BP Translation Conferences in general

What is BP anyway?
BP Translation Conferences are annual CPD (= Continued Professional Development) events focusing on full-time professional freelance translators from around the world. ‘BP’ stands for Business & Practice, the two overarching themes at our conferences.  Read more about the BP Story here.
Who organizes BP events?
BP events are organized by Budapest-based freelance translator Csaba Bán, through his company registered in Hungary. ‘BP Translation Conferences’ is a non-registered brand name. While he is still accepting the odd translation job, organizing BP conferences has become a full-time job (or, to be exact, a time-and-a-half job).  
Who can attend BP events?
BP events are open to anyone who registers (i.e. pays the attendance fee). The vast majority of our attendees are freelance translators, but we do have full-time interpreters, LSP owners, and other language professionals as well. Everyone is welcome as long as they contribute to the professional (and fun) atmosphere of BP events.

Registration process / Invoicing

How do I register for an event?
Registering for an event means paying for an event. You can do this in BP’s store, under the Register menu above. If you don’t see the event in the store yet, it means registration has not started yet. In this case you may want to sign up to our mailing list to be notified when registration starts.
Payment by bank transfer / Transferwise
If you’re based in Europe, this may be the cheapest and most straightforward means of payment. Transferwise is a safe and cheap alternative to bank transfers. IMPORTANT: in the Comment field, make sure you enter your Order Number (a 5-digit number) so that we can identify your payment.  You don’t need to include anything else, but do include the Order Number (i.e. NOT the number of the pro forma invoice).
Payment by credit/debit card
You can also pay with your Visa or Mastercard (either credit or debit). We currently use PayPal as a card processing service. You do not need to set up a PayPal account to be able to pay with your card. Please note that there’s a 4.5% surcharge on card payment to compensate us for the card processing fee PayPal charges. We plan to switch to another (hopefully cheaper) card processor in the foreseeable future.
Entering your billing details
Make sure you enter your billing details correctly. Whatever you enter will be displayed exactly that way on the invoice. Please note that all invoices are generated automatically from the data you enter. If you realize later that you made a mistake AND you haven’t paid yet, simply start the registration process again and enter your details correctly — and simply ignore the incorrectly issued invoice.

VAT issues

Why do I have to pay VAT?
Value added tax (VAT) rates are different in each member state of the EU.  Event organizers must add VAT at the local rate — this tax is then paid to the state budget, i.e. does not remain with the organizer. You have to pay VAT if you purchase the items as an individual, or if your company is registered in the country where the event takes place.
I forgot my VAT ID and I need a new invoice
All invoices are generated automatically from the data you enter during the registration process. Do make sure you enter your details (including your VAT ID) correctly before placing the order. If you forgot to include your VAT number and the invoice states the gross amount, AND you haven’t paid yet, you can simply place a new order with the correct details, and pay the net amount. IMPORTANT: It’s NOT OK to pay the net amount only if your invoice includes VAT. If you paid already and you realized you have a valid VAT ID that you forgot to enter, let us know, and we’ll take care of this — but please avoid this scenario, as it requires quite a lot of admin work to clear this up.
I'm based outside the EU - do I pay VAT?
If you purchase your ticket as an individual, you’ll need to pay VAT. If you purchase your ticket as a business (i.e. you enter your company’s name in the billing section), it is your responsibility to comply with your country’s regulations to make sure you’re eligible for VAT-free purchases.  In several non-EU countries, it is sufficient to mention that you’re a sole trader next to your name, and you won’t have to pay VAT.
Help! My VAT ID is not accepted
During the registration process you can enter your VAT ID on the Billing page (make sure you select ‘Business’ under ‘I pay as…’). Make sure you enter your VAT ID without any spaces (e.g. DE12345678). This VAT ID is validated real-time against EU’s VIES database. It may occur rarely that your national VAT database may be down temporarily, in which case VIES cannot check the validity of your ID. Wait a little and try again after a few minutes.
How do I recover VAT if I have a business?
If you purchase your ticket as an individual, you won’t be able to recover the VAT amount. If your business is registered in the EU member state where the event takes place, you’ll have to pay VAT at the time of your purchase, but you can write off the full invoice amount as an expense, and you’ll be able to recover the VAT amount in the next month or quarter (this is done within your country’s taxation system).

BP Video Library

What do I get for a 1-year licence?
A 1-year access to BP Video Library allows you to watch all videos for 365 days from the day you first open the unique link. (You’ll receive the link at the time of your purchase, but you can open it any time you like.) This includes any videos that may be added during this 1-year period, particularly the videos from the next annual BP Translation Conference (these are usually added in June each year).
What happened to the lifetime licence?
Currently we offer only 1-year licences for business reasons. Anyone who has a lifetime license from an earlier purchase will continute to have access to all existing and future videos in the Video Library.
I purchased a licence, but I can't find the link
As soon as your payment is confirmed, you receive two automatically generated emails: one with the invoice, and another one with a unique link to access our Vimeo channel where the videos are stored. Check your spam folder as well, you must have received both of these emails. Clicking on this link takes you to Vimeo where you’ll need to enter your email and a password.  Whenever you’d like to watch the videos again, open Vimeo and enter the same login credentials.
Any discount for students and faculty members?
We do offer occasional discounts for students and faculty members. You need to be a full-time student of translation studies or a related field AND under 30 to be eligible for the discount. Send a copy of your enrolment form and a copy of a photo ID to receive a special discount code.  Faculty members, please send a proof of your status and a copy of a photo ID to get the discount code.
Any discount in other cases?
We usually offer access to BP Video Library at a discount when purchased together with a ticket to a BP conference or other online event. Once registration opens to any of our events, you’ll see a coupon code you can use to get the discount.
 

FAQ to be expanded soon

We plan to expand the above sections with more information soon, as well as adding new sections on Cancellation & Refunds,  Speakers,  Attendees,  Commitment & Engagement, and Online / Offline events. Thank you for your patience.