Conferences, seminars, and other events are common in the language services sector, but not all of them are equal. They serve different purposes, depending on their target audiences. Some offer opportunities for training and learning (see “Training for Localization Professionals: Who Pays?,” Mar11). Others focus more on networking. Many are designed around the needs of language service providers (LSPs) and globalization software vendors (GSVs), while others offer more opportunities for buyers or freelancers. Many want to attract buyers of language services and technologies, but few actually do.

This report reveals the findings of a survey we conducted of 646 people from all areas of the language services industry regarding their views on industry conferences. It reveals the ratings of the events we evaluated across several different categories, enabling attendees to better choose events based on the criteria that matter most.

See: Common Sense Advisory