Information for speakers
Hello! We’re thrilled to team up with you for the Direct Client Summit from June 30-July 2, 2026!
Over the last 5 years, we’ve run 8 Summits for translators and interpreters, helping over 44,500 colleagues discuss some of the most cutting-edge topics in our profession.
We’re excited to have you on board for this year’s summit, where we’ll be digging deep into smart strategies to connect and convert direct clients.
This page includes a range of resources to make your job as a speaker as easy as possible.
We’ve also tried to answer any questions you might have. Anything still unclear? Feel free to drop us an email at info@techforword.com.
What is the Direct Client Summit?
As AI accelerates and global dynamics shift, many freelance translators and interpreters have seen their workloads shrink.
But high-quality clients haven’t disappeared – the way we reach them has simply evolved.
The Direct Client Summit brings our global community together to rethink client outreach and uncover smarter, more effective ways to connect, land, and engage with ideal clients.
That’s where you come in.
Your expertise will help fellow professionals navigate this changing landscape, refine their approach to client outreach and discover smart strategies to connect and convert.
Thank you for being here to innovate, support, and inspire.
What you’ll find on this Speaker Information page
How will the summit work?
The Direct Clients Summit will run from June 30-July 2, 2026 and will include presentations, interactive spotlight sessions, giveaways, and more.
Presentations
Every summit day will include 5-6 pre-recorded presentations or interviews.
We’d like each presentation to be short (15-20 minutes) - so people can fit them in around other commitments, including translation and interpreting assignments - and actionable - so participants walk away with at least one concrete step they can take immediately after the presentation.
With that goal in mind, we’ll subtitle all the presentations and create accompanying resources that will be available as part of the Power Pack.
Spotlight Sessions
Each day will also include a spotlight session with one or more experts, focusing on proven ways to uncover and reach out to direct clients.
These pre-recorded sessions will lead to in-depth, interactive discussions on some of the most cutting-edge topics in translation and interpreting.
Community
In our summit community, participants can network, draw inspiration from each other, and get answers to their questions.
We’ll also bring non-traditional approaches to encourage participants to share their own innovative ideas and grow together.
What we’ll need from you
Our goal is to make everything as easy as possible so this is a great learning opportunity for our community.
We’ll need some basic information from you to feature you on the summit website and in promo materials, including your name, title, short bio (100-150 words) and a high-res photo. Please submit this Basic Information form by May 6, 2026.
Your presentation
Your presentation will be pre-recorded. It should be short, friendly and approachable. Please structure your content in a way that allows attendees to walk away feeling like they've really learned something. You’ll find lots of tips in our How to give online presentations that don’t suck webinar and in this blog post on the right sound and the right look.
What should your presentation be like?
Your presentation should last 15-20 minutes. Slides are optional.
This summit is all about taking action. Please prepare an accompanying worksheet that helps participants implement what you’ve shared.
You’ll find templates for slides and worksheets in the Resources section below.
Please submit your presentation, slides and worksheet using this link by June 1, 2026. Please respect this deadline to give us enough time to get everything ready.
Your presentation should include relevant, actionable content. Here’s the suggested format:
A short introduction
An overview of your topic and why it’s relevant
Your teaching, ideally presented in three to five key ideas
Specific action steps
Optionally, take a minute or two at the end of your presentation to tell attendees how they can continue learning with you.
Want to see a previous presentation?
Anne-Sophie de Clercq - Take the busy out of business: Three surefire tips to boost your productivity (worksheet)
These examples are from the 2021 Innovation in Translation Summit. Please also check out the worksheets above!
What you’ll get from us
In appreciation of your time and effort, we will pay each speaker an honorarium of 200 USD.
In addition, all speakers are invited to join the affiliate program, where you can earn additional income by referring participants who purchase the Power Pack.
The summit also offers an opportunity to expand your network. Our last Summit had over 5000 registrants!
All speakers will also get free access to the Power Pack, which includes summit replays and bonuses!
Optionally, we’d love to send you a Direct Client Summit water bottle or mug. Let us know which one you’d prefer when you fill in the Basic Info form. If you change your mind, drop us an email at info@techforword.com, and we’ll ship one right over!
How we will support you
We’re just a WhatsApp message or an email away. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at any time.
We’ll hold a networking session so speakers can get to know each other at 6 PM CEST (Geneva) / 12 noon PM EST (New York) on Monday, June 15, 2026. Drop by to get to know each other, have some fun, and get answers to any questions you may have.
Resources
To make your life as easy as possible, we’ll provide the following resources:
Join speaker networking at 6 PM CEST / 12 noon EST on June 15, 2026
Presentation guidelines
Speaker checklist
Slide templates in Google Slides or PowerPoint format (you can of course use your own branded slides)
Worksheet template (feel free to create your own branded worksheet)
Sample worksheets from a previous summit (for inspiration!)
Summit logo (coming soon)
Social media banners and graphics (coming soon)
You can find all of these resources in this convenient folder. 😄
How to record your presentation
Below are a few great options. Don’t forget to turn on your webcam so you can really connect with your audience. Once the recording is done, just share it with us and we’ll take care of the rest.
Record right inside PowerPoint. When you’re done preparing your slides, just enter recording mode, make sure the webcam is active, and get started.
Record using your Zoom account (the free tier works, too). Create a slide deck (using PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, etc.) and then start a Zoom meeting - with just yourself - to deliver your talk. Make sure to choose “Cloud Recording.” Make sure to share your screen to get high-res video (Pro tip: Even if you’re not using slides, hit record, share your screen, then unshare to get the highest resolution video.) The final recording will be available online in your Zoom account.
How the Power Pack works
We’ve also set up an affiliate program for the Power Pack where you’ll receive a 40% commission from all sales generated by people you refer.
We’ll send you your affiliate link when the speaker promo period starts.
As with all affiliate promotions, be sure to disclose that you’re an affiliate when sharing with your audience.
Payouts will begin on July 15, 2026 and run through October 8, 2026.
The Power Pack provides an even better summit experience, with early and unlimited access to every presentation, including worksheets, slides and other material, a private podcast of every session for on-the-go listening, automatic entry in daily giveaways, a certificate for 10 hours of continuing education credit (ATA-approved), and some juicy bonus resources, toolkits, prompts and workshops worth over 500€ (including 99€ in techforword credit).
We’ll sell the Power Pack for:
49€ – special offer for 20 minutes after picking up a free ticket
69€ – early bird price
99€ – standard price
We will also offer the possibility to pay in two installments or
request financial aid.
Live participation
When the event week rolls around, we’ll already have done the work of creating the presentations and extra resources. We’ll mostly be able to enjoy the experience and learn!
Your presentation will be released on one of the three days of the summit. Stay tuned for the schedule!
Each day of the summit, the day’s presentations will go live at 9 AM CEST and be available for free for 24 hours on the summit platform.
Participants can ask written questions on the platform after watching your presentation. You’ll get notifications when questions and comments are posted.
We’d be delighted if you could head over to the summit platform on the day of your presentation to answer these written questions from participants.
Questions will come in over the course of the day, so you can answer them at the time that’s best for you!
Promotion
Leading up to the summit, we’ll have two weeks of promotion. We’ll share social media graphics to make this easy for you!
We encourage all of our speakers to share on social media, mailing lists or other channels (if applicable) during the promotion period, from June 16 - 29, and during the summit, from June 30 - July 2.
Make sure to include your affiliate link so you can earn 40% commissions from any Power Pack sales that come through your network. We’ll send you your affiliate link when the promotion period starts.
FAQs
Did we miss anything? Drop us an email at info@ai-in-translation.com!
Is the summit free to attend?
Yes! Attendees can sign up for free and watch all presentations as they launch. Each presentation will be available to non-paying attendees for 24 hours.
What's the incentive to buy the Power Pack?
Power Packs will grant attendees unlimited access to every interview and presentation, worksheets and slide decks for each presentation, a private podcast of every training to listen on the go, automatic entry in daily giveaways, a certificate of participation for 10 hours of CPD, and tons of awesome speaker bonuses.
How much does a Power Pack cost?
49€ – special offer for 20 minutes after attendees pick up a free ticket
99€ – standard price
FREE for all speakers, of course!
Will I be “live” at all during the summit?
All speaker presentations are pre-recorded. That allows us to subtitle them for accessibility and to prepare accompanying materials.
You’re also welcome to join us for any of the live sessions, including our daily Spotlight and Speak Your Mind sessions.
How long should my presentation be?
15-20 minutes. Please keep it short and actionable!
What should I use to create my presentation?
Whatever you’re most comfortable with. 😁 Google Slides, Keynote, PowerPoint, and Canva are some great options.
Is there an affiliate program?
Yes! As a speaker, we encourage you to join the affiliate program and use your affiliate link when promoting your participation in the summit. You’ll earn a 40% commission on Power Packs bought through your affiliate link.
When can I start promoting the summit?
We will begin our initial promotion around June 9, and would like to ask all speakers to wait a week so we can iron out the kinks. 😅 We’d love it if you’d promote the summit starting on June 16.