GALA Blog

CALL FOR SPEAKERS

GALA 2010
The Global Community: Capturing Customers Worldwide
10-12 May 2010
Prague, Czech Republic

www.gala-global.org/conference

Deadline for proposals: 10 January 2009

The Globalization and Localization Association presents “GALA 2010: The language of business. The business of language,” two and a half days of learning and networking. GALA 2010 brings together suppliers, technology providers and consumers of translation and localization services to collectively share, discuss and debate the latest advancements in localization, language and global content delivery. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Global Community: Capturing Customers Worldwide.”

THE AUDIENCE

GALA 2010 is a high-level program that brings together professionals who are building the Global Community. Attendees include seasoned translation, localization and language technology professionals as well as professionals interested in learning more about expanding globally. Localization managers, content developers, global marketers, scholars, and students – the next generation of content creators and consumers – will all benefit from this conference.

GALA conference attendees value openness, risk-taking and diversity of thinking as they tackle real issues in taking content global. They want substance and knowledge that they can immediately put into practice. Our attendees are looking for fresh – and practical – ways to solve their current challenges and for ways to propel their businesses forward.

AUDIENCE EXPERTISE

This program is targeted at professionals with mostly Level 2 and Level 3 knowledge and experience. Please tailor your proposal to one of these groups.

• Level 1: Assumes the participant has little or no knowledge of the areas covered.
• Level 2: Ideal for the participant with a general knowledge of the basic concepts and general practices within the topic covered.
• Level 3: Developed for the participant who has a thorough knowledge of the general concepts and practices within the topic covered.

SESSION FORMAT

GALA 2010 will have sessions that take one of three formats/durations. Please consider which session format would most effectively deliver your content:

• 90 minute learning labs or facilitated roundtable discussions
• 50 minute presentations
• 7 minute “speed presentations” as part of larger “speed learning” sessions. These sessions are intended to showcase one fabulous, concrete take-away for the participants.

CONTENT LEADERS (PRESENTERS)

This conference is about sharing ideas in all areas of language technology and localization business operations. We strongly suggest that localization executives submit a proposal. Tools providers and language service providers are encouraged to co-present with customers to make the sessions dynamic.

The GALA promise to our conference participants is to provide exceptional experiences, a vibrant community, and essential tools that will make them and their companies more successful. We are looking for proposals that have….

• Relevant ideas for a savvy audience
• Concepts that stretch thinking and provide new approaches to language technologies and services
• Content which is delivered in an engaging way and which draws on the experience of the attendees
• Creative approaches to presentation with exercises that engage the participants
• Examples and case studies of real successes (and successful failures!)
• Practical tools and that can be applied immediately to participants’ business operations

SELECTION PROCESS
Your proposals must be submitted by 10 January 2009. You will receive a confirmation of your submission. Each submission will be reviewed by a team of GALA volunteers and staff, and you will be notified by 30 January 2010 of the status of your submission.

At GALA 2010, our attendees will spend two and a half days trying to understand the future of the language and content delivery industry so that they can build their businesses for tomorrow. GALA is seeking the most relevant and thought-provoking ideas pertinent to the localization profession. Our goal is to offer attendees knowledge and tools to do their jobs more effectively and to make their organizations more successful.

Key Topic Areas

1. Definition: Working with and being part of the changing global community
2. Creation: Why and how to create global content for local audiences
3. Transformation: Innovative approaches for communicating to local audiences worldwide
4. Facilitation: The backbone of the global community

Here are some of the kinds of questions that our attendees want to hear answers to:

• Will machine translation replace humans? Will Google make our industry irrelevant?
• How can I position my localization company for growth and success?
• What is the role of user-created content and its power for strengthening brands?
• As more content is created and distributed every day, how will companies make sure it is available in the respective markets on time, and for what device?
• What is the role of language and content in a quickly evolving and competitive environment? Who will succeed in delivering “their message” in the most innovative way?

Registration/Travel Info
Content leaders of learning labs and presentations are able to register for the conference at the reduced rate of EUR 400 and are responsible for all related travel costs. Leaders of speed learning sessions receive a coupon for a discount of EUR 100 toward registration fees.

Content Leader (Presenter) Briefing Prior to the Conference
Part of our commitment to creating a memorable experience for the attendees is to require content leaders to participate in a content leader briefing. This briefing will take place in the form of a webinar in April 2010 (date and time TBD).

The focus of these briefings will be on:

• Your role as content leader: factors for success
• Facilitating the learning experience: going beyond presenting content
• Engaging participants: tools and techniques

Download the complete call for papers and application form at this link:  www.gala-global.org/conference/GALA2010-CallForPapers.doc

Conference website: www.gala-global.org/conference