This was my 13th GALA conference and GALA holds a special place in my heart, having been involved on the Board a few years. It is not easy to host 500 people in a different city every year, and Gala 2025 Montréal really wowed... ✨
First, location. This is the closest we have had to an all French conference in North America. How I enjoyed saying "ça va" and speaking Frenglish all day long. It almost felt like home. Though poutine has still not convinced me, I sure had a great time and hope to see more Canadian members at Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) in the future.
AI and HI for the first time are finding a common ground, and it took someone from outside the industry to shake us up and give us "la niaque"... A mix of energetic hope. This is one of the most entertaining and fascinating keynotes. Cirque du Soleil tours in 450 cities worldwide and includes 90 nationalities. A diversity and creativity microcosm. Thank you for the stories and inspiration, Daniel Lamarre. I will now be even more of a Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group fan!
The conversations were real. The panels were insightful and for once, we had real case applications and, transparency about our trial and errors. From AI voice to LLM, we dug deeper into the future of localization. Thank you for sharing Kirti Vashee, Jose Palomares and of course Renato Beninatto for your thoughtful analysis. It was refreshing to phase out the noise and focus on what's real.
Allison Ferch and the Gala team fuel the room with energy and efficiency. Every time. It is not easy to put together a conference. And my admiration goes to all of them and the program committee once again. Alicia Deadrick, Jessica DiPietro, Isabella Massardo and Alex Bernet - welcome to the team. A special shoutout to the students for their help and accomplishments.
And to all our wonderful localization friends, a big thank-you. You always light up our trips. 🌞
Andrew has done wonders for our community over the years. Once again, we raised money for Translators without Borders, and always finish with an Irish flourish... And now we even have a kangaroo mascot. Kudos Andrew.
We are looking forward to Berlin next year. BeatBabel ❤️ Berlin!!!
Let's fight together for an AI induced future, fueled by human feelings and creativity...
Merci à tous et à très vite,
Marie