Checklist for Multi-Language Conference Organizers
First, keep in mind that your speakers will only sound as good as your interpreters and sound system. What follows are some basic guidelines for producing a great Multi-Language Conference.
- Plan in advance: Discuss the types of interpretation, languages, audio-visual needs, and the interpretation equipment required as far in advance as possible. For a major international conference, plan at least four months in advance.
- Good equipment and support services: Select an experienced technician, use modern reliable interpretation equipment, and make sure that there are enough receivers and channels for your participants, not to mention fresh batteries.
- Secure professional services: Sign a contract with your interpretation services provider at least three months before the conference to ensure availability of services. The provider should give you a detailed, written description of the interpretation services proposed, based upon a needs analysis and including all pricing and incidental costs, such as travel, travel time, lodging, cancellation, and no-show policy. The description should include all materials and information to be provided by the client to ensure adequate and appropriate interpretation.
- Needs Analysis: Perform a needs analysis in order to determine the requirements and components for a high quality interpretation service, which corresponds to the most appropriate, reliable, cost-effective, and efficient solutions for the needs at hand.
- Type of Event: Be ready to discuss the subject matter of the conference as well as the physical location, number of attendees, and interpretation directions—from how many source languages (languages of the speakers) to how many target languages (languages of the participants)—and the interpretation directionality.
- Documentation: Make available conference and other related documents to the interpretation services provider as soon as possible. Interpreters should receive the same documents sent to the delegates. Also PowerPoint presentations or documents that will be distributed during the meeting, in particular those used for discussion need to be made available to interpreters in advance. Interpreters need to study the subject matter as early as possible, as well as prepare your conference-specific glossary.
- Communication: Appoint a person to act as a go-between with the interpretation services provider. This liaison should be available throughout the conference to consult with on logistical issues. Also, if necessary, appoint a different person to act as a go-between with the interpretation services provider to be available throughout the conference to consult with on participant issues.
- Audio: Who is providing the standard audio equipment services—the hotel/facility or the interpretation services provider? Have you figured out the requirements for this type of equipment and the logistics? Consider the type and number of microphones, amplifiers, the main console, and mic stands. Will participants ask any questions? How will this work with the facility’s sound acoustics? These are not standard services for interpretation service providers, although they can be engaged if requested. If the interpretation services provider cannot provide these services, then the respective technicians need to coordinate services in advance.
- Audiovisuals: If films/video, PowerPoint presentations, slides, or transparencies are to be shown and require interpretation, please ensure that the screen is clearly visible from the interpreter’s booths and that the interpreters have received a script or a copy of the texts that accompany the projected information in advance.
- Speakers: Brief speakers ahead of time on the basic guidelines for the use of interpretation services. Please give each speaker a copy of the "Guidelines for Speakers of Multi-Language Conferences." If the conference deals with highly technical terminology, coordinate a briefing between the interpreters and the speakers. Interpreters will benefit from being able to ask questions on terminology and procedure.
- Sessions: Limit sessions to a maximum of three hours. Keep in mind the effect of stress and fatigue on interpreters, as well as the participant’s attention span.
- Interpreter’s booth: Make sure there is enough room for the booth(s) and that it has a clear view of the speakers and their presentations. Each booth should receive at least one copy of all documents being distributed at the conference.
- Translation: Reading written documents usually increases the rate of speech, and the potential for interpretation problems increases with rapid reading. Ideally, written documents should be translated prior to the conference. Determine if there is a need to have any documents translated before the conference, such as lengthy texts or literary documents. You might also want to have presentations from the conference translated after the event.
- Recording: Any recording of the interpretation changes the very nature of the interaction by adding on a future, and perhaps different, use of the interpreter’s product. When commercial use of any recording is contemplated, questions of intellectual property rights may be involved. For all of these reasons, all parties involved should be consulted beforehand when a recording of a meeting is being considered.
- Technician: The simultaneous interpretation technician should operate the system throughout the conference, rather than leave it in the hands of untrained operators. He or she should also set up the equipment the night before or, if this is not feasible, at least two hours before the conference. For very large conferences, the technician will need an assistant that can help distribute and collect receivers.
Great Multi-language conferences do not just happen, they are created.
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