(as of 20 February 2023 and subject to change)

Event Schedule:

12:00 p.m.– London Venue Opens
12:45 p.m. – Opening Remarks/London Sessions Begin
3:15 p.m. – NETWORKING BREAK
6:05 p.m. – London Closing Remarks
6 – 7 p.m. – NETWORKING RECEPTION

EVENT THEME:

ITS: Localisation is MESA’s former Content Workflow Management Forum which has been described as “M&E’s Premiere Localisation Event,” bringing together the industry’s top language service providers, content creators, artificial intelligence and machine learning companies, and network executives, all to tackle the challenges facing media and entertainment, and share the latest solutions to meet them.

Attendees will hear from panellists and presenters who will be discussing how the industry is looking to meet the ever increasing demand for localised content, how artificial intelligence, voice technologies and machine learning is playing a role, the adoption of cloud-based solutions to achieve greater workflow efficiencies, the need for standards, and how new business models will such as FAST will impact the industry. We will also hear the views of the consumer and get an analysts view on where the streaming industry is heading.

CONFERENCE SESSIONS:

12:45 – 12:55 p.m.
Opening Remarks
Caroline Baines, Senior Director of Client Services, MESA
Guy Finley, President & Chief Executive Officer, MESA
 

12:55 – 1 p.m.
Welcome from the MESA Content Localisation Chairs
The Chairs of MESA’s Localisation Council will provide their thoughts on how the industry will shape up in 2023, how do we continue to navigate what is an exceptionally busy period, how do we retain and encourage new talent in both dubbing and subtitling, which languages will be most sought after over the next few years and what role will technology play in driving efficiencies? These questions and more will be discussed.
Carlo Decianti, Head of Sales, Plint
Jan-Hendrik Hein, Vice-President of Media Operations EMEA, A+E Networks
Nicky McBride, Global Business Development & Client Relationships, Iyuno
Justin Walton, Head of Global Content Operations, ITV Studios
 

1 – 1:20 p.m.
OPENING KEYNOTE: Year 5 of the 3 Year Plan
On March 1st, 2018 at MESA’s Content Workflow Management Forum some industry trends were identified and some bold predictions were made in a fairly ambitious presentation entitled “Connecting the Supply Chain.” In this opening keynote, Scott Rose, a long-time technology veteran in our industry will explore how things have played out. What did we hit? What did we miss? What were the big surprises? And finally, foolishly sticking his neck out once again, what can we expect tomorrow?
Scott Rose, Executive Advisor, Media Globalization
 

1:20 – 1:50 p.m.
The View from the Academics – Training the Talent for Tomorrow
We hear the words ‘talent crunch’ quite regularly within localisation, so how much of an issue is it and what more can be done to address it? What about the changing nature of localisation as machine learning becomes more widely deployed, how can we ensure the next generation of talent are equipped to work in this industry. This next panel discussion will explore these topics and more, as we hear from an esteemed group of academics about how they are helping to prepare the talent of tomorrow.
Moderator: Yota Georgakopoulou, Audiovisual Localization Consultant, Athena Consultancy
Panelists:
Jorge Diaz-Cintas, Professor of Translation Studies, University College London
Kristijan Nikolic, Lecturer, University of Zagreb
Agnieszka Szarkowska, Audiovisual Translation Researcher & Trainer, University of Warsaw & AVT Masterclass
 

1:50 – 2:05 p.m.
Sleek, Smart, and Streamlined: Introducing the Next-Gen Video Classifier
Join us for a preview of a new revolutionary video age rating solution. The technology will offer a sophisticated, cost effective approach to predicting recognised and trusted age ratings across multiple territories, taking cultural differences into account. The solution will increase the scalability of best practice, trusted, recognised age ratings, and support the role of local regulators. This positive step for video safety will be discussed.
Matthew Blakemore, Head of Product, British Board of Film Classification
 

2:05 – 2:25 p.m.
Languages, LMT, and the “EID”R of the beholder
Discoverability and localisation: it’s all about standards and metadata, and this is where EIDR (Entertainment ID Registry) and LMT (Language Metadata Table) come into play. EIDR is the industry-curated public registry of unique media assets with a universal identifier, which is the DNA of intelligent automation in entertainment. LMT provides a single-source solution for language codes (now over 270 language codes) and was selected as the language code standard of choice for the Cloud Localization Blueprint (CLB) presented in Amsterdam at the 2022 IBC Accelerator. Hear from the leaders within these two organisations about the critical role and importance that global, unified, field-level standards play as the localisation industry continues to evolve.
Hollie Choi, Managing Director, EIDR
Yonah Levenson, Founder & Co-Chair, Language Metadata Table
 

2:25 – 2:45 p.m.
Will Machines Take Over?
In this session we will hear from a company at the forefront of AI and Machine Learning, how is the technology evolving, what can we expect now, in two years and in five years’ time? How will the role of the subtitler or voice actor change and how can technology be used to help humans have more time to do what they do best – be creative!!
Dr. Volker Steinbiss, Managing Director, AppTek GmbH
 

2:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Insights from the Global Content Community
With ever decreasing windows, multiple versions, increasing numbers of languages and in some regions (severe) talent shortages, how are content creators and owners managing the transformation of our industry as work continues to operate on a hybrid basis? What does the industry need to do to encourage and retain talent? How is diversity and inclusion impacting organisations and their talent pool? In this Keynote panel session we will hear from content owners about where they see the localisation industry going.
Moderator: Caroline Baines, Senior Director Client Services, MESA
Panelists:
Alberto de la Puente, Director Worldwide Localisation, NBC Universal Media
Jan-Hendrik Hein, Vice-President of Media Operations EMEA, A+E Networks
Vanessa Lecomte, Localisation Operations Manager, BBC Studios
Stephen Rush, Vice-President, International Post Production, Sony Pictures
Justin Walton, Head of Global Content Operations, ITV Studios
 

3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
 

3:45 – 4:15 p.m.
KEYNOTE CASE STUDY: Advancements in Voice Technology
It is becoming harder to distinguish what is real and what isn’t as voice technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. The use cases for this type of technology are huge and companies behind it are creating content which is astounding audiences. Hear from a pioneering start-up about how the technology is developing, how it is being used and what the future holds, as the machines continues to rise.
Anna Bulakh, Head of Ethics and Partnerships, Respeecher
 

4:15 – 4:45 p.m.
Subs, Dubs? What does the Consumer Think?
The growth in localised content is very evident, with the industry busier than ever, but what does the consumer think about it? Do they prefer subs or dubs, how are they viewing and how often? We are seeing increased demand for English dubs due to the popularity of international content and it is true to say that the success of any content is tied in with the user experience. In this analyst-led session we will aim to gain insights into the views of the consumer and hear how viewing habits are evolving.
James Duvall, Principal Analyst, Head of Entertainment, Futuresource Consulting
 

4:45 – 5:15 p.m.
Diversity Behind the Camera is Just as Important as in Front of it
Diversity is rightly centre stage when content creators think about the characters being portrayed on screen. But what about behind the camera, surely diversity here is just as important? Diversity is not just about the voice actor who portrays that character it is also about the language that is used and the way a scene is directed or subtitled. Script writers, directors and casting crew all have a key role to play in ensuring greater diversity in localised content. In this session one of the LSP’s brings two voice talents to talk about their experiences and how they are working to ensure greater diversity and to preserve authenticity.
Introduced by: Carlo Decianti, Head of Sales, Plint
Anneke Beukman, Co-Founder, Voiceconsult
Franky Rampen, Co-Founder, Voiceconsult
 

5:15 – 5:45 p.m.
The Views From Language Technology Service Providers
As the localisation market continues to shift and evolve so too are the opportunities to service content companies around language, localisation and data. We are seeing a steady stream of mergers and acquisitions, as organisations look to futureproof their businesses and establish a strong footing to cope with the burgeoning demand. The creation of more streamlined workflows and greater use of AI, ML and voice technologies is necessary to help service providers meet the requirements of their customers. In this closing panel session we will look back at the day’s agenda, talk about how the growth in demand is being met, and discuss why the creative aspect of localisation remains at the heart of the industry.
Carlo Decianti, Head of Sales, Plint
Sophia Klippvik, Marketing Manager, LINQ Media
Nicky McBride, Global Business Development & Client Relationships, Iyuno
Matteo Natale, Vice President Global Localisation, Vubiquity
Josh Pine, Chief Revenue Officer, XL8
 

5:45 – 6:05 p.m.
CLOSING KEYNOTE: Running Back into the Fire – Why would someone return to the Localisation Industry now?
Our market involves some challenging conditions that would scare most normal people away. The customers want lower prices, higher quality and faster turnarounds. Talent, translators and project managers are in short supply and are looking for higher wages. No one knows if the streaming boom is over, or whether localisation growth will continue. Esoteric terms like AI, Voice Synthesis, NMT and ChatGPT are filling everyday conversations. And all the vendors are building new capacity. There must be an easier way to make a living. Mark Howorth, former CEO of SDI Media, and President of Iyuno-SDI has returned to the localisation industry as CEO of VSI and he explains why this is the BEST time to be in our industry and why we should all be excited by the next five years.
Mark Howorth, Chief Executive Officer, VSI
 

6:05 – 6:10 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Caroline Baines, Senior Director of Client Services, MESA
Guy Finley, President & Chief Executive Officer, MESA
 

6 – 7 p.m.
NETWORKING RECEPTION