Localisation: the state of the art #2

The Brand2Global website and events cover an array of marketing and brand management issues, including localisation (aka localization or l10n). The list of conference speakers is truly impressive.

Brand2Global conference is an annual event designed for professionals who drive global marketing and are responsible for international market share and revenue. Come for an opportunity to learn cutting-edge techniques; and network with peers from around the world.

At first glance it looked to me like more hype on another big-ticket conference.
(Standard pricing once early bird rates expire: £1250 for the full 2-day conference or £675 for a single day.)

But, then I read

• Why we shouldn't translate marketing ... and we do it anyway, by Wayne Bourland, Director of Dell's Global Localization Team in the latest issue of Brand Quarterly and 
• the Influencer Insights interview with Rashmi Schaefers, SAP's Vice President, Content Services And Localization, also in the latest issue of Brand Quarterly.

The state of the art, or at the very least, the latest descriptions of what the state of the art should be, have come a long way. While the language industry has long suffered, IMHO, from too many service providers who are better at painting pretty pictures than they are at delivering high-quality content, a better discourse is still a step in the right direction.