Interview Spotlight with Svetla Marinova from SOFITA
Next up in our interview series celebrating our 20th Anniversary, ELIA’s Roots: Stories from Our Member Companies, is Svetla Marinova from SOFITA.
This interview series is a continuation from our Past Board Members series, and this time we turn to the ones who have allowed ELIA to grow into the association it is today and showed support and engagement throughout the years: our Members.
In each article, a Member Company shares their unique story with ELIA, from special memories and Member value, to business milestones and industry connections.
Now, let’s hear from Svetla who first joined in 2006.
When did you first join ELIA, and what brought you to the association?
Sofita first joined ELIA back in 2006. At that time, Ramona and Nikolay–the founders of Sofita and among the first industry agents on the Bulgarian market–believed that sharing experience with European companies in the industry would be extremely valuable. This insight led them to join the association. Sofita’s first ELIA event was in 2010, in Istanbul, where their expectations were fully confirmed. My first personal participation in an ELIA event was in 2012, in Budapest, and since then I have hardly missed an ELIA event in the past 13 years.
What is one of your favourite memories from an ELIA event or within the community?
It’s hard to pick just one favourite moment–I can think of at least two special and memorable events.
The first that comes to mind is the ELIA ND in Tuscany in 2014, which, to begin with, amazed me with its stunning location, beautiful nature, and impressive venue. We were accommodated in a place that looked like an old palace, surrounded by vast green meadows. The sessions and conversations took place in such a warm and intimate atmosphere–perhaps because of the small group who managed to arrive at this hard-to-reach location–and the whole experience felt extraordinary and even magical to me. I remember very clearly it was there, for the first time, that I encountered the topic of business planning and budgeting in LSPs, presented by Roberto Ganzerli. I was so impressed by everything he said that for years afterwards I kept my notes from that session on my desk.
The second unforgettable event was ELIA’s 10th anniversary in Lyon in 2015, which was truly special. The president at that time was Françoise Bajon, whom I consider one of the most emblematic figures in the history of the association. The special dinner took place at the historic restaurant Abbaye de Collonges, owned by one of the world’s greatest chefs. It was this huge hall with an impressive organ on the wall and a truly magnificent atmosphere. I have no words to describe the experience–the feeling is still alive to this day… Those who were there will know what I mean. Some members even performed on stage–Jeff Allen from SAP, Tony O’Dowd from KantanMT… and Ramona (from Sofita), who sang a heartfelt song in French in front of everyone as a gift and a gesture of gratitude to Françoise.
What do you value most about being part of the ELIA community?
What I value most in the ELIA community is the feeling of belonging. As I shared at the 20th anniversary this year in Budapest, Sofita has been a part of ELIA for more than 15 years, and I still keep learning new things, I still receive meaningful feedback and advice and I still look forward to every event and to meeting like-minded people whom I can now call friends. I always feel that someone has my back–and that, to me, is one of the most invaluable assets of this community.
How has ELIA impacted your business or your professional journey?
ELIA is a major milestone in the development of Sofita. We joined the #ELIAFamily during a turbulent period of market expansion of our company, when we truly needed reliable partners–and we found them within the community. We still work and collaborate with those partners to this day!
The partnerships we built through ELIA, and the business relationships that grew from them, have been–and continue to be–a core part of our success. This year, we celebrated our 36th anniversary, and we are so happy to have walked almost half of this journey hand in hand with ELIA.
Looking ahead, what do you see for the future of ELIA and our community?
I continue to see ELIA as a strong and important pillar in the industry–a helping hand and a source of meaningful support of individual businesses, and a key driver of growth. This is truly a community worth belonging to, and I believe we have many great years ahead to keep growing together–expanding the network, creating new opportunities, tackling challenges, and paving the way for the language industry as one.
Thank you to Svetla for sharing Sofita’s ELIA journey. Your engagement and support continue to inspire and guide our community and Members, and we are grateful for the ELIA Family we have fostered together.
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