Professional Development Day 2017
Date: Saturday, 23 September 2017
Time: 9:00 to 17:00, followed by drinks and nibbles
Location: Conference Centre De Eenhoorn, Barchman Wuytierslaan 2, 3818 LH Amersfoort (directly opposite the Amersfoort NS station)
Participants will be eligible to receive 5.5 PE points.
Fees & Registration
Early-bird registration for SENSE members only (until midnight 9 August): €70
Standard registration for SENSE members, members of an affiliated organization*, and students** (from 10 August): €95
Standard registration for non-members: €145
(Click register button above)
*Current members of MET, ITI, and SfEP (use appropriate discount code)
**Students must provide evidence that they are currently enrolled in an accredited training programme (e.g. a letter from their university, valid student ID card (use appropriate discount code))
With a wide variety of breakout sessions, two plenary presentations, a panel discussion to round off the day, and a fresh new venue, the Professional Development Day has something for everyone.
Plenary session 1: Sally Hill on ‘Networking made easy’
Sally Hill works mainly as a freelance medical writer but also teaches scientific writing and edits scientific manuscripts. With the uplifting title 'Networking made easy', her presentation examines the sometimes maligned concept of ‘networking’ from a fresh angle. As nearly all her clients come in through word of mouth, she’d like to help others make better use of their network. Ever considered which of your daily interactions with other people might also generate business?
Plenary session 2: Stephen Johnston on ‘Plain English – increasing clarity or dumbing things down?’
Stephen Johnston is a professional copywriter, business trainer, editor and translator. His topic is Plain English – increasing clarity or dumbing things down? He will describe the reasoning behind the Plain English movement and provide examples of how it works, concluding with a short Q&A session.
Panel discussion: Professionals on the Podium: Jenny Zonneveld, Curtis Barrett, David Barick, Kate McIntyre, Marcel Lemmens
Breakout sessions:
Frans Kooymans on ‘It’s simple to Excel at bookkeeping!’
John Linnegar on ‘It needs only a light edit: Negotiating your way between different levels of editing’
Ellen Singer on ‘How the tone of voice of an email influences the reader, and the result’
Theresa Truax-Gischler on ‘Social media use – What’s in it for me?’
Jenny Zonneveld on ‘Stroke your CAT tool into higher productivity’
Frans Kooymans is a chartered accountant and until recently was SENSE’s treasurer. He knows that many language professionals find bookkeeping a daunting task, but that Excel offers a simple solution to the problem, giving you a clear view of your business results while also meeting the demands of the taxman.
John Linnegar, an internationally renowned teacher and speaker in the world of editing, will present on the theme ‘It needs only a light edit’: Negotiating between different levels of editing. He will deal with the problem of clients who ask for a ‘light’ edit when the document actually requires much “heavier” intervention, not just copy editing. John will work with you on actual documents to help you distinguish between heavy, medium and light editing, which in turn will help you in your negotiations with clients.
Ellen Singer, a full-time translator with more than twenty years experience, is known for her original and entertaining public speaking. Her topic is The tone of voice of an email influences the reader, and the result, a fascinating new angle on communication. As well as explaining the importance of tone of voice when sending messages, Ellen points out that learning about it can also increase our tolerance levels when receiving messages which may be unintentionally irritating. This is an interactive session in which Ellen quotes examples of communication from her own experience, which form the basis for group discussion.
Theresa Truax-Gischler is an editor in the social sciences, humanities, and development aid. Her session is entitled: Social media use - What’s in it for me? She is a regular user of social media and is developing a marketing plan for her new freelance business. She will present hands-on tools for evaluating which social media might best help you in your business, as well as strategies for using them. Topics will include building your network, sharing knowledge, managing information, communicating your professional identity.
Coming from a business background, Jenny Zonneveld, SENSE’s current chair, is a highly experienced freelance translator and editor, and her session is entitled: Stroke your CAT tool into higher productivity. She knows that CAT tools work, having used them for 15 years now. Her favourite is Déjà Vu, on which this session is based, but she also knows that the major tools have very similar features. Knowing what’s under the skin of other tools will help you make better use of your own and enable you to select the right tool for each project.
For more information, contact Robert Coupe (PDD Committee Chair) at
We look forward to seeing you on 23 September!
The PDD Committee:
Robert Coupe
John Linnegar
Curtis Barrett
