With the theme “Where AI and Localization Converge,” the Feb. 27 Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA) Summit in London brings together the European community to talk about key trends, challenges and the future for the localization industry.
Attendees will hear from subject matter experts, academics, content creators, creatives and their service provider partners as they delve into issues around the industry landscape following a tumultuous period, including how artificial intelligence, voice technologies and machine learning are playing an ever more important role, and how the adoption of smart, targeted cloud-based solutions can help achieve greater workflow efficiencies.
Here’s a look at what attendees can expect:
• “Welcome From The Content Localisation Chairs” with Julie Bénéteau, director of international sales, The Kitchen; Aaron Bhugobaun, technical production operations manager, Moonbug; Carlo DeCianti, head of sales, Plint; Dieter Imme, dubbing and digital media manager, Fremantlel; Scott Rose, CTO, VSI. The new chairs of the Content Localisation Council will introduce the conference and provide an overview of the last 12 months and share their hopes and expectations for the localization industry as we head into 2025.
• ”LLMs in Media Localization: Creators vs. Studios” with Konstantin Dranch, founder, Custom.MT. Two years into the consumer generative AI boom, individual creators now harnessed LLMs in producing video content. From voiceovers and subtitles to generated images and video effects, they are leveraging all the latest models to their advantage. In contrast, the professional media localisation industry remains largely untouched by AI. Traditional players—broadcasters, streamers, and vendors—continue to operate with conventional methods, showing no significant productivity gains from this technology. Creators are already able to produce faster and create more content. Can they win a larger share of the audience from studio productions with a faster AI adoption? Will our kids spend more time watching feature films and TV series or creator content?
• “Access Service Legislation for Streaming Service Providers” with Diana Sanchez, head of business development, access services, Red Bee; Alberto de la Puente Nieto, director of worldwide localization, NBCUniversal; James Hurrell, content operations manager, Sky Showtime; and Lucia Johnston-Cowan, new business manager, access services, Red Bee. The EU’s directive on the requirement for access services for streaming service providers is due to come into force in June 2025. The specific terms of the legislation will be decided by the broadcast regulators in the different territories, but at the moment the details have yet to be determined which leaves the industry in a state of confusion over what they need to do in order to comply.
Whilst the industry recognizes the moral obligation to provide these services the lack of information makes it very difficult to plan. The CDSA set up a working group last year, and in this panel session, we will discuss the work the group has been doing and provide some guidance on how to navigate through the legislation.
• “Languages & The Media Comes to London in 2026!” with Jorge Díaz-Cintas, professor of translation, University College London. In November 2026 the bi-annual conference Languages & The Media will be returning to London, hosted by UCL. This is a must-attend for companies operating across the localization industry. This will be the 16th edition of this event and we will hear from one of the pivotal members of the steering committee and a giant in the world of academia for media localization.
• “Importance of Neurodiversity in Media & Entertainment” with Julie Bénéteau, international sales director, The Kitchen; Aaron Bhugobaun, technical production operations manager, Moonbug; Sally Marchant, executive producer, development consultant and neurodiverse advocate; Josh Merritt, neurodivergent screenwriter; and Leonie Schliesing, multilingual voice actor, director and singer. In this session, neurodivergent experts from across the media and entertainment industry will share their own perspectives on what it means to be neurodivergent, why authentic representation of neurodivergence is necessary, and how employers can provide an inclusive environment for all. Now more than ever we need to think outside the box, but is our industry empowering neurodiversity enough and how can we as a community come together to create greater opportunities?
• “AI Dubbing in Action” with Silvia Jurado Hermida, senior account manager, and Gemma O’Kane, client lead, Papercup. AI dubbing continues to move apace and there are a number of PoC taking place within the localization industry. In this technology spotlight, we will hear from a company at the forefront of the technology who will tell us how the technology is improving, talk about some of the use cases and provide some reality checks on the human involvement that is still very much required.
• “The Deaf Way: A Year On, We Learn What Has Changed” with Lindsay Bywood, senior lecturer, University of Westminster; Camilla Arnold, CEO, British Sign Language Broadcast Trust; Selma Boyd, course trainer; Stephanie Burke, production executive, British Sign Language Broadcast Trust; and Alexandra Shaw, British Sign Language/English translator. At our 2024 event, we learned about a number of new initiatives that were being developed by the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) to help encourage more deaf people to get behind the camera and for the industry to have more deaf subtitlers. A year on, we have invited the team from BSLBT back to tell us how these initiatives have progressed and what else they have planned.
• “GenAI: Separating Fact from Fiction” with Matt Blakemore, CEO, AI Caramba!. The hype of Gen-AI has never been far away in the M&E sector, and while we see many click-bait stories of humans being replaced within a few years, we also hear about many promising use cases which can save time and create greater workflow efficiencies, which in turn can allow people to spend more time developing compelling stories and focusing on those tasks which need the human touch.
In this session, we will provide an update on where our industry is headed and how we can navigate our way through a period of unprecedented technological change.
• “In Conversation with Channel 4 Around Their Accessibility Programming & Strategy” with Caroline Baines, senior director, CDSA; Rachel Yendoll, director of content management, Channel 4; and Jonathan Penny, access services manager, Channel 4. During this fireside chat, we will meet with the team leading Channel 4 accessibility strategy. As a broadcaster Channel 4 has long been known as a pioneer when it comes to providing access services and for their inclusive and innovative approach to programming.
We will talk about the very successful coverage of the recent Paralympics and how Channel 4 is raising the bar and helping to change public opinion about disabilities and inspiring millions of people. We will also talk about what’s next, what lessons other program makers can learn, and how 2025 is a key year with the European Accessibility Act coming into force.
• “A Sustainable Vision for the Future” with Bente Ottersen, CEO, Wilco-Media. In this next session, we hear from an industry entrepreneur who is passionate about creating technology solutions which offer a sustainable solution to the industry. Our increasing reliance on technology means we are constantly needing to use more data, which in turn requires ever larger storage requirements. How can we balance our need to create more data in order to help provide greater efficiencies while also recognizing that we have a pressing need and moral responsibility to lower our carbon footprints and follow a truly sustainable strategy.
• “2025 in Focus: Content Owner Perspective” with Caroline Baines, senior director, CDSA; Aaron Bhugobaun, technical production operations manager, Moonbug; and Jan-Hendrik Hein, VP, media operations, Hearst Networks. In this panel session, we will hear from some of our localization experts from the content owner side. What are their expectations for the year ahead, and what do we need to focus on as an industry as we head into 2025? The last two years have been difficult as the industry resets.
Technology has given us reasons for optimism and caution, and we have new legislation to consider in Europe around access services. Localization is never dull; it constantly changes, so our experts’ views are more important than ever.
• “The Analyst Perspective: Are 5-Year Predictions A Thing of The Past?” with James Duvall, principal analyst, head of entertainment, Futuresource Consulting. In this session, we hear from a research and analysis company that is looking to predict the future for entertainment content. As the industry goes through huge changes, is it still possible to provide 5 year predictions when technology is moving at such a rapid pace? Or is the consumer moving at a slower rate in reality? In this session, we will hear some facts and figures about the journey that the consumer is on and how that will shape the future of M&E
• “Evolving Roles in Media Localization: Adapting to Change” with Yota Georgakopoulou, media localization consultant, Athena Consultancy; Cedric Bendit, director of content operations, Sky Showtime; Thalia Crone, global head of media supply chain operations, Fremantle; Nicky McBride, CRO, Iyuno; Andrew Verkade, VP, global accounts EMEA, Deluxe. The media localization industry has always been at the forefront of change, continuously evolving to meet the demands of shifting market dynamics. As we mark the 9th year of this event, it’s clear that the rapid pace of technological development is reshaping job roles across the sector. Discussions around supply chain efficiencies often focus on how technology can make us faster, smarter, and more cost-effective. But what do these technological advancements mean for the future of localization professionals?
Will we need to recruit for entirely new roles that don’t yet exist? Should we focus on equipping our teams with different skill sets through more tailored training programs? This session will explore what we need to do to ensure the next generation of localization experts is equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing environment. One thing is clear: roles within the localization industry are evolving, and we must be ready to adapt.
• “Collaboration with MIP London” with Louis Hillelson, VP, sales, RX Global. With MIPTV moving to London this year, it is a great opportunity for CDSA and MIP London’s producer, RX Global, to talk about collaboration. Hear from one of the key organizers behind the MIP events to tell us more about the reasons for the move to London and what to expect in the future.
• “Language Metadata Table Next Steps” with Yonah Levenson, Language Metadata chair. The Language Metadata Table, which now has up to 363 language codes and continues growing, has greatly expanded its international reach and functionality. The comparison of LMT codes to other industry language codes has provided opportunities for LMT to expand its data set and its functionality, including an API for code authentication. Proposed changes and their purposes will be shared along with the next steps.
• “Security is the Number One Priority (and the Biggest Challenge) for Your Business” with Mark Howorth, media executive and for CEO; Juan Reyes, president, Tech Align Group; and Ben Schofield, technical director, CDSA. Security breaches can happen anytime, anywhere, and trying to mitigate the risks in an ever-changing industry can bring multiple challenges. Having an awareness of the threats and ensuring staff have the necessary training is just one aspect, but everyone in an organization needs to be aware of the role they play in ensuring the security of assets and the business as a whole, with security firmly placed at the top of everyone’s agenda.
The rise of Gen-AI has also helped nefarious actors to appear more legitimate, which further complicates an already complex ecosystem. In this next panel discussion, we bring together experts from across the localization industry to talk about some of the risks that are present on a daily basis, how we can educate everyone in our organizations, and to discuss how we can collaborate and share experiences.
• “Perspectives from Mark Howorth.” In the closing session of the day, we hear from a localization industry stalwart who has managed two of the biggest LSPs in the business. He will provide his perspectives on the industry, the future and how the sector is adapting to all this technology change. This is a closing keynote you won’t want to miss!
The CDSA Summit London is sponsored by Papercup, Red Bee, Deluxe, EIDR, Iyuno, Tech Align Group, OOONA and Voiseed. Click here for sponsorship opportunities or contact secretariat@CDSAonline.org to learn more.
To register, click here.
