The purpose of any conference – in essence a meeting between people – is to exchange thoughts, views and experiences using language. Our task as interpreters is to ensure that the information is conveyed with every nuance intact. As consultant interpreters, however, our responsibility is even broader: we strive to assemble the many pieces of the puzzle – the interpreters, the most effective mode of interpretation, the languages, the industry-specific characteristics – in such a way that a clear and detailed picture of the ideas presented is made available to all the participants.

The complexity of this task, the challenge posed to us by the client, often within a very limited timeframe, provides the perfect impetus for action, unleashing our energy. 

We measure our success by the client’s satisfaction. Sometimes we are thanked in front of a large audience; sometimes our success is unspoken, because staying in the background, unnoticed, is an important skill for us, just as excellent interpreting is. And sometimes the words of appreciation come a few days later, after a period of reflection, and those are probably the ones we enjoy the most.