Wordly provided real-time translation and captions at the ASAE Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, where the service was used across keynotes and Learning Labs for more than 5,500 attendees.
Delegates could scan a QR code on their phones to access captions or translations during sessions. The system was available to attendees who were hearing-impaired, Deaf, or more comfortable following content in a language other than English.
The deployment extended across the meeting's Learning Labs as ASAE expanded its approach to accessibility for a membership base with different languages, cultures and hearing needs. Organisers built the service into sessions rather than offering language support as a separate add-on.
As a result, speakers could continue with standard presentations while attendees followed along in the format or language that suited them. The approach also removed the need to download software or use dedicated hardware.
Accessibility shift
The use of live translation and captioning at a large association conference reflects a wider shift in professional events. Membership organisations are increasingly designing meetings around a broader range of attendee needs as audiences become more international and diverse in age, geography and ability.
For associations, that affects both access to educational content and participation in discussion. Sessions on policy, governance and leadership often rely on complex terminology, which can create barriers for attendees working in a second language or relying on captions.
ASAE, which represents association executives, brings together leaders for professional learning, networking and an exhibition focused on management and governance. Adding live language access reflected the growing expectation that conferences should serve multilingual audiences without separating them from the main programme.
Wordly said its service was used throughout the event, including the opening keynote from Oz Pearlman, where captions were displayed for attendees in real time. His session opened the meeting with a presentation combining mentalism, leadership themes and audience participation.
Wider market
The Indianapolis meeting also shows how event organisers are adopting artificial intelligence tools for accessibility tasks that once relied more heavily on human interpreters, venue-based screens or specialist equipment. Phone-based delivery has become one of the more common models because it lets attendees choose their own display settings and language options.
That flexibility matters for associations and conference organisers serving members from different regions and professional backgrounds. It also offers a way to extend access across a large programme without redesigning every room setup.
Wordly focuses on live multilingual communication for meetings and events. Its tools provide translation, captions, transcripts and summaries, and the service has been used by more than 6 million users across more than 120 countries.
The platform has also handled more than 1 billion minutes of live multilingual translation, according to Wordly. Those figures indicate the scale at which AI-based language tools are being pitched to corporate, education, government and non-profit customers.
Executive view
Founder and CEO Lakshman Rathnam framed the ASAE deployment as part of a broader inclusion effort in the association sector.
"By integrating Wordly's technology throughout the Annual Meeting, ASAE reinforced its commitment to inclusive learning, accessible event design, and true language equity," said Lakshman Rathnam, Founder and CEO, Wordly. "For an industry that serves a global audience, ensuring every participant can fully engage is essential to advancing the conversations shaping the future of associations."