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GALA Academy

GALA Academy offers quarterly online training for professionals in the language services and localization industry. Each course includes three to four live sessions with industry experts, covering the topics that matter most to your work. Sessions combine expert presentations, small group discussions, and open Q&A — so you can ask questions and learn from peers, not just speakers.

You will leave each course with practical knowledge you can apply right away.

GALA members attend free. Non-members pay $250 per course.

Not yet a member? A GALA membership covers your Academy access at no extra cost, along with member-only webinars, Special Interest Groups, and  industry reports.

 LEARN MORE ABOUT GALA MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

GALA Academy FAQ

How is GALA Academy different from on-demand localization courses?

GALA Academy courses are live and interactive. You attend scheduled sessions in real time, discuss current industry topics with other professionals, and ask questions directly to the session leader and speakers. Between sessions, your group continues the conversation in a shared online workspace. The connections you make during a course stay with you after it ends. 

Format   Live, moderated online sessions
Recordings   Available to participants for 2 months after each session
Length   3–4 sessions over 3–4 weeks; each session is approximately 90 minutes
Learning style               Expert presentations, peer discussion, and open Q&A
Cost   Free for GALA members · $250 for non-members
Community   Access to a shared cohort workspace during the course

Who attends GALA Academy?

GALA Academy draws a wide range of professionals from across the language services and localization industry — from large enterprise globalization teams to boutique language service providers, and from C-suite executives to freelancers and early-career professionals. If you work in localization or want to build a career in the field, Academy courses are designed for you. 

Which topics does GALA Academy cover?

Courses address the topics most relevant to localization professionals today, including: 

  • Sales and business development 

  • Translation project management and vendor management 

  • AI-powered localization and quality evaluation 

  • Content strategy and digital marketing 

  • Community management and customer experience 

  • Leadership and change management 

New topics are introduced regularly based on industry needs. 

How are GALA Academy sessions delivered?

All sessions are held online, so you can join from anywhere. Between live sessions, participants use a shared workspace to continue discussions, exchange resources, and stay connected with their cohort. 

How much does GALA Academy cost? 

GALA members attend free as part of their membership. Non-members pay $250 per course. 

What is the cancellation policy?

To cancel, email content@gala-global.org before the first session. Cancellations received before the first session day will receive a full refund. No refunds are issued after the first session begins or for no-shows. Substitutions are welcome before the first session day. 

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. GALA Academy issues a certificate of attendance upon request after the course ends. 

What do participants say about GALA Academy?

The whole event was awesome, I learned a lot! Thanks to the speakers for sharing so generously all your knowledge and experience and also thanks to all the participants for sharing ideas and suggestions! Precious content.
- Rhadra Calache, Vendor Manager at Inside

What I liked most is the community sense in which everyone felt able to share experiences and was open to learn from each other.
- Ariel Piccini, Vendor Manager at delsurtranslations

Excellent topics – great presenters! It was insightful to collaborate with VMs from other organizations and hear about the tools and processes that their teams have in place or are considering. It gave us some ideas and this platform provided a more hands-on opportunity to learn about what is happening in the industry globally, from people who do similar/the same work.
- Erin Harchuck, Solutions Manager

Thanks so much for your very valuable GALA Academy sessions on Leadership Foundations. I didn't only find it very informative and instructive, I really enjoyed it! Positive thoughts and ideas kept flowing as the session went on with Shelly Priebe, that I'm still using today. I am elated that I attended the training. Thank you for your wisdom, experience and personable presentation. Gracias.
- Lucrecia Jarab, Head of Business Development at Translation Back Office

I loved the program content and how it was structured and presented. From the review of must-know standards, to the examples of how different buyers implement TQM. I liked revisiting the DQF-MQM raison d’être, which approach is still proving to be the most adaptable to any size of company, process, project and QA cycle, but I was even more pleased to hear that holistic and human assessment are still key to balance all quality perspectives.
- Núria Riera, Quality Manager at iDISC

Thank you so much for this fantastic Academy. It was brilliant. It was very interesting for me to get an overview on quality from other quality professionals, both through the presentations and the debates in the forum.
- Ricardo Muñoz Nafría, Quality Manager

I found it very interesting and incredibly useful. I'm starting a role as QA Program Manager so I found everything particularly relevant to me. I will definitely put the ideas into practice.
- Eugenia Conti, QA Program Manager at Ushuaia Solutions