Over the past year, more and more customer interactions have moved online, causing changes in how people engage with companies. As a result, a lot of important discussions are happening in the localization industry about how to optimize localization programs and scale efforts to match the increase in demand. At this year’s Lilt Ascend 2021, leaders from across the localization and globalization space are coming together to discuss the key topics and questions on the mind of localization professionals everywhere, including the importance of managing for success, the value of innovation and technology, and the future of global customer experiences. Here are just a few reasons why we’re looking forward to Lilt Ascend 2021: Proving the Case for Localization Establishing localization as an important business function requires time and effort, and much of it relies on building out a strategy. One hurdle that many localization professionals encounter is understanding how to prioritize localization resources and ultimately prove its ROI. In fact, data from our recent State of Localization 2021 Report shows that nearly 85% of respondents believe that localization has an impact on company revenue, but less than half believe that localization is viewed as a strategic company priority. Given this disconnect, it’s more crucial than ever for localization leaders to advocate for a seat at the strategic table to reinforce the importance and impact that localization can have on an organizational level. In the virtual panel discussion Quantifying Value and Getting a Seat at the Table, Paula Shannon (Chief Evangelist at Lilt), Marcia Metz (Vice President at Iron Mountain), and Carrie Fischer (Manager of Globalization Services at Subway) will be discussing their experiences proving and championing localization and its value at an organizational level. Tune in for insights, strategies, and best practices on how to claim localization’s strategic seat at the table. The Value of Innovation and Technology Fostering an internal culture that values both innovation and technology can be a challenge, and one that’s often met with pushback. After all, adding in new processes and tools to your existing workflows isn’t always easy. However, both of these are invaluable to localization professionals, especially as programs need to scale to accommodate higher content volumes and more languages. In many cases, it takes new ideas and forward-thinking tools to accomplish lofty goals. One common way to incorporate technology into your workflow is to improve the way systems work together through the use of integrations and connectors. A traditional workflow that isn’t technology-focused requires a lot of manual work - downloading content and files, uploading them into new systems, training and re-training systems, and more. This takes time away from strategic projects and long term planning to do maintenance and menial tasks. Instead, inserting automation and technology that can adapt to your workflows can drastically increase both translator efficiency and internal productivity, simply by eliminating unnecessary manual work. Two upcoming sessions at Ascend 2021 will be focused on both of these issues. First, Loïc Dufresne de Virel (Head of Localization at Intel) will share his thoughts on the importance of creating a culture that values innovation in his session Instilling an Ecosystem of Innovation. Next, in their panel The Importance Of Interoperability And A Connector Forward Approach, Kel Commins (Director of Solutions at Lilt) and Sergey Parievsky (Head of Globalization at Juniper Networks) will be discussing the ecosystem of localization technologies and what impact that has on the success of company growth. What is the Future of Localization? One of the most pressing questions on the minds of many in the localization community is what the future of the industry holds. Much of the world’s content isn’t available to non-English speakers, a problem that has been exacerbated by the global pandemic. But as the world has also become more digitally connected than ever before, it’s now easier to interact with companies digitally. With that, companies must prioritize a global experience that all users, regardless of language or locale, can interact and consume equally. Ultimately, localization will play a large role in the growth of global experience. Without it, customers globally will experience incomplete, broken journeys that may force them to look for alternatives to a company’s products and services. One common discussion topic throughout this year’s Ascend 2021 focuses on global customer experience and what the future holds for the localization industry. While many sessions will touch on this important focal point, here are just a few highlights: - The Global Customer Experience Revolution, Spence Green (CEO at Lilt) - Building Global Experiences in a Borderless Industry, Martin Sigwald (Product Manager at Hummingbot) and Jay Kurahashi-Sofue (VP of Marketing at Ava Labs) - Customer Journey Mapping Workshop, Allison Yarborough (Senior Product Marketing Manager at Lilt) - Developing Product for a Global Audience with Local Nuance, Miguel Gomez Ramirez (Senior Product Manager, Personalization at Walmart eCommerce) - How to Market to a Global Audience, Giedrė Kronberga (International Marketing Manager at Printful) • • • These are just a few sessions and topics that will be highlighted at Ascend 2021, so be sure to register now to hear from experts! Join conversations with thousands of localization professionals from across the globe to learn best practices, strategies, future expectations for 2022, and beyond.