EX:CHANGE 2026 was held in Milton Keynes in July this year, which of course coincides with the ITI’s 40th anniversary. What better time to mark a new path for the ITI, with EX:CHANGE sporting a very different format to previous ITI conferences?
The venue, and even the city of Milton Keynes itself also reflected the newness of the theme. Unity Place was light, modern and spacious, with plenty of space for discussion and reflection. This began with the rooftop drinks event on the eve of EX:CHANGE, on the top floor of Unity Place, looking out over the city.
After the drinks, I attended the French Network dinner at Brasserie Blanc, organised by Sarah and Sophie of the events team. The venue was, in keeping with the city, modern and airy, and the food was very good. It was lovely to catch up with other Frenchnetters, some of whom I hadn’t yet met in person. We also had the surprise addition of conference keynote speaker Joachim Lépine, who joined us at our table. The ITI Fellows also chose the same restaurant for their dinner, so we were able to wave from the next table!
Day 1 of EX:CHANGE covered the main themes of ethical practices and entrepreneurship, and business development, while the morning of Day 2 was devoted to working with clients. These topics provided a solid basis for discussion and developing collective solutions.
The two days consisted of panel and keynote sessions, group discussions with tables of up to 10 people, and time for networking in the spacious café area. In my opinion, this proved to be a very effective format, with just the right amount of time spent on each activity.
In addition, EX:CHANGE 2026 was a smaller event than those of previous years, making it easier to interact with (nearly) all of the participants.
While the engaging keynote speeches laid out the general mindset needed of a translator in relation to ethics, clients and partners, the panel and table discussions elicited some great practical tips and advice. In some of the discussions I took part in, we shared tips on how to price your services, marketing and even how to find work with the UN. I left with not only some new LinkedIn connections, but also some great ideas to implement in my own business. Kate Fox, the wonderful poetess in residence, did a fantastic job of recording and reformulating our ideas, and her poems were engaging and very amusing.
The 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner was another highlight. After watching the England football team play a nail-biting match from my hotel, I hotfooted it to the Leonardo Hotel just in time for a much needed drink, and to find my seat before dinner was served. Later that evening, I was delighted when Chair Fiona Gray read out my name for the award of a pin badge, and the evening ended in style with some great moves on the dancefloor. Not by me, I might add! I do wish that my poor attempt at the Macarena hadn’t been caught on camera!
EX:CHANGE was a fantastic conference and the perfect moment to meet with colleagues, friends and potential new professional partners, and to gain new ideas for ways in which language professionals can embrace the future.
By Roz Howarth
