2017 Benelux and Other European Trade Shows

Selective list of 2017 trade shows in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain.

BELGIUM

29-31 January

Saveurs & Métiers

Food and Catering Equipment Show for catering professionals

Namur Expo

Namur

3-4 April
1st European Conference on Connected and Automated Driving (CAD)
European Commission 
Charlemagne Building
Brussels
Belgium

20-25 October

Busworld

Kortrijk Xpo

Kortrijk

Belgium

LUXEMBOURG

9-10 May

ICT Spring Europe 2017

European Convention Center

Luxembourg

NETHERLANDS

6-8 June
Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo
Amsterdam RAI
Netherlands

GERMANY

21-29 January
Boot Düsseldorf 2017
Messe Düsseldorf 
Düsseldorf 

20-24 March

CeBit 2017

Digital Business Event

Hannover

24-28 April
Hannover Messe

Industrial Technology Trade Fair

Hannover

17-18 June

The Allergy + free from Show Berlin

STATION Berlin
Berlin

19-25 September

67^th International Motor Show

Frankfurt

ITALY

3-5 October

Expo Ferroviaria 2017

Railway Technology, Products and Systems

Milan

SPAIN

27 February-2 March

Mobile World Congress

Barcelona

26-27 April

Futurizz

Future of Digital Business

Madrid

NB: Inclusion on the list does not constitute endorsement of any trade show, event or third party. This list is for information purposes only and all details should be checked on the organisers' websites, as they may be subject to change.

Anglicity's Top 2016 Business and Cultural Blogs

2016 has proved a busy year for blogging. Unfortunately, any review of 2016 is not complete without a mention of Brexit. I think it is especially important for us to stress to current and potential clients how much we value our European connections.

The end of 2016 is fast approaching, so let’s recap on the year’s most popular blogs as we did in 2015. The most popular posts were the lists of largely European conferences and events. Many readers commented on how useful they found them. Thank you!

Mixing Business and Culture

Cultural posts are very popular. They are part of my marketing strategy - not a whim or a travel log. They reach out to both clients and colleagues. Cultural awareness is an essential part of translation. It is also an easier route to engage clients about translation issues.

When working with France, it is important not just to focus on business aspects. I noted with interest recently that a top tip for the British working with France is to:

‘Show an interest in French culture, history and society’

Le piège de la ressemblance / Light at the End of the Tunnel
French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain

My blog is not just for France or French-speaking countries. I never cease to be amazed by my blog’s analytics and the number of countries that it reaches worldwide. It’s not all about high numbers. Sometimes a blog with just 40 readers can be more effective in reaching new clients than one with hundreds of readers. That said, here are the most popular blogs of 2016:

Top 3 Event lists:

1. 2016 European Language and Cultural Events

2. 2017 Preview: Language and Cultural Events

3. November 2016 - Localisation, Language, Terminology and Cultural Events 

December 2016 is now available as a separate post to include end of year and festive events.

Other Blogs:

4. Belgium’s Ninth Art 

Photo blog of visit to Comic Art Museum in Brussels. Status of comics in Franco-Belgian culture. Tintin, Asterix, the Smurfs. Humour of 'How to become Belgian'.

Post from 21 February 2016

5. Dutch is FUN

Dutch language and culture taster class at EU Representation in the UK's home in London. A highly entertaining and humorous event.

Post from 18 March 2016

6. Should you choose a robot or a human?

Reflections from music and robots to machine translation. Why you should choose a professional human translator for creative marketing translations.

Post from 3 April 2016

7. Elia Together Conference

Review of the 1st European Conference bringing freelance translators and language service providers together in Barcelona. Focus on communication, relationships, growth and technology.

Post from 18 February 2016

8. Commemorative Poppies

Commemorative display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Created for Anzac Day, remembering the Battle of Verdun and Somme Centenaries and vigils.

Post from 29 May 2016

9. Big Data in Action

Transport for London's use of Big Data. London's transport challenges, data collection, planning and overcrowding. Future plans for open data and a personalised data service for passengers.

Post from 25 April 2016

10. Brexit Battles Ahead

Reflections on Brexit on the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. 

Post from 30 June 2016

Happy reading!

Armed with a Pen

He gave no speeches. 

He fired no bullets. 

Armed with only a pen and pencil, he changed the outcome of the War.

The Dutch cartoonist Louis Raemaekers became world famous during the First World War. His influence had a profound effect on the perception and course of events. He said:

“I want people to know, to think, to see the war as it is.”

As I entered the Dutch centre I was struck by a contrast. Happy, brightly-coloured modern paintings of cupcakes lined the walls. One of Raemaekers stark drawings appeared larger than life ahead of me.

Danse macabre

A woman was dancing with a skeleton. One bony hand rested at her waist, the other held her hand up. The skeleton had his back to the room. He was all bone except for his dance shoes. The woman was flesh and blood. She wore a gown, a crown and her hair in pigtails. She gazed up into his eyes (or where they should have been). Maybe she still saw the man she once knew? She seemed weak and hunched. Her red eyes contrasted against red lipstick in the otherwise dark cartoon.

The image made me think of the generation of women left behind. I later discovered that my interpretation was wrong. The following words appeared under the cartoon:

The German Tango – “From East to West and West to East, I dance with thee.”

Raemaekers portrays Germany in the thrall of a medieval danse macabre. It is a dance to the death. Once begun, it cannot be stopped.

A quotation from Louis Raemaekers’ obituary in The Times also appeared on the screen:

“It has been said of Louis Raemaekers that he was the one private individual who exercised a real and great influence on the course of the 1914-18 War.

Louis Raemaekers stands conspicuous as the one man who, without any assistance of title or office, indubitably swayed the destinies of peoples.”

London, July 1956

Dutch Centre Talk

Who was this influential man now apparently forgotten? Ariane de Ranitz presented her research and book on Louis Raemaekers to the Dutch Centre’s audience. Two of the cartoonists' great-grandchildren were present to hear about their ancestor.

Upbringing

Louis Raemaekers was born and grew up in Roermond in the Netherlands. The city stands in the South-east of the Netherlands. Both Belgium and Germany are within ‘touching’ distance on either side. The young Louis regularly visited his German mother’s relatives over the border. He developed a strong sense of right and wrong.

Emotional Cartoons

His later cartoons scream outrage against the use of citizens as human shields. He lived in neutral Netherlands. Belgian refugees poured across the border describing massacres by German soldiers. Raemaekers drew with a deep sense of shock. Although nervous, he could not stay silent. While the national government remained neutral, he felt that an individual was free to hold a different opinion.

Raemaekers’ cartoons appeared in De Telegraaf. They were not small, hidden at the bottom of the page, inside or at the back. They were huge drawings dead centre on the front page of the broadsheet.

Dutch Neutrality

It seems remarkable today, as it did at the time, that the fiercest satire should come from a neutral rather than a Frenchman or Belgian against Germany. His work carried more weight worldwide because of Dutch neutrality. 

Ultimately, Raemaekers had to leave the Netherlands for Britain for his own safety and that of his family. The German Kaiser had put a bounty on his head. 

Britain to US

From Britain, he ridiculed the indecisiveness of the American President to intervene in the war. His involvement in Allied War propaganda spread in a variety of formats. Lloyd George persuaded Raemaekers to go to the US. There, thousands of American newspapers published his cartoons. He changed the tide of opinion.

Second World War

As early as 1933, Raemaekers again spotted and depicted the threat coming this time from Nazi Germany. He had to leave for the US shortly before the start of the Second World War. His drawings, papers and correspondence with leaders such as Churchill were sent on ahead to Stanford University.

Many nations covered Louis Raemaekers in honours. His native Netherlands took much longer to recognise the great achievements of his pen. His epitaph reads:

Here rests Louis Raemaekers, great warrior for truth and justice.

Links and references: 
Ariane de Ranitz: Louis Raemaekers (link includes the danse macabre cartoon described above)
The Dutch Centre

Ebooks on Louis Raemaekers - the cartoonist who helped win the First World War

Karen Andrews is a

freelance French to 

English translator,

transcreator, 

copywriter and

editor. She also has 

background in

marketing and 

project management.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

I have been enjoying a period of calm away from London and back in the area of Somerset in which I grew up. Looking at the familiar Mendip Hills and the tranquil Somerset Levels, it is even harder to fathom the madness in the world. 

Then comes news of another tragedy in Nice, France.

ITV tweet re Nice attack

The tranquillity of Thiepval Woods in France was torn apart by the Battle of the Somme one hundred years ago. The First World War touched every community – the local village war memorials bear testament to that. 

In the local churchyard there is also the grave of a man who died afterwards of his injuries in Winchester Military Hospital. The horrors of war continued long after hostilities stopped. They lived on in the memories of survivors and the bereaved.

There is a shiny plaque inside St Mary’s Church, Wedmore. It looks new. It seems more likely that it has been polished for the recent World War One commemorations.

I was shaken when I read the words on that plaque. It commemorated the loss of a couple’s only son. He was shot through the heart while leading an attack. He is buried in Ploegsteert Wood in Belgium near the French border. He was exposed by being a little too far ahead of the rest.

Stanley Benskin Henson, Second Lieutenant in the 1^st Somerset Light Infantry, lived over a hundred years ago. He died on my birthday. When I looked him up online, I discovered another coincidence: he was born on my elder son’s birthday. It really hit home what peace in Europe means at that moment.

Nice

Today, I have been shaken again by the tragic news from Nice. I can’t help thinking about how my sons and I walked, without a care in the world, along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais in 2015. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the bereaved, the injured and all those affected.

On such days, we share a common humanity and solidarity. It is a pity that it always seems to take a tragedy to bring us all together. In another coincidence, the murdered British MP, Jo Cox, is buried today. I recall her words:

“We are far more united and have more in common

with each other than things that divide us”

On such days, we come to appreciate the freedoms that were won in two world wars. It is so easy to be complacent. Terrorists will not win. It is hard to see how security forces can anticipate the crazed activities of every isolated extremist.

Increased intrusion into our lives, tightened security and extended states of emergency won’t deal with the issue. Instead they may rob honest, law-abiding citizens of their hard-won freedoms.

Not all social change can be imposed by legislation from the top down. It has to come from the bottom up - from all around us - from all of us.

We take our freedom for granted and do not notice its gradual erosion. We too easily believe that the behaviour of an isolated, extremist minority reflects the beliefs of a whole ethnic community.

We tend to believe that our vote and voice do not count or make a difference. Today, many are sending out prayers and messages to Nice on Twitter. It’s hard to know what to say. We are not all blessed with the gift of the gab. We feel powerless. Our words feel inadequate.

Every tweet and message sent into the apparent ether adds up. It is important that the voice and conscience of the honest, caring, law-abiding silent majority drown out the atrocities of terrorists and extremists.

Unfortunately, we know again today that there is much work to be done in healing the world’s communities.

I think of France’s inspirational Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.

Liberté: We have freedom, but it is under threat and still not shared by the whole world.

Egalité: Could do much better. It’s not all about legislation. It’s about mindset.

Fraternité: This is the responsibility of every citizen not just politicians. Why does it always take a tragedy to draw us closer together? It only takes a smile and a kind word - regularly and on ordinary days. Others may appear different, but they hurt and bleed just like us.

My prayers are with Nice on this dark day.

Belgium’s Ninth Art

The recent Tintin Exhibition at London’s Somerset House inspired me to visit the Comics Art Museum during my recent trip to Brussels.

Franco-Belgian cultural status

Comics have a much higher status and longer tradition in Franco-Belgian culture. Comic strips are regarded as the Ninth Art in French-speaking countries.

Asterix

I remember reading Asterix books when learning French at O’ Level. It didn’t matter that I didn’t understand all the words. I got the general sense from the picture sequences.

I was delighted to see Asterix’s familiar figure in the museum’s foyer. There was also a Smurf, Lucky Luke, a red 2CV and Tintin’s moon rocket.

Tintin

A larger-than-life figure of Tintin appeared just inside the entrance (see first photo above). Tintin also appeared on the other side of the entrance along with Snowy (Milou), Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus. All were dressed in orange spacesuits.

History

The museum traced the history of comic strips back to cave paintings. Man has always shown a desire to tell stories. The Bayeux Tapestry was another notable example.

Methods

As you walk through the museum you see how comic strips evolved. Digital has transformed working methods. Educational comic strips developed in response to accusations of “impoverishing the intellects of their readers”. The approach demonstrated the versatility of the medium to spread knowledge to a wide audience.

Hergé’s skill

I particularly enjoyed the Tintin section. It pointed out the clever simplicity of Hergé’s drawings. Tintin’s face has very few features and is virtually expressionless. Drawings of Captain Haddock give contrast as an “emotional volcano”. Snowy's sequences emphasise that he is usually the one who saves the day.

Smurfs

Not every comic strip contained characters or stories that were familiar to me. The Smurfs are definitely well-known in the UK. They had their own section.

Belgian humour

I liked a comic strip entitled “COMMENT DEVENIR BELGE”. This was a humorous comic strip on how to become (or remain) Belgian. It used self-deprecating humour.

I found a complete book in the bookshop by Gilles Dal and Fred Jannin. It is the comic strip version of an earlier publication. It kept me well entertained as I waited for my train back to London. I giggled away just as I once did as a child reading Asterix. My poor fellow passengers must have thought me crazy.

Tintin at Christmas

Tintin is in London for Christmas.

Somerset House* has opened a window on one of the world’s best-known comic characters and his Belgian creator Hergé (Georges Remi). Belgium's Hergé Museum helped mount this fascinating exhibition with materials from its archives. A novel creative approach brings Tintin to life for visitors.

As soon as you walk into the exhibition, you are sucked into Hergé’s comic world. The walls are painted with his famous characters and scenes. The French-speaking world views comics as the 9^th art.

Art gallery approach to the Tintin exhibition

Cartoons do not have the same status in the English-speaking world. The art gallery approach takes you by surprise. The characters are so ingrained into Belgian life that you find scenes depicted on the sides of buildings.

Hergé liked to use windows as story-telling devices. A porthole famously introduced Tintin to Captain Haddock. The exhibition recreates this feel by covering the windows with comic scenes (see  below).

Tintin at the window

I loved the clever use of the fireplace. Both Tintin and Snowy (Milou in French) are covered in soot.

A sooty Snowy (Milou) in the fireplace with Tintin alongside

As a linguist, it was great to find an exhibition in London with information in more than one language. British exhibitions are usually embarrassingly monolingual and often fail to cater for foreign visitors. A number of French-speaking visitors were present during my visit.

There are fascinating little insights and pictures scattered throughout the exhibition. I smiled at the comment from the young Hergé’s parents. They considered that their son was only well-behaved with a pencil in his hand.

An observation from Hergé reminds us of French novelist Gustave Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary, that’s me!”. While others might recreate his characters, only Hergé himself could give life to Tintin, Haddock, Calculus, etc. As Hergé said:

“They are my eyes, my senses, my lungs, my heart and soul”

Two scenes are particularly appropriate for this time of year. With them, Anglicity wishes all readers a Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas and long live the yeti!

Characters with New Year banner, Tintin with long live peace

... and a Happy New Year!

Somerset House* is a cultural centre in the heart of London. Its famous courtyard fountains have featured in films. You can still catch the Tintin exhibition there until 31^st January 2016. Alternatively, you can visit the thought-provoking Big Bang Data exhibition until 28^th February 2016. There is even ice skating there until 10^th January 2016.