ELIA Together 2026, held on 19-20 February 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Porto, brought together language professionals for two days of connection, insight, and shared learning. Under this year’s theme, The Power of Co-Creation: Collaboration on Focus, freelancers, LSPs, vendor managers, and academics explored how partnership and adaptability are shaping the future of our industry.
“What attracted me to ELIA Together is the community and ability to meet people from the industry on both sides, the LSP side as well as speak to linguists. It really does feel like a community. People are here to share ideas and work together.” – Gavin Brown
Our keynote speaker, Sophie Solomon, opened the event with her session The Art of Adaptability. Drawing on insights from art history and contemporary industry change, she highlighted how adaptability acts as the multiplier that brings intelligence, emotional awareness, and technological fluency to life.
Across two parallel tracks, sessions explored how freelancers and LSPs can strengthen communication, clarify expectations, and build more sustainable, trust-based partnerships. Other sessions addressed the realities of change, from the risks of AI fatigue and over-reliance on automation, to the importance of maintaining and nurturing creativity.
“I found some of them really inspiring and helpful in understanding and navigating this new world.” – Tayo Ademolu
Together, these discussions shared the need to stay critically engaged while turning ideas into practical business opportunities.
Friday’s hands-on workshops translated these conversations into action, with concrete strategies for integrating AI thoughtfully and communicating professional value with confidence.
ELIA Together 2026 didn’t stop at the sessions! The Together Job Fair made a comeback, and created a dedicated space for conversations between freelancers and LSPs, reinforcing the importance of knowing the people behind the projects and encouraging new partnerships and an open exchange of ideas.
This year closed with a lively panel discussion, featuring Tayo Ademolu, Martina Ferraina, Povilas Miknevičius and Sara Robertson, discussing the future of our industry and the importance of open discussion.
With a full programme of inspiring sessions from 23 speakers, two interactive workshops, the Together Job Fair, a panel, and the Networking Dinner at Casa da Música, Together 2026 brought The Power of Co-Creation to life in practical ways. Attendees explored how clearer communication strengthens LSP–freelancer partnerships, how purposeful networking builds long-term value, and how balanced AI integration protects quality and critical thinking. A shared takeaway emerged: resilience in today’s language industry demands courage—to adapt, reposition, and invest intentionally in collaboration.
“What ELIA Together does really well is giving people the space to network and talk, and just have those conversations.” – Fiona Gray
To everyone who joined us at #ELIATogether in Porto: speakers, sponsors, partners, and attendees, your energy and engagement made this event truly special. A special thank you to the programme committee members Aleksandrina Karabasheva, Indrė Lelevičienė, Diego Cresceri, and Carlos la Orden Tovar for curating a thoughtful programme. We also extend our gratitude to our local partner expressão for welcoming us so warmly to the beautiful city of Porto.
With ELIA Together 2026 now wrapped up, the conversations and collaborations sparked over these two days will continue to shape businesses, careers, and partnerships across the industry. We are already looking forward to our next event, this time in Chania! Join us on 14-15 May 2026 for ELIA Focus on Executives 2026.
