As an active player in the conference industry, you will doubtless be involved in organising meetings using more than one working language. People travel considerable distances at significant expense to attend these events and to meet and talk to each other. To enable them to communicate effectively, you need professionals who can translate between the different languages used. This is where conference interpretation comes in.

Conference interpretation is when a message that has originally been spoken in one language is conveyed in one or more other languages through a team of conference interpreters. It is used at all kinds of meetings, whether large or small: international summits, scientific congresses, medical and technical conferences, annual general meetings, corporate events, and financial press conferences, among others.

Qualified conference interpreters are highly skilled individuals who have undergone several years of training to become fully fledged members of their profession. Their level of education and expertise can be compared with that of an engineer, lawyer or medical doctor, and they command similar fees. By choosing to provide high-quality conference interpretation at your event you are likely to attract a wider range of participants, including those who are not fluent in the local language. Communication will be smoother, since everyone will be able to understand and share their views. Moreover, the event will be more inclusive, thus giving it added prestige.

There are several different modes of conference interpretation, each of which lends itself to a different format or setting. Choosing the right mode of interpreting for your event is crucial. The majority of meetings, ranging from mega-events with hundreds of attendees in several languages to small bilingual meetings, will require simultaneous interpretation (sometimes called live interpretation or simultaneous translation) with booths and headsets. A short press conference or after-dinner speech, on the other hand, may be better suited to consecutive interpretation, where the interpreter takes notes and delivers the speech in the other language when the speaker pauses. Executive interpreting may be the best solution for a business meeting, and whispered/diplomatic interpreting most suitable when accompanying a political leader. Finally, a tour-guide system can be invaluable when delegates and interpreters need to be on the move. For sign language interpretation, please refer to our sign language interpreting services. Calliope will be able to help you make the right choices.