Third Localization Unconference Canada. Now a Tradition!

Oleksandr Pysaryuk (@alexpysaryuk) reports:

It was the third time we held the Localization Unconference in Toronto. And our Canadian edition was again absolute fun and a success! Shout out to co-organizers Jenny Reid and Richard Sikes, and to Charmaine Cook of Moravia who sponsored our afterparty – the networking dinner.

Achievers welcomed an especially close and intimate group of professionals. Some flights and road trips got canceled due to weather. But, those who did make it came from as far as Colorado, California, Boston, and up-state New York!

John Weisgerber of XTM was there, offering his unique perspective of the vendor, client, and translator side of the industry. It was great to have Ariane Duddey there again too, with quite a diverse background in the localization industry. We also had translators in the room – Beatriz @biafigueireddo, Catherine Christaki aka @LinguaGreca and Burak Benk of Dragoman Translation. From me as a new Canadian, who came here 9 years ago: congratulations to you all on recently becoming new Canadians. Welcome to Toronto, colleagues!

Localization Unconference topics for decision and discussion
Localization Unconference Toronto topics for decision and discussion

Conversations went on about the build or buy options for translation management tools, educating clients and meeting their (un)realistic expectations, the importance and best practices in terminology management, machine translation post-editing, and reviews and quality management (hello Ocelot, we did talk about you with much praise!). Toronto’s own, and now also quite global company, Wattpad offered expert opinions about how to build the case for localization, and about i18n product management. Interesting recommendations came in from Qlik’s globalization architect on harvesting localizable source text from web and mobile apps’ multitude of file formats. @BeatBabel and Translations.com were spotted among the attendees, talking about building teams, retaining great employees, and managing global localization programs. We got some good advice from young-at-heart localization veterans on what a career path in the industry could look like. Someone even mentioned @localization as an example career – going from translation manager to director of global UX at Oracle!

The biggest discovery of this unconference was Eric Bigras (pronounced with your best French accent). Eric is the recent graduate of York University’s program in translation studies. Did you know that Glendon College offers MA in Translation Studies? It claims that it’s “the only graduate program in Toronto and southern Ontario dedicated to the advanced study of translation”. Having the privilege of knowing Eric now, I know that program must be really good. Hear that MIIS? Canada’s got translation talent, too!

Localization Unconference dinner and audience session
Localization Unconference dinner and audience session

Thank you all for coming and supporting the Canadian Unconference with its true Northern spirit. And if you missed this unconference, see you at Localization World! I hear Montréal is so beautiful in autumn.

Ultan Ó Broin
Ultan Ó Broin (@localization), is an independent UX consultant. With three decades of UX and L10n experience and outreach, he specializes in helping people ensure their global digital transformation makes sense culturally and also reflects how users behave locally. Any views expressed are his own. Especially the ones you agree with.

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