On October 22nd and 23rd, the Association of Translation Companies (ATC)’s global community came together at the iconic People’s History Museum in Manchester, United Kingdom (UK), for ATC THRIVE 2025: a two-day unconference exploring how language service providers (LSPs) can grow through collaboration, technology, and genuine relationships. The theme was building a sales-first mindset supported by marketing, technology, and teamwork to ensure LSPs are ready for whatever comes next.

Across panels, workshops, discussions, and the first-ever ATC Open Mic session, one message stood out loud and clear: Growth happens when we put people and purpose at the heart of our sales strategies. From Bernadette Byrne’s masterclass on building long-term client relationships to Richard Michie’s keynote on marketing strategy delivered with a pinch of Northern England charm, the sessions offered one clear takeaway: There are no silver bullets; rather, growth is hard work, a shared mindset, and a genuinely human affair.

Setting Up for Success

Bernadette Byrne (Six Worldwide) kicked off with a masterclass on onboarding, expanding client accounts, and building long-lasting relationships. She emphasized that a client-first approach is built around five core principles:

1. Empathy and understanding — Truly understanding your client’s needs, goals, and pain points
2. Transparency and honesty — Being open about what your product or service can and cannot do
3. Value creation — Focusing on how you can add value to your client’s business, career, or life
4. Trust building — Establishing and maintaining trust through consistent actions and communications
5. Long-term focus — Prioritizing long-term relationships over short-term gains

Fostering Growth Through Relationships

Next was a panel discussion on client relationships, hosted by James Brown (Comtec Translations) with Gabriela Lemoine (Accentus Language Services) and Steve Higgins (TeachMe Series, formerly Mondia Technologies). Their insight: Winning new business is ten times harder than growing the accounts you already have. The key to fostering growth through building long-term relationships is listening deeply, showing empathy, and demonstrating consistent value. Regular reviews, co-created goals, and proactive communication were all cited as ways to turn good clients into advocates — and advocates into referrers.

The Case for Growth Through Technology

In a hands-on workshop, Ruth Partington (Empower Translate) and Steve Higgins explored how technology can support growth and retention. Instead of fearing the new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled business landscape, delegates were encouraged to define where technology adds measurable value. From AI-assisted captioning to workflow automation, machine translation (MT) and AI are helping companies deliver faster, more consistent results, and freeing people to focus on creativity, consulting, and client care. As one delegate put it, “AI doesn’t replace what we do — it magnifies what we do best.”

How Project Managers Aid Sales Efforts

Project managers (PMs) were celebrated as unsung heroes of sales in a lively panel hosted by Helen Provart (Peak Translations) with Sophie Howe (Comtec Translations), Roy Allkin (Wolfestone Group), and Raisa McNab (ATC). The discussion explored how PMs, who are often clients’ closest daily contacts, can spot opportunities for growth. The panelists reframed “sales” as consulting, caring, and listening for opportunities. With the right framework, PMs can contribute naturally to business development — not by cold selling, but by active support, sharing of expertise, and saying “yes” to new possibilities. The takeaways: A sales-first business includes everyone in the growth conversation, and appropriate rewards or remuneration are part of a sales-first culture that permeates the whole organization.

Marketing and Lead Generation Strategy

The second day began with a dynamic keynote from Richard Michie, “the Marketing Optimist.” His open and honest message was that there’s no silver bullet in marketing — only clarity, consistency, and care. Richard urged LSPs to define exactly what problem they solve, who they solve it for, and how to reach those customers — and to consider what value they add.

“You all have similar skills and technology,” he said. “The difference is your team.” Marketing, he reminded delegates, must be planned, budgeted (even if the currency is time), and measured continuously. “Be agile. Plan, plan, plan. Then measure, learn, and plan again.”

A follow-up panel on lead generation — moderated by Steve Higgins with Roy Allkin, James Halstead (Dals), Corinne Smith (International Translations Limited), and James Brown — explored what’s working now and what’s not. Personal approach, clear positioning, and consistent storytelling all emerged as the winning tactics for sustainable growth.

Social Media Still Matters

Rian Bailey-Weir (The Nice Exchange) closed the marketing strand with a session on social media strategy for LSPs. With 90% of business-to-business (B2B) buyers researching suppliers on social platforms, he argued, building visibility and credibility online are no longer optional.

Rian’s three pillars of visibility, credibility, and conversion gave attendees a simple framework for planning content that actually leads to leads. The reminder was that social media isn’t about shouting louder, but showing up with purpose, empathy, and expertise.

Growth Is Everyone’s Business

Our discussions at THRIVE 2025 proved that growth isn’t driven by any one strategy or department — it’s a shared culture. Whether you’re a PM, marketer or CEO, thriving in 2025 means focusing on building genuine relationships and a stellar reputation, and fostering long-term results.

As delegates looked ahead to the ATC’s 50th Anniversary Conference in Glasgow in 2026, one theme lingered in the air: We thrive together through people, purpose, and partnership. And what could have been more apt as we celebrated the ATC Language Industry Awards and the innovation, resilience, and dedication of ATC member companies and the people behind them.