Same goes for Australians, Japanese and Canadians
ABRATES 9th International Translation and Interpretation Conference will take place at the Othon Copacabana Hotel, in Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilian government just made it easier and cheaper for Americans to attend it.
How come?
Starting today (01/25/2018), Americans can complete the visa process entirely online, instead of visiting a consulate or paying an expeditor to do so. The price of the visa dropped from $160 to $40.
The new e-visa program has already been put in place for Australians, Japanese and Canadians as part of Brazil’s efforts to attract more foreign tourists.
South America’s biggest country offers a wide variety of destinations for visitors, from eco-tourism in the Amazon rainforest to colonial towns built by the Portuguese to miles and miles of unspoiled beaches. So why not put business and pleasure together and go on a tropical vacation and attend the conference. You can’t say no to that!
Pre-conference workshops will run throughout the day on June 14-15. The opening ceremony of the conference will begin at 6:00 p.m. on June 15, and the closing ceremony will take place at 5:00 p.m. on June 17.
This year’s theme is Translation and Interpretation: Inclusiveness One Word at a Time.
ABRATES is the Brazilian Association of Translators and Interpreters, a non-profit association managed by volunteer translators and interpreters. It promotes courses and events and encourages the exchange of knowledge and networking among the industry’s professionals, institutions, and agencies.
Exchange rate
If you live in North America, Europe or Oceania, you are almost certain to find great bargains. The usual international trip tips apply, such as booking your flights and hotel as early as possible, but the exchange rate is your friend, since Brazilian Real (R$) has, for the past three years, dropped to record lows against U.S. Dollar and Euro.
- 1 dollar = R$ 3.25
- 1 euro = R$ 1.99
- 1 British pound = R$ 4.82
- 1 Australian dollar = R$ 2.75
- 1 Canadian dollar = R$ 2.76
Source: Cotação, on 01/25/2018.
It will be good for you — personally and professionally.
Attending industry events has some pretty obvious benefits, and it is no different if you attend ABRATES Conference.
If you are like me, you work either from home or in a coworking space — only a small percentage of our industry’s professionals work in-house, which means, ours is somewhat of a lonely life. Attending a conference is like a parent kissing a child’s boo-boo — it makes everything better! You get to see friends and colleagues, meet some fascinating folks, learn from your peers, exchange knowledge, find new or potential clients, and have the best happy-hour beers of your year.
One thing to keep in mind is that ours is a very fast paced industry, and I am not talking (only) about deadlines! A conference is the best place to go to see what is new in technology, productivity, business practices, and get great first-hand advice from like-minded peeps.
That being said, update your LinkedIn profile, website, and resume, print lots of business cards, and hit the road (or the airport).
Have a safe trip and enjoy the conference!
Translation Tidbits 