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Back from the 2014 Globalization and Localization Conference

Last updated on May 3rd, 2021 at 01:43 pm

 

GALA at TurkeyThe 2014 Globalization and Localization Conference is an incredible treat to attend every year. This year, Istanbul made the Language of Business even more spectacular and memorable. The mix of cultures, history and languages in this Turkish city created the perfect setting for the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and future visions for the language industry.  Istanbul welcomed 350 attendees from around the world, most of whom were from Europe, with perfect spring weather and sunshine.

The keynote speaker for the Monday opening was a Turkish successful businessman, Mr. Fikret Orman, president of Besiktas, one of Turkey’s football teams. He added more fans to the team after giving each of us a football shirt. His gesture added fun and relevance to his presentation about effort and team work in an international setting. There was a large media group covering the event.

The conference at a glance:

  • Monday’s tracks were about localizing unusual languages, the state of the language industry in African and Asian markets, the impact of technology in the world of interpretation, and sales development for translation companies.
  • Tuesday was about technology implementation and interoperability.  That was my favorite day, as I am always searching for more efficient techniques and solutions for complex projects and better approaches for content and website translation. Quality measurement and the CRISP program (Collaborative Research, Innovation and Standards Program) were discussed at length.
  • Wednesday was Knowledgefest, an event that provided collaborative learning sessions for different areas of interest. The annual Association meeting was also held.
  • Every day, technology suppliers presented demos and made presentations throughout the conference. It was an incredible display of tools that support the localization industry by allotting more time for the creative process of translation.

A Festive and Educational Experience

We attended the welcome reception on Sunday and a colorful Monday dinner full of folk dances and traditional Turkish food. We mingled with new colleagues and old friends from the language sector and exchanged ideas and experiences we’ve had in different countries and different languages. After the Monday dinner, there was a great display of culture with Turkish rhythms.  On Tuesday morning, we all had several cups of Turkish coffee to wake up our brains.

GALA never ceases to amaze me in the way it provides an incredible venue for networking, dialogue, and exchange of learning and experiences.  We left the conference full of new ideas to further investigate. We are energized and ready to apply leading technologies and the latest trends in localization and translation technology.

Lessons learned

  • Technology has and will continue to propel  the language industry
  • Machine translation is here to stay
  • Interoperability continues to be a challenge for the translation industry.
  • Standards are essential and we all need to keep working on them.
  • We must increase the US Government’s awareness of the Importance of  Languages.

We are already excited for and anticipating GALA 2015 In Seville, Spain. Ole!!!

Jackie Ruffolo
Jackie Ruffolo
Jackie was born in Venezuela and has a BS in computer engineering. As President of JR Language, she spends time researching new technology and productivity tools for the Company. She holds a certificate of Localization and Project Management- Localization. Through her many years of experience working in multilingual corporate environments, she understands firsthand the value of bridging language barriers in creating smooth communication that allows for productive and happy work environments. She is fluent in Spanish and English, and is a frequent contributor to both our English and Spanish blogs. 20 Years of experience in marketing Jackie loves nature and to be outdoors.