Interpreting businesses, especially mid-sized ones, are progressing in the United States; however, technological advancements and regulatory threats make the path difficult. These changes are the key points to discuss at ALC Annual Conference.
Surprise Developments in the annual ALC Conference
The annual ALC conference held in Washington DC this year focuses on mid-sized LSPs in the US. The conference in 2019 attracted more than 150 participants. A few surprise developments are included in this conference. The president and CEO of Language Line Scott Klein arrived in person. He invited other LSPs to work under the Language Line brand. This announcement was surprising as the largest organization in the language sector offered partnerships to diversify and extend its client base.
This is not an end as SOSi came with another surprise move. This defense contractor sponsored the ALC conference. The point to notice is what an army provider wants from this event. Most possibly, the expansion of the SOS business unit into the private sector. With an estimated service portfolio of more than USD 100 million, SOSi may arise as a powerful competitor and tough player to other LSPs.
The conference featured many providers in the interpreting domain as exhibitors and sponsors, and so far, no such conference has such a variety in interpreting technology. Technology offerings such as booking management, delivery systems for simultaneous conference scenarios, and CRM tailored for interpreting are included. Sign language providers strongly influenced the ALC event. The conference was interpreted in ASL.
Interpreting Market in the US- A brief look
The United States has the largest interpreting market in the world. As per the ALC survey of 2019 developed by Nimdzi, the average growth rate for small and medium companies has been 12% last year and more than half of business is due to interpreting. Moreover, interpreting is the fastest-growing domain among the participants of the survey. The largest companies have moderate growth while mid-sized and smaller providers are booming in business.
Regulations Threats
As per the latest bill, independent contractors are reclassified as employees. The respective taxation and benefits threaten businesses that depend on freelance interpreters. Financial burden makes it difficult for LSPs, as they have to hire interpreters of different languages as employees. Some of the LSPs, for now, adapt to this regulation and make sure that their freelancers should clear the ABC test of employment.
