Sentio Translation Technology Debuts at TCEA Conference Hosting Thousands of Educators

Pocketalk brings industry-leading multilingual translation technology to San Antonio, redefining what globally-inclusive conferences look like

San Antonio, Tex. (February 18, 2026) – San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing and most culturally diverse cities in the United States, welcoming more than 40 million visitors annually for conventions, meetings and major events. Yet, until now, most large-scale gatherings have operated on the premise that if guests don’t speak English, or have an audio impairment, they won’t be able to participate. That changed this month when the city hosted the TCEA Convention and Exposition and organizers used a first-of-its-kind translation technology to redefine what inclusion means.

The 5-day conference dedicated to advancing technology in teaching and learning deployed Sentio, a multilingual translation platform from Pocketalk that delivers live translations and AI-powered captioning in 74+ languages, allowing full participation for those who don’t speak fluent English, are Deaf, or hard of hearing. This is a marked shift in how conferences have accommodated guests in the past, in which they have never been able to create such an inclusive experience for people with such various communication needs. This is the first San Antonio conference that can deliver accessibility at scale.

Welcoming more than 5,500 attendees from around the world, the conference hosted more than 130 sessions with Sentio, enabling one-to-many translations through digital displays in public spaces. With a simple QR code scan, TCEA attendees could follow any session in their preferred language on their own laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

For an industry long constrained by the cost and logistics of traditional interpretation services, this translation technology innovation is a game changer as it accommodated guests from 6 countries, supported 34 languages and facilitated 150+ hours of live translations. Deploying Sentio as a language access solution also saved the convention thousands of dollars compared to traditional ALS interpretation services, which is limited to giving accessibility in just one more language. 

“Educators attend TCEA to find new ways to innovate teaching and learning through the use of technology. Sentio made that easier than ever by allowing thousands of our attendees who are deaf, hard of hearing, speak English as a second language, or need additional captioning support to attend our sessions in a way that personally accommodated them,” said Ben Starr, Deputy Executive Director at TCEA. “We are proud to be the first major ed tech conference to provide this technology and give this level of accessibility to our members. The setup was seamless, the cost was minimal, but the impact on making the TCEA Convention & Exposition more inclusive was what mattered most.”

Although this is the first conference in San Antonio to implement Sentio, it certainly won’t be the last. Tourism and hospitality are major economic drivers for the bilingual city and language access is quickly becoming a competitive advantage. As trade shows, conventions and travel become more global, welcoming city visitors from all different backgrounds in their native language brings San Antonio one step closer to being among the most inclusive hot spots for hosting worldwide and non-native-English speaking guests. 

Sentio is used at many major conferences, exhibits and meetings across the world, including World Health Organization’s Global Oral Health Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand and Institute Bergonié’s Meet2Win Innovation in Oncology convention in Bordeaux, France as well as education and government organizations around the United States who serve multilingual people. To learn more about Sentio and the future of multilingual collaboration, visit www.Pocketalk.com/Sentio.

While universal language access is rarely expected, let alone required, at large-scale conventions, TCEA made a deliberate decision to prioritize accessibility and equity. The result: thousands more attendees were able to fully participate.

About TCEA

TCEA (tcea.org) is a nonprofit association of more than 89,000 members in Texas and around the world. Our primary focus is on integrating technology into the PreK–16 environment and providing our members with cutting-edge knowledge and resources through conferences, workshops, online publications, and collaborations with higher education and businesses.

Acerca de Pocketalk

Pocketalk is the leading provider of innovative, secure translation solutions designed to solve language-related challenges across a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, law enforcement and public safety.

Pocketalk’s proprietary language engine, Prism Language Systems, powers handheld Pocketalk devices, the Aplicación Pocketalk Enterprise, Sentio, and external integrations, enabling real-time, accurate, hardware-agnostic translations in over 92+ languages. Ventana is the centralized administrative panel that provides translation insights and MDM capabilities. With Pocketalk, organizations can rely on secure, integrated solutions in compliance with the highest security standards, including third-party certifications for HIPAA and GDPR.

Pocketalk is committed to improving communication and fostering inclusivity by providing solutions that are cost-effective and scalable—helping organizations make critical decisions, enhance operational efficiency, and better serve diverse populations. Pocketalk is trusted by organizations across the globe such as The Red Cross, Nevada State Patrol, and NYC Public Schools.  

For more information, visit www.pocketalk.com.