A liaison interpretation service by Cultures Connection allowed the aesthetic medicine company Euro Importaciones to enjoy a successful business trip in Monaco.
Euro Importaciones de Medicina Estética–a leading Mexican company selling aesthetic medicine products–crossed the Atlantic to attend the 17th Congress of Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine in Monaco. Cultures Connection, operating in both America and Europe, liaised with and supported them with an interpretation service, facilitating their visit to the Côte d’Azur.
“The client wanted to create relationships with new companies, as well as look for new products. In order to do this, he needed help since he wanted to avoid misunderstandings when making agreements, and find what he needed,” explains Maricarmen, an English-Spanish and Spanish-English interpreter who accompanied the CEO of Euro Importaciones on his visit to the conference.
Under the scientific supervision of the World Society of Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine (WOSIAM), the Conference was held from the 4th to the 6th of April at the Grimaldi Forum exhibition center. Over 10,000 health professionals and businessmen from the world of aesthetic medicine from some 120 countries took part in WOSIAM. Euro Importaciones and Cultures Connection attended the first two days of the conference.
Some 300 international companies showcased their new products, technologies and services. In addition, visitors could take part in workshops, chats and conferences with experts from various areas. The exhibition halls on the five floors of the Grimaldi Forum became real international passageways, where experiences, debates and ideas were shared. There were people from all around the world, and dozens of languages could be heard when walking between the stands.
“I didn’t have to take part in any activity other than meetings and chats with the staff on each stand, as the conferences had simultaneous translation,” says Maricarmen. “We walked around the stands looking for things of interest, and when we did find something we spoke to them and asked for information, which was when the interpretation was needed. During meetings, he asked me to pay close attention to everything that the representatives of each company said, as every last detail was important”.
Copyright: Cultures Connection.
Trouble-free technical terminology
Maricarmen’s task wasn’t easy. She took part in conversations with Anglophones, but she also had to briefly translate from French to Spanish and from Italian to Spanish on a couple of occasions that were not included in the original plans. Conversations consisted of enquiries about new products to import, and business meetings where there had already been previous conversations between the parties.
The terminology covered aesthetic medicine concepts, such as the components of the products, manufacturing processes, chemical compositions, prices, presentation, benefits, and negative side effects. The terminology also included marketing and business jargon, referring to legal documentation, monetary agreements, purchasing and importation processes.
“Initially there was a lot of technical language about regulations on products, but having clarified all that in my preliminary preparation, everything went smoothly. The technical language of medicine wasn’t a problem as I studied physiotherapy. Accents and pronunciation sometimes made communication difficult, as they were people speaking English as a second language too”, explains the interpreter.
She also says that although in most cases the interlocutors left short pauses to wait for her to translate, other times her interpretation had to be almost simultaneous, as people didn’t pause while presenting their products.
Maricarmen believes that the liaison interpretation was successful and notes that this enabled Euro Importaciones to close business deals: “The client told me that he understood a little English, but he didn’t feel confident when negociating business agreements, because there was no room for any misunderstanding or doubts. At the end of the second day, he was very happy with the results of his business talks at the congress, and he thanked me for my help.”
Translation into English: Joseph Hodgson
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