Post-Event Report: Multicultural Media Expo 2006

Morgana Kayser, Local Concept, Inc.

Once we got started there were opening comments about the Expo’s goals and hopes for the future, which include bringing more money to multicultural markets, bringing together a marketplace for all organizations involved in multicultural marketing and eventually expanding the event to other locations throughout the U.S.

Although the Multicultural Media Expo was a small event, they were able to draw highly experienced and qualified speakers. Excellent speakers included Michele Azan from Terra Networks, an online content provider and one of the keynote speakers, Monica Lozano from La Opinion, one of the largest Spanish language newspapers. Most of the presentations were panel style with a moderator and 3-4 panel speakers. They ran two speaker tracks covering topics from Hispanic market segmentation and Internet usage to a panel discussion on radio marketing and branding for the multicultural consumer.

Most of the presentations were geared toward the Hispanic market with a surprising number focusing on the English-only market. There seemed to be a big push for the younger English-speaking demographic. However, one of the panelists from ESPN Desportes Radio often justified the need for their Spanish-only radio programming. Meanwhile, there were few presentations related to Asian-American communities.

Representing the language side of the business were the specialty advertising and marketing firms. For instance, IW Group provides creative, collateral and website development along with the in-house language support for the Asian markets. Many of these firms stress the importance of developing culturally adapted materials “from scratch” rather than translation or localization of the English. They pride themselves on providing services for a very specific group. Overall, presenters and topics covered more on culture and less about language.

Altogether the expert panels and keynote speakers represented a wide reach of participants from all over the country, although I would have liked to see more presenters from the corporate side rather than just media companies. As this was the first conference in this new series, there were a few “hiccups” related to the agenda and changing presentation times. I spoke with the organizers, who discussed targeting more corporations for speaking opportunities as well as exhibitors for next year. For this year’s event, the exhibit area was small and mostly filled with advertising agencies and print outlets.

If one of the goals of GALA is educate the “outside world” about our industry, I think the Multicultural Media Expo will be a good place to target, especially as the event grows in the future. For instance, translation seemed to be perceived as a dirty word, and not many participants knew what localization or globalization meant. It would be a great venue for localization companies to speak and educate those not familiar with the tools side of what we do. I also see this event as a place for localization providers to present themselves on the exhibit floor as the attendance grows. As closely related as our industries seem, we both could benefit from one another’s perspective.

Next year’s MultiCultural Media Expo will take place March 14-15, 2007 in Los Angeles. For information, visit www.multiculturalmediaexpo.com.

Morgana Kayser is the Localization Solutions Manager at Local Concept, Inc. based in San Diego, California. In her role, Morgana creates multiple language content management solutions and ethnic marketing strategies for companies ranging from high-tech to non-profit. She also has a role in developing and executing all marketing efforts including branding and external communications. Morgana is currently serving on the board of the High Tech Marketing Alliance (HTMA) and is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA).