August 2023 UPDATE

For the latest on upcoming and recent Unicode events and resources, visit this page.

 

Update on Unicode and Internationalization Events
- September 2022

We hope you are having a good year in 2022 and thank you for your continued interest in Unicode and internationalization.

This is an update on planning for Unicode and Internationalization Events. As we shared in March, a small group of dedicated volunteers and staff has been meeting to discuss what the future looks like for community building and knowledge sharing.

While the annual conferences have been useful, they have had limitations in attracting a broader audience and scaling the knowledge sharing beyond the confines of California. Like many other organizations, Unicode took the pandemic shutdown as an opportunity to see how we can get more people aware and engaged in ensuring that everyone around the globe can seamlessly communicate in their language across all platforms.

It has also been a great time to explore best practices and apply lessons learned from other meetings and groups. Our criteria in designing the plan forward included reaching different communities with relevant and timely information, broadening our reach to a more international audience, and developing a set of foundational materials that are accessible on-demand and can support on-the-ground activities around the globe.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN 2022-2023
We are now excited to share our plans to expand the ways in which we connect and collaborate.

1. [Playlist now available!] July 13: “Ask Unicode Anything: How Emoji and Language Play Together in our World” — a conversation between Jennifer Daniel, Chair of the Emoji Subcommittee and Anne Quito, a journalist with Quartz.
2. September 28: “Overview of Internationalization and Unicode Projects” - an online event to provide an overview of internationalization and Unicode projects for those wanting to learn more and get involved or who would like an update and refresher. This recorded event will be followed up with live Q&A events later in the fall and into the new year.
3. October-December 2022: A significant update to the Unicode Youtube Channel with recorded talks, along with a curated landing page for the additional informational resources, including videos that can be complementary to other events.
4. Coming in 2023: “Unicode i18n Summit” - a deep-dive event designed for audiences with advanced knowledge and expertise. This Summit is planned to take place in person in the San Francisco Bay Area along with a virtual observation mode. The event will include longer talks of the sort that were typical in our prior conferences. Details to follow in September.

This approach is a work in progress that we will continue to evaluate into the new year. To suggest topics and formats, or to host and sponsor a Unicode Event, please contact us at events@unicode.org.

And — while our event schedule for 2022 looks different than in years past, we hope to see you online (and in-person!) soon.

In the meantime, thanks for sharing this information with your colleagues and network.

Update on the Internationalization & Unicode Conference
- March 2022

This is an update on the annual Internationalization & Unicode Conference. As some of you know, Object Management Group (OMG), our events and logistics partner for the annual Internationalization and Unicode Conference (IUC), is moving in a different strategic direction. We decided to mutually end the partnership and are now in the process of transferring the various resources from OMG to the Unicode Consortium.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the OMG team, especially Mike Narducci and Carol David, for their support and dedication in making IUC such a mainstay for the global internationalization community. Unicode would also like to thank the dedicated group of volunteers who worked with Rick McGowan on the program committee. Some of them have been on the committee from the early days even before we began working with OMG in 2006. This speaks to the strong commitment by the individuals as well as the organizations supporting their involvement over the years.

THE WAY FORWARD
While the ending of this partnership creates some challenges, it is also an opportunity to reshape how Unicode approaches community building and training. And given how the meeting and event landscape continues to evolve, it is a great time to explore best practices and apply lessons learned from other meetings and groups. To that end, Unicode staff and a small group of volunteers convened late last year and will continue meeting in the coming 60-90 days to create the future IUC.

REQUEST
The Unicode Consortium is always looking to improve its conference. We recognize IUC as a key opportunity each year for knowledge-sharing, community building, and evangelization and want your help to shape the future IUC. Please give us your input and ideas by EOD on Friday, March 11th in one of these brief questionnaires.

(1) Survey for previous attendees
(2) Survey for those who have yet to attend

NEXT STEPS
Once we have additional community input and an update on our specific plan, we will share that information with the broader community via this blog and other channels. In the meantime, thanks for your time and ideas!

For information on last year’s meeting (IUC 45), or to view content from prior years, please go to the PAST EVENTS Tab, top right of this page, or click HERE.