Remember first and foremost the conferences have been AoIR conferences, and not 'locality' conferences, that is a confusion that often causes misunderstandings. As we attempt to further our internationalization, we will bring more people into AoIR and we'll expand as appropriate, but in my minds the pragmatics of the organization such as not going bankrupt come first
I can see that this is a touchy subject, so I don't want to stir the pot -- but do want to suggest that (1) whether or not panels are held in non-English languages, and (2) whether or not translation is provided for those panels, might be two separate questions. To wit: in Toronto I recall attending a panel in French. All attending that panel understood French. A number of us later met up for drinks, if I recall correctly (disclaimer: I left pretty early). It was nice to hear about research going on in other places. That was one of the things I enjoyed about Toronto. The translation was, to be frank, not particularly useful at the French-language panels if I recall correctly -- I think barely anyone actually used the headphones. (I'm not talking about the keynote.) Conferences are partly about exchange and dialogue with colleagues who are otherwise remote. Where scholarship takes place internationally in a non-English language, and the conference is held in a place associated with that language, the conference has the potential of becoming an international hub for researchers with common interests and a common language. That can be rewarding for the international community of researchers which interacts in that language -- even where there is no translation service provided. Ultimately there are many parallel panels going on anyway! cheers Bram