ELIA’s new Online Discussion Groups bring Members together for candid, small-group conversations about the real challenges and opportunities shaping the language industry. Each one-hour meeting is limited to 10 participants to ensure meaningful dialogue and active participation.
Members are invited to contribute actively — sharing experiences, challenges, and strategies for navigating change. Each session focuses on a practical, forward-looking theme, offering opportunities to learn from peers and strengthen connections across the ELIA network.
Registration opens at least four weeks before each session, with new topics announced monthly throughout the year.
Would you like to suggest a discussion topic for a future session? Get in touch!
Building on her PM25 session Still Human: Why PMs Lead in an AI World, this three-part series from Vasso Pouli explores how the project manager role is evolving in a rapidly changing industry.
Is your PM team still operating as coordinators and order-takers, or have they become strategic partners driving client success? As client expectations shift and AI reshapes workflows, the definition of PM value is no longer straightforward. Together, we will examine emerging competencies, approaches to upskilling, and what “future-ready” PM capability looks like in practice.
Expect candid, peer-driven discussions grounded in real organisational experience.
19 March 2026, 16:00–17:00 CET
Moderator: Vasso Pouli
Why are traditional PM skills no longer enough? Clients increasingly expect more than delivery “on time, on budget”. This session explores what lies beyond coordination and how PMs can contribute to client success more strategically.
We will discuss the T-shaped model—deep localisation expertise combined with broader technology and business literacy—and reflect on where your PMs currently sit on the execution-to-strategy spectrum. What new competencies are emerging? What does meaningful PM growth look like when delivery pressures never let up?
7 May 2026, 15:00-16:00 CET
Moderator: Vasso Pouli
If PMs are to create strategic value, they must speak the language of business. This discussion focuses on translating project metrics into business outcomes such as ROI, market expansion, and risk reduction.
How well do your PMs understand clients’ industries and pain points beyond translation needs? Are they confident discussing margins, pricing strategy, and value-based decisions? Members will share practical approaches to strengthening financial literacy and commercial awareness within PM teams.
Moderator: Vasso Pouli
Developing PM capability is one challenge; embedding it is another. How do organisations create cultures where strategic thinking is encouraged, recognised, and rewarded?
This session explores mentorship, peer learning, and low-lift internal development strategies, alongside career pathways for strategically minded PMs. What motivates PM teams to move beyond their comfort zones? What governance or leadership models help sustain growth while maintaining operational excellence?
13 November 2025 | 16:00–17:00 CET
Moderator: Anu Carnegie-Brown
How can LSPs move beyond transactional service delivery to become trusted solution partners? This discussion will look at how to uncover client pain points, strengthen relationships, and communicate value that extends beyond pricing.
We’ll explore practical examples and real-world transitions from within our community. Based on the ND25 article From Services to Solutions – Who’s Got the Winning Hand?.
18 December 2025 | 16:00–17:00 CET
Moderator: Anu Carnegie-Brown
With technology evolving faster than ever, continuous learning is no longer optional. This discussion will examine how language companies can build effective training strategies; from leadership and project management to AI literacy and client engagement.
Participants will share the learning approaches and resources that have truly made a difference in their teams’ performance.
Based on the ND25 article: Are You Still in the Game? Skills, Mindset, and Training for the AI Era
15 January 2026 | 16:00–17:00 CET
Moderator: Anu Carnegie-Brown
Every company faces challenges, but how do you spot trouble before it’s too late? This session explores key indicators of financial, operational, and client-related risk, and how to respond before issues escalate.
Expect a frank and supportive exchange of experiences, lessons learned, and tools to help you strengthen your company’s resilience.
Based on the ND25 article: Exit or Evolution? Planning Your Next Move with Purpose
12 February 2026 | 14:30–15:30 CET
Moderator: Tony D’Angelo
How are ELIA member LSPs actually implementing AI beyond pilots and experiments? This discussion focuses on real operational choices: where AI sits in the workflow, how teams are trained and governed, how quality and risk are managed, and what changes when AI becomes part of day‑to‑day delivery. By 2024, machine translation is embedded in 80 % of LSPs’ production workflows, and nearly three‑quarters of language professionals are exploring new AI tools. Yet deeper integration remains uneven: survey data shows that only 46 % of LSPs use MT post‑editing (MTPE) on more than half of their projects, and mid‑sized LSIs increasingly access AI translation via their TMS rather than in‑house development.
Expect a candid, peer‑driven exchange of approaches, lessons learned, and practical examples you can adapt in your own organisation, grounded in current adoption figures. We’ll discuss where AI delivers tangible efficiencies, where trust and quality concerns slow progress, and how different governance models (centralised vs. champion‑driven) influence success.