LocalizationGuy Blog
GALA 2013 Miami Recap - Part 2
Published Saturday, April 6, 2013
Aki Ito's GALA Recap - Part 2
The more things change, the more creativity is at the core...
It’s no secret that the increased role of technology in translation and localization is transforming how we do our jobs and how we chart out the future of our companies and industry. In some quarters, there is trepidation about machine translation and perhaps the marginalization of human translators in some scenarios.
On the other hand, the growth in technology solutions is a center of creativity and energy in the industry. David Orban of Dotsub, the keynote speaker, gave a compelling talk about melding vision, creativity and an understanding of language needs in the market to come up with innovative services, his own company’s subtitling software serving as only one example. There were also interesting panel discussions about transcreation, a kind of cross-disciplinary approach that combines roles traditionally assumed separately by translation/localization and advertising/marketing.
I believe the pressures the industry feels will ultimately make us collectively better because we will be forced to redefine ourselves and the value we bring to the table. Clearly, many people are searching for next steps and the conversation will continue. It appears invaluable at this time to maintain an open mind and an adaptive disposition.
The spirit of sharing ideas and information was high in Miami. Here I am with Wafaa Mohiy of Saudisoft.
KnowledgeFest
The GALA KnowledgeFest breakout sessions on the last day of the conference were terrific. By the last day, we had settled in, met a lot of people, and focused in on the topics that really mattered to each of us. KnowledgeFest allowed everyone to join in group discussions about their key interests. I led a table on building a sales team. LocalizationGuy marketing services director, Jeff Dalton, sat at the marketing table led by Véronique Özkaya of Xplanation.
Throughout the conference, both Jeff and I picked up the vibe that many LSP owners are a little unsure about the future. Technology continues to transform the industry, and we had many conversations about what to do next. At my KnowledgeFest table on building a sales team, I encouraged LSP owners to think about why they got into the industry and focus on what excites them. Nobody should run a business merely because they have to. LSP owners should lead and grow their businesses out of desire and a sense of adventure. Going back to this principle, I hope many LSP owners will rediscover the purpose of their businesses and find the way to be a lot more lucrative and productive by only doing what they enjoy doing.
At Jeff’s marketing table, he reported the overwhelming spirit of generosity and sharing information about common problems. I experienced the same thing. Business development managers, marketing managers, CEOs and salespeople at Jeff’s table shared stories of best practices and what has and has not worked for them in finding new business for their companies. Jeff and I both promoted the idea that sales and marketing outreach work best when you listen to clients and prospects, truly understand what they need, and engender a strong sense of trust. You win and build relationships when you genuinely provide value to a client.
- Aki Ito, April 6, 2013
