Participants at EX:CHANGE, held in Milton Keynes in July 2026.
Front row, left to right: Nicki Bone, Lloyd Bingham, Fiona Gray and Sara Robertson. Photo: Mark Harvey.
By Sara Robertson
(ITI CEO)
In July, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) marked its 40th anniversary with EX:CHANGE 2026, a two-day conference held at Unity Place in Milton Keynes. True to its name, the event was built around exchange: small-group discussions and peer-led conversations largely replaced the usual line-up of presentations.
Three important themes shaped the programme: client engagement and risk management, entrepreneurship and business development, and ethical practice. Participants moved between the auditorium and the event space, being inspired by keynote speakers and panel discussions before working through real-world questions with colleagues.
Padlet, an online whiteboard tool, was used to record ideas and reflections throughout the event, giving participants a shared, visible record of what was being discussed around every table. On the client engagement board, one lively debate was about what to call ourselves: many people felt the right term depends on the client, with technical and legal clients tending to trust ‘translator’, and arts and literary clients responding better to ‘transcreator’. Another thread questioned AI-related quality claims, with translators arguing that the technology does not solve problems on its own and struggles with context. The message was clear that people, not tools, remain responsible for outcomes.
On the entrepreneurship board, a popular suggestion was to lead with curiosity rather than a sales pitch, i.e. ask your prospective client, ‘How do you think I could help you?’, rather than opening with a hard sell. Others worked on a one-line pitch using the formula ‘I do [this] for [these people] to [solve this problem they have]’ and discussed reframing failure as a form of testing and improvement.
On the ethics board, the clearest theme was that convenience and expanding access to translation and interpreting must not come at the cost of quality or safety, and that professional associations have a role in speaking up when this is at risk. Increasing our advocacy is certainly a high priority for many.
A board for ‘general reflections’ captured further ideas and potential actions as well as the many new connections made. Several participants mentioned meeting colleagues from Asetrad and the American Translators Association (ATA); we were delighted that members and friends based outside the UK were able to join us in Milton Keynes.
Kate Fox, our poet-in-residence for EX:CHANGE 2026, spent the two days listening in on sessions and turning what she heard into verse. Her last poem, ‘The Final Flourish’, drew the three conference themes together and picked up some of the ideas and phrases that had clearly resonated with participants. Her words gave delegates something reflective to take home alongside the practical takeaways.
Kate’s poems are available on the ITI website along with a summary of the Padlet boards and a photo gallery.