Need an interpreter to translate a presentation or speech for your event? To call on interpreters is easy with specialized companies. Interpreters can help you for trade shows, conferences, training sessions, factory visits, or meetings.
You will need to provide information at two different stages, that is when you request a quote and then just before the event.
You’re organizing an event that involves international speakers or attendees? You require interpretation aka verbal translation to and from foreign languages? Let’s see what information is useful for an interpretation service.
A few preliminary remarks:
- Your translation and interpretation company is able to provide you with all you need, as long as what you need is well defined and detailed enough.
- This company will use interpreters who specialize in your industry and who translate into their native language. Many interpreters can translate in both directions.
- The project manager ensures communication between the client, the team of interpreters and the technicians.
- Interpreters are dedicated experts who need time and resource materials to prepare for interpreting assignments.
When You Need an Interpreter: Service Quote
The following is a list of questions interpreting service companies usually ask in order to establish an interpretation quote:
- Field and/or subject matter? You can give a general field, such as medical, or specify the subfield in medical, such as cardiology if your event gathers cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. We recommend the latter because the more precise you are, the better in order for project managers to select the interpreting professionals you need. Think about the name of the event as this is also useful information.
- Languages? More specifically, you are looking for services from what language(s) i.e. the source languages, to what language(s) i.e. the target languages?
- Consecutive, conference or liaison interpreting? Basically, consecutive interpretation refers to oral translation after the speaker is done speaking; conference interpretation aka simultaneous interpretation refers to almost instant oral translation; and liaison interpretation refers to the oral translation done at regular intervals. Your language service provider can provide tailored advice to assist you in opting for the right type of interpreting based on your event (such as a business meeting; a conference; a training; a fair or else).
- Dates and number of hours/days? Do you anticipate any work at night time?
- Remote or on-site? Your answer will help to understand if interpreters will need transportation and accommodation. Alternatively a remote event will imply to have information on the video conference platform, passwords, and so on.
- Technical equipment? The technical equipment is up to the event’s type and size. A variety of equipment can be used, depending on your expectations and needs. Your translation company can help you choose the most suitable interpreting equipment.
When You Need an Interpreter: Pre-Event
When you requested a quote, you likely provided some of that information. A few days before the event, the goal is to gather even more details so that the translation company can share them with the interpreters. It makes a huge difference in terms of preparedness and organization process. The success of an interpreting job relies tremendously on preparation and the more information you provide to the interpreters, the better.
Here’s our list of crucial information that interpreters need:
- A final schedule of your event that shows dates and times, as well as the speakers’ names including their role;
- A detailed content program, including a short description and the titles of all the sessions, presentations or discussions;
- Reference materials may include PowerPoint presentations, websites, brochures or other resources related to the event;
- Your company or organization’s glossary, terminology database, or any foreign languages handout if you have such resources;
- The icing on the cake? You provide the outlines of the lectures and speeches, or even the full content!
Finally, make sure that you share all last-minute changes and updates to your interpreters, whether it is the location i.e. room or floor number, the names of the speakers or even the topic of a talk.
