We caught up with Lead Senior Writer Joshua Hughman to get his insights on the CSOFT 2015 Summit and what he is expecting for this year’s event.
How would you describe the summit to someone who has never been before?
The CSOFT Summit is the coming together of people from all over the world, each from unique cultural backgrounds, to participate in the sharing of fresh ideas and discussions of current events in the localization industry. It is where those who are truly passionate about translation can go to get a deeper understanding of the cutting edge developments within localization.
Can you retell a particular highlight from the 2015 summit?
Last year there were a number of excellent presentations from top speakers, such as Marissa Drew, Bill Powell, and Ruben Payan. But the one part that really stood out to me was the ‘Man vs. Machine Debate’, which drew a lot of lively interaction from the audience. For me, this is what the Summit is all about – experts in their field, people at the top of their game, really getting into the heart of translation industry developments.
Did anything surprise you about last year’s summit? Was there anything there that you didn’t expect?
The most surprising thing was perhaps the level of enthusiasm and energy from all those in attendance throughout the entire Summit, which I haven’t felt at any other similar events. There was such an overwhelming vibe of optimism and positivity in the room that it was difficult not to be inspired by it. If you weren’t already passionate about localization, then the 2015 Summit would certainly have converted you!
And coming onto this year’s summit, how are you feeling about it being in Shanghai?
Shanghai is an amazing city. It has such a rich history, amazing architecture, and is full of innovation – I think it’s a great choice for the 2016 Summit. I’m sure that for newcomers to the city, it will be a great chance to see a very different side to China than they may have seen before.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of old faces and getting to know many new ones. I’m looking forward to listening to and learning from some truly impressive people. And I’m looking forward to hearing about what’s next for the industry I love working in… And Disneyland… I’m also looking forward to Disneyland.
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