Almost 100 professionals in the translation and localization industry gathered in Lithuania (Vilnius) for the Elia ND2022 between 28-30 September 2022. Thanks to Fernando Cabaña (JUNTOS) and Oscar Nogueras (ANETI), who experienced the congress first hand, attending both formal discussions and social events, we’re glad to present an insider chronicle of what this event was like in case you missed it.
Topic-based roundtables to learn from each other
Although it might seem risky, the Elia Networking Days 2022 was not organized around keynote presentations. The board considered that it would be best to put attendees at the center so that they could learn from each other, rather than featuring experts in different areas.
Therefore, before signing up for congress, the board sent all attendees a form to collect the main pain points of LSPs so that they could categorize them into the following tables:
Sales in the translation industry
The discussion started off by explaining the differences between having end clients or LSPs as clients, since sales strategies would depend mainly on this.
There was much talk about LinkedIn, and how to use this tool to boost the personal profile of collaborators and the company’s as well. The indirect sales you can make by making connections, sharing others’ posts and talking about your personal life. To finish with the value you can add to your clients by helping them be aware of cultural differences.
How to approach M&A processes
We have seen many M&A lately, and thus this topic is very relevant for the language industry today. It’s key to be clear on the expectations of both buyers and sellers, so that the process of selling or acquiring an LSP is successful.
Much discussion on this table was about how to prepare a company from the seller’s perspective, but also about what we need to know if we are going to buy a company. In fact, what was clear to us is that before going through a merger, it’s necessary to get expert advice.
Automation and the language industry
Though one may think that the discussion would have gone around software and IT, we talked about taking into account the collaborators’ feelings when changing and automating processes, and also highlighted the importance of involving your team as much as possible in the decision-making processes and how to do it properly.
Of course, we indeed discussed tools, different TMS solutions, communication automation and how to streamline requests from clients that still rely on emailing attached files. Likewise, the potential standardization of automation solutions for our industry, along with the complex relationship between automation and quality assurance, were also key topics during these sessions.
The present and the future of AI
You would expect much talk about AI and machine translation, and that was the case. Especially in terms of how good MT is in minorized languages, or regarding what specific areas should machine translation be used for.
However, it was very enlightening to talk through what the future of AI would be in regard to AI-generated text, image and voice, which have improved a lot and may have an impact on our industry for good.
New services for LSPs
Very much in tune with the AI table, the main discussion was about AI and its impact on linguistic services. However, there were also interesting discussions about culturally dependent high-added value services for which AI’s performance still needs to improve.
New services such as cultural consultancy, multilingual copywriting and SEO translation were the stars of the show, and posed a reality where there is less competition and higher revenue.
Social events to get to know each other
What’s a congress like without mingling with your peers? Precisely, the Elia board and local sponsors had our backs covered and proposed a series of social activities to get to know each other in a more informal way. Although these activities were not compulsory, they were ideal to get the most out of ND2022.
Welcome and closing drinks
The very first day, just when we got to Vilnius, we had the welcome drinks waiting for us at the hotel lobby. Perfect to break the ice and start networking with the right energy and eager to share, learn and, of course, have some fun.
On the last day, we gathered again at the hotel bar for a final toast, which was the perfect way to close the event and wave goodbye to our colleagues and friends until next time.
The walking city tour
In a dream, a silver wolf told Gediminas that he had to build the city of Vilnius, and so he did. This is one of the things we learned from the local guides that gave us the walking city tour in groups.
Walking around the old Jewish neighborhood, passing by the Presidential Residence, the university and the bohemian quarter, we could only have time to see from the outside. Some of us managed to visit this out-of-a-fairy-tale city and do some souvenir shopping in between activities.
ND dinner
Duck, beef or salmon were the three options available for the dinner at a local restaurant. Delicious food with delicious wine. It was the perfect time to get to know each other in a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere.
But the highlight of the night were the hosts, who made most of us enjoy some polka dancing as if in a typical wedding. What else can one ask for?
Lukiškės prison
Remembering our school day trips, a bus was waiting for us at the hotel lobby to take us to the prison. There was much excitement and curiosity about visiting a prison that has been featured in the Stranger Things series.
Lukiškės prison has now become a sort of social gathering spot where you can dance and have drinks with your friends. Not to mention the snapshot souvenir we all got after visiting what was a real prison for more than a hundred years, until it was dismantled just three years ago.
Elia ND2022, the perfect event for translation and localization professionals
Enlightening discussions and amazing social events are two of the main reasons why attending the Elia Networking Days event in Vilnius was a total blast. However, nobody can argue that meeting colleagues from all over Europe is, in fact, the real reason why you should not think twice about joining the Elia family for the next Networking Days.
The question here is: where are we going next?
