The 2009 Pittsburgh Summit (G-20) is scheduled to take place in Pittsburgh on September 24 and 25, 2009, and over the past several months Echo International has been heavily involved in area preparations.

Echo International has been assisting various companies and organizations around Pittsburgh with a variety of linguistic and cultural services. In addition to providing translations into the 13 official languages of the Summit for The John Heinz History Center and VisitPittsburgh, Echo International has played an active role in efforts put forth by the Allegheny Conference.

Linguistic and cultural experts from Echo International were presenters at five orientation sessions hosted by the Allegheny Conference, and attended by hundreds of area volunteer ambassadors. The presentations included an overview of the basics of culture, features and elements of surface culture, and core cultural factors. Also covered were tips and advice on how to communicate more effectively in English with non-native American English speakers. To reinforce the message, Echo International furnished attendees with detailed handouts containing a world map of the Summit countries and their spoken languages, and a host of common customs and courtesies, as well as behaviors to avoid.

Due to the overwhelming response to the orientation sessions, the Allegheny Conference was invited by the Community College of Allegheny College and the Pittsburgh International Airport to host two additional orientation sessions, in which Echo International will also participate.

Additionally, Echo International has compiled a comprehensive overview of core cultural factors for each of the 2009 Pittsburgh Summit countries. The overview includes helpful cultural profiles and communication protocols along with generalizations of the dominant cultural traits, characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs that define the particular country or region of the countries participating in the Summit. This information will be available on the Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership website at www.pittsburghg20.org. For printed copies, contact Echo International at beglobal@echointernational.com.