Dear LISA Members and Newsletter Readers,

By publishing the agenda and soliciting input six weeks before GA meetings, we should be able to boost turnout and member involvement. In spite of this, we didn’t reach a quorum in Monterey. Some members expressed disappointment with this, and with presentations that were “boring”, or “poorly read”. How should we change to get more members involved, and to make sure that we concentrate on the areas that benefit our constituency most? How can we make GA meetings more meaningful?

In keeping with this year’s agreed focus on promoting localization and opening LISA to other sectors, the Administration has structured important liaisons with key business groups. The Society for Technical Communicators (STC), the American Translators Association (ATA), the Department of Commerce Trade Information Center (ITA), Language International, and the SAE (Automotive Engineering Council) have given us a good start. We will continue with this marketing strategy for 2000 and are in discussion with groups like the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the American Electronics Association, the Object Management Group, SEA (Australia), the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), Computing Japan, the JPSA (Tokyo) and the new magazine, Language and Documentation.

Please send us your recommendations for other global trade and business associations. In addition to partnering with groups who are featuring enterprise globalization themes, we are building a Localization Content Partner program to manage localization data for various international Web sites. To help sustain this effort, please make sure that your updated company information and press announcements are regularly communicated to webmaster@lisa.org. Membership data concerning tools, services, partners, logistics and languages is an important part of this program and will be featured in the upcoming online LISA Directory.

Data? Complete this year’s LISA Survey http://www.lisa.unige.ch/99survey_form.html. Separate forms for clients, localization service providers and language tools developers make it easier and faster to complete. By restructuring the questionnaire into three areas, we can isolate specific business and technology trends for better analysis. The survey results will be ready in electronic format by early December. In addition, key business data will be incorporated into the major Localization Industry Executive Report to be published by LISA in 2000.

The first LISA Forum 2000 will be in Washington D.C., March 8-10. It will focus on the Internet and on attracting new vertical markets and Web-based businesses. Hosts InterTrans and IBM are taking the lead in restructuring LISA’s conference program. Our second Japanese event will be in Yokohama, June 28-30, hosted by Bowne, Computing Japan and the JPSA. For the third quarter forum, we are discussing collaboration with the ATA and the SIIA and considering sites in Las Vegas or Orlando, Florida. In early December, the LISA 2000 GA annual meeting will be held in Amsterdam: Alpnet is the main host. Content, presentation, hosting and sponsorship opportunities are open for all events in 2000.

There is no doubt that localization will play a key role in the new millennium. More and more companies are focusing their marketing and product development budgets on “global readiness”. Through initiatives like OSCAR, the QA Model, language services consolidation, and new processes and technologies, LISA members consistently demonstrate their ability to support international business.

However, only with greater member participation and commitment to articulate special interests, opinion and direction, can LISA truly fulfill its leadership role in this dynamic industry.

Mike Anobile
LISA Managing Director