WorldReady Lisbon 2027 by Globalization and Localization Association When 12-14 April 2027 Where Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal Deadline for proposals 31 October 2026, 23:59 PT On this page Conference theme Proposal submission deadline Audience Formats Tracks StrategyReady GlobalExperienceReady CareerReady Submit your proposal WorldReady Lisbon 2027 Real Problems, Honest Talks for an Industry in Transition Tired of conferences that tell you what you expected to hear? So are we. In a world moving at the pace of AI, GALA wants to remain the conference where people can be themselves and admit what they don't know. That matters more than ever, because what we are truly dealing with is not AI itself but the world it leaves in its wake, and how we transform with it. For WorldReady Lisbon 2027, under the theme ‘Real Problems, Honest Talks for an Industry in Transition’, we're asking you to bring those truths. Bring the practical innovation, the small touch of ingenuity that made a real difference for you or your organization, and bring with it the many iterations that led nowhere or the experiment that failed to deliver. Let's move past theory, say the things we would rather not say, and make sure that every session and every conversation counts. Before you click the button, make sure your proposal: Says something we have not already heard at another industry conference or event this year. The goal is to assemble a full room of curious minds. Speaks directly to the theme of real problems and honest talks. No sugarcoating, no embellishing, no glorification. Fits one of the tracks below, or introduces such a novel idea that we really, really need to hear it. Assumes the room is knowledgeable and experienced on the topic. Skip the introduction slides and get to the part that matters. Incites conversation. We want proposals that draw questions, stir up opinions, and turn into follow-up conversations in the hallway and beyond. And please leave the sales pitch at home. Unless you are giving away your solution or service for free, we would much rather hear about the problem you solved and how you got there. Let your experience speak for itself. Back to top Proposal submission deadline The deadline for proposals is 31 October 2026. Please complete your application using the form online. Final accept/decline notifications will be sent to speakers by 09 January 2027 at the latest. Please note: Submissions cannot be edited or reviewed after you click submit — please have your full proposal ready before you begin. In addition to your written proposal, please submit a one-minute video introducing yourself and responding to the following question: What would people not expect to hear from your presentation? Submit your proposal Back to top Audience WorldReady is for practitioners from all areas of language operations, language solutions, and global user experience. That includes enterprise globalization teams, language service companies, and technology providers, along with the people who own and run them and the consultants who advise them. It also includes practitioners in user experience, product development, technical communication, and international marketing whose work has to succeed in more than one language or market. As the industry changes, the lines between those jobs keep moving and merging, but they all converge on global growth. Back to top Formats Fire starter (30 min) - A focused presentation built around a compelling idea, case study, insight, or lesson learned, followed by a brief Q&A. Short by design. Lead with the take-home point. Panel (60 min) - A moderated conversation among a small group of speakers who bring honest, differing views and experiences on the same topic and are open to sharing them candidly. The best panels are largely unscripted, with a moderator who keeps things moving and makes room for the differences to come out. Please, let us know in the submission form if you have suggested co-panelists or if you would like suggestions from the Program Committee. Round table (60 min) - A facilitated discussion where participants bring different points of view, contrarian opinions, or the perspective of a different segment of our industry, and work through a shared topic with some depth. The audience is part of the conversation, so leave room for their questions and their stories. Academy Lab (90 min) - An interactive, hands-on workshop designed to build practical skills through guided exercises, collaboration, and real-world application. Include time for people to try things themselves. Do you have an idea for another format? Tell us. Great ideas often have a way of finding room in the program. Back to top Tracks For each track, the Program Committee favors proposals that bring practical solutions, with priority given to work that has already happened. What changed because of it? What did you learn along the way? Why did this solution win over others? Best practices, use cases, case studies, success stories, failures, and other lessons learned all fit. Below each track, you will find several example topics. Use them as a starting point, or ignore them completely and pitch us something we have not thought of yet, as long as it genuinely belongs in that track. If you are not sure which track fits, take your best guess, and we will sort it out together later if your idea is selected. StrategyReady Core questions: How do we build organizations and businesses that truly succeed in a global market, and how do we go from surviving AI to thriving with it? Topics: Compliance Challenges of AI integration in compliance (especially regulated industries) How language and AI compliance are different and how they are evolving in different parts of the world Business Models Generalization vs. specialization, per-word model vs. emerging alternatives Forward-deployed engineers as a value stream for content owners and LSPs Navigating budget cuts and optimizing resource allocation Partnerships, consolidation, M&As, and vendor-client alliances: who stays and who disappears Build vs. Buy Building your own systems vs licensing Single-platform vs point solutions, stack control Competing vs collaborating, operational edge vs core competencies The buyer’s AI procurement playbook Strategies and approaches to making the hidden costs more visible to executives before decisions are made Language Investment Strategies Translation, per-market generation, source quality, customer experience, and other difficult investment choices Content lifecycle and deprecation Good enough' quality: what we should stop buying or investing in Marketing and Business Development How value proposition messages have changed with AI The impact of geopolitics on the localization (and vice versa) The value localization functions bring within an enterprise, and how to optimize it What clients are really buying from LSPs and how they sell it Back to top GlobalExperienceReady Core questions How do we create experiences that feel local even at a global scale? How do we use technology to reach more people without losing what makes those experiences trustworthy in the first place? And can we finally put a real number on what localization is worth to the business? Suggested topics Multimedia Localization Moving into audiovisual localization Brand identity and quality expectations in the AI era Multimedia localization strategy: what drives the choice between localizing, dubbing, or recreating? Localization, audio, and testing for video games Localization as a Feature Conversational design: experiences across cultures Multilingual search and discoverability Designing global experiences for humans and AI agents: what changes when AI becomes your user Native Language Experiences Localizing for country-specific levels of trust and communication rules Translation vs transcreation vs hyper-personalization Translating vs communicating, correct vs appropriate Localization as a Growth Driver vs. Localization as a Cost Center The value-added function of localization teams and providers Can we finally measure localization ROI? How language teams can influence go-to-market strategies How to sell your work to your own organization Low-Resource Languages Keigo and AI: localizing for hyper-specific styles Leveraging AI for rare languages and language preservation Preparing the market for the next billion users: specialization, resources, and human power Interpreting AI, hybrid, or human: the right place for everyone AI interpreting and client trust Quality in real-time communication: main interpreting KPIs and how to meet them Speed and accuracy in real-time communication The interpreter’s role in a world where everyone can understand everyone Interpreting technology use cases outside of interpreting Back to top CareerReady Core questions How do you build a career that still matters as technology keeps changing? How should organizations be developing the people who will lead them through that change? And which human capabilities will matter most as automation and AI take on more of the work? Suggested topics Skills, Learning and Career Reinvention Skill enhancement strategies for staff and vendors beyond translation and localization How academia can help prepare translation professionals in the age of AI Accidental technologists: stories from localization professionals who reinvented their roles How to own your training when linear careers are disappearing From expert to beginner: the human cost of change and reinvention Teams and Leadership The profile of 2030s localization leaders: background and skill sets New org charts and staffing challenges: scaling expertise without scaling headcount First-time leaders in times of uncertainty: lessons learned and errors made Does talent shortage increase or decrease LSPs’ power? Human Skills, Resilience and Wellbeing Lessons on the soft skills nobody taught us about Psychological safety in an ever-changing industry What remains uniquely human Opportunities and challenges of a multi-generational workforce Back to top Submit your proposal
