026 Language Industry Awards and be merry at the ATC’s evening celebration with drinks and buffet dinner followed by a live Scottish ceilidh dance and a disco until midnight.

Time

Session

Welcome to ATC Gold Workshops!

Day 2 of ATC Gold begins with ATC Vice-Chair James Brown (Comtec Translations) and Past Chair and Council Member Ruth Partington (Empower Translate) reflecting on our ATC Big 50 brunches, current industry trends and what this means for our future.

We’ll then kick off our series of 3 hands-on, intensive workshops focussing on people, performance and solutions. These workshops will give you a playbook full of the metrics, insights and actions you need to transform your business ready for a new era of language services.

WORKSHOPS:  Futureproofing Your Business – How to Pivot, Diversify and Thrive

In our first of our 3 workshops, we’ll be doing a deep dive into AI. We’ll first hear from the hosts from the AI Brunch in London who will reflect on and share the key insights gleaned from the session. Then, working in groups with the assistance of an expert moderator, we’ll be discussing:

• The trends we’re seeing with AI from clients and potential challenges/blockers
• The commercial opportunities that are possible with AI
• How we can practically implement AI within our business to support with growth

In our second workshop, we’re looking at our People. We’ll first hear from the hosts from the People Brunch in Rochdale who will reflect on and share the key insights gleaned from the session. Then, working in groups with the assistance of an expert moderator, we’ll be discussing:

• How to we motivate and nurture global teams in an increasingly isolated world
• How do we ensure our linguists and wider stakeholders are looked after
• What are the skills we need for the future, and how do we support our existing team to learn these skills

The aim of these workshops is to generate practical AI and People playbooks for all ATC members to take forward and implement across their business.

ATC M&A Forum

Hear others’ M&A and exit stories, learn from our consultant experts, ask burning questions, and understand how to prepare the business and its people for the future.

• Graeme Lawrence, Founder & Managing Director, Snowball Strategic Growth
• Lee Stephens, Director, Solicitor, BRIDGE
• David Rogers, Director, BRIDGE

Technology Showcase / Parallel Session: Robert.ai

Content TBC

 WORKSHOPS CONT.:  Futureproofing Your Business – How to Pivot, Diversify and Thrive

In our third and final workshop, we’ll be taking a dive into the world of our Clients. We’ll first hear from the hosts from the Client Brunch in Leamington Spa who will reflect on and share the key insights gleaned from the session. Then, working in groups with the assistance of an expert moderator, we’ll be discussing:

• What are the real challenges that our clients are currently facing?
• What impact are these having on their business and how they are procuring translation?
• In light of these challenges, what do our clients need from us now and into the future? How can we continue to demonstrate and add value.

The aim of the session is to generate a practical Client playbook for all participants and ATC membebrs to take forward and implement across their business.

Technology Showcase / Parallel Session: LanguageCheck.ai

The rapid adoption of AI and machine translation has fundamentally changed how language service companies operate. Content is produced faster than ever, turnaround times are shrinking, and volumes continue to grow, yet expectations around quality, consistency, and accountability have not diminished.

In this Technology Showcase session, the LanguageCheck.ai team explores how translation quality assurance must evolve in an AI-accelerated market, and how LSCs can protect quality and margins without slowing production.