The 80-strong crowd at the latest seminar held before the ICEF Workshop in Berlin were given an insight into understanding the “millennial” age group and how they interact with social media as part of daily life – paying for products using Facebook credits is now a reality, counselled Gerd Leonhard, a Media Futurist. He showed images of “robot teachers” – already a reality in Korea – observing that language teaching institutions are selling immersion, not a solution, and motivated delegates to brainstorm business-building ideas.

The “social, tribal and networked consumer” was the focus of this ALTO seminar; a fitting topic for an organisation forged upon an aim of collegiality within the industry. Leonhard told the membership, which comprises education agencies and education institutions, they needed to interact with their consumers, not market to them.. and foster collaboration, dialogue and transparency in the networked world. “Inspire people to talk about how good you are”, is the new marketing paradigm, he said.

David Anthonisz, President of the association, said members responded warmly to the roundtable discussions which followed Leonhard’s talk. Leonhard was also joined by Tim Renner, an ex-record label executive who talked about the mistakes the music industry made in trying to control the supply chain instead of working within a dynamic social context.

Preceding the ALTO seminar was an AGM which saw three new Board members voted in. Sue Blundell of English Australia joined the Board as a representative of a National Association, Fernando Aguilar from Astex in Spain and Giljun Yang of Llets.com in Korea joined as representatives of education agencies.

The ALTO Board also presented Honorary Membership to two outstanding industry figures. Peter Iwanovsky was one of the founders of the Association is 1998, and Susan Goldstein had an important role in the restructuring of the Association in 2010.