INSIDE GALA: BUILDING COMMUNITY AND DRIVING INNOVATION

In today’s globalized and competitive world, joining professional associations can be an excellent way to stay current, grow your network, and unlock new opportunities. One of the most prominent and influential associations in the language industry is the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA).

At GeaSpeak, we value the people and organizations that shape our sector through collaboration and innovation. That’s why we were thrilled to speak with Isabella Massardo, GALA’s Content Strategist, to learn more about the association’s mission, programs, and its contributions to the localization industry.

What is GALA?

Founded in 2002 by 15 companies in the language services sector, GALA is now the largest nonprofit trade association serving the global language industry. Its diverse membership includes LSPs (Language Service Providers), technology companies, consultants, enterprises, and academic institutions, all united by a shared goal: advancing multilingual communication and promoting best practices.

“For GALA, community is crucial. We are a community for all stakeholders: LSPs, consultants, language tech companies, and more. We try to give our members the tools to improve or develop, whether it is a service, a functional development for the teams, so we offer them different opportunities for learning and exchange.” – Isabella Massardo

These programs show GALA’s dedication to not just keeping pace with change, but helping its members lead it.

What does GALA offer to its members?

Since its founding, GALA’s core values—community, collaboration, and professional development—have remained at the heart of its work. However, as Isabella pointed out, the association has also expanded its mission to reflect the rapid changes in the industry.

In recent years, GALA launched several major initiatives, including:

The GALA Barometer Report: A data-driven snapshot of technology investments and HR trends across the industry. According to Isabella, “these reports are very valuable because they are totally unbiased. We produce them for our community to give them a snapshot on how things are going in the industry.”
GALA Academy: “Every quarter, we have an event on a specific topic. During the first week of May, for example, we are going to start with four sessions on Sales and Growth, and of course we also deal with topics such as accessibility, automation, and management.”
Special Interest Groups (SIGs): Member-led spaces for discussion and development on specific topics like inclusive language, AI, and interpreting. “They have moderators who decide when to meet, what the topics are going to be, and who the speakers are going to be, and it is very good to see how on board the members are to share their ideas,” Isabella describes.

These programs show GALA’s dedication to not just keeping pace with change, but helping its members lead it.

How does GALA ensure that its content and initiatives remain relevant and valuable to such a diverse global membership?

To stay relevant, GALA relies heavily on its members.

“We run an annual survey between January and February to ask what our members want: what topics they care about, what content they need. And they’re very engaged, always ready to share feedback or suggest speakers. In that way, we can cater for the different stakeholders. Honestly, the GALA community makes my job easy.” Isabella shared with a smile.

But GALA also looks beyond its current community to anticipate what’s coming.

“For example, in 2021, we did research on inclusive language. We started to talk about inclusive language before it became a more discussed topic. We also did research on ChatGPT. I remember we had a webinar in 2021, it was two years before ChatGPT-4 was on the scene. We do our best to look outside and see what is happening and we try to inform our community about it.”

Facing Today’s Biggest Challenges: AI and Beyond

Artificial Intelligence is currently the most pressing issue facing the industry, according to Isabella. “AI is the main challenge and then it influences translation, localization, content in general, and also the way you are going to learn and how you are going to do your job.”

She explained how the industry is transitioning from experimentation to implementation: “Last year, in the Valencia Conference, everybody was experimenting, and not really knowing exactly what to do with AI, but now in the Conference in Montreal it was clear that we’ve passed further that and that our members now are really putting technology in place, whether it is for QA, whether it’s a hybrid model with machine translation (MT), or in other ways.”

Dispelling Misconceptions About the Industry

When asked about a common misunderstanding of the industry, Isabella reflected on the undervaluation of localization in many global strategies:

“Localization is often an afterthought. But it shouldn’t be. Many sectors don’t realize how important it is, so they miss out on business opportunities because, how can you do business without language and communication?.”

Raising awareness about the strategic importance of language is part of GALA’s mission, and a crucial step for the industry as a whole.

What are organizations or professionals who haven’t joined GALA yet missing out on?

“They’re missing out on a lot: on professional development, a global network, up-to-date resources, and peer-to-peer learning. The GALA community is incredibly generous with knowledge and support.”

Furthermore, when asked about the GALA team, she remarked:

“It’s such a great team. We support each other, and I’m inspired daily by the volunteers and members who make this community what it is.”

2025 Annual Conference in Montreal

2025 Annual Conference in Montreal, Germán Garis and Isabella Massardo.

This community spirit is especially evident at GALA’s annual conference, where members come together to learn, connect, and share insights.

“The two main objectives of the annual GALA Conference are educational content and networking. It’s great because people come together and talk to each other—and I have to say that our members really, really love to talk!” Isabella laughed.

A Personal Journey into the Role

Isabella joined GALA four and a half years ago and before that, she knew the organization just from the outside. When asked about the rewards of working at GALA, she reflects:

“It’s such a great team. We support each other and have each other’s backs. Allison Ferch is a great leader, she gives us the space to explore while trusting and listening to us and that’s wonderful. Another highlight is, as I said before, working together with the GALA community. I couldn’t do my work without the GALA volunteers who contribute with articles, webinars, those who share their ideas for GALA Academy sessions, and so on.”

Some Final Thoughts

At GeaSpeak, we were inspired by Isabella’s passion and by GALA’s role in shaping the future of our industry. Our conversation with Isabella gave us a deeper appreciation for GALA’s contributions to the community. Through its commitment to collaboration, innovation, and professional development, GALA empowers its members to thrive in a fast-changing global environment.

Joining a professional association like GALA is not just about accessing resources or attending events, it’s about becoming part of a trusted network that supports long-term success. In a market that increasingly values specialization and professionalism, these associations play a key role in helping individuals and companies grow, adapt, and stay relevant.