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How do I prepare for an onsite interpretation event?
What’s the best way to prepare for an event that will require onsite interpretation? It’s the same as the best way to prepare your documentation for translation: keep language services in mind from the very beginning.
As soon as you know there’s an event like this on your horizon, you’ll start planning. You’ll have time and venue to determine, attendees to invite and confirm, facilities to arrange, possibly meals and accommodation to contend with. If you know there will be LEP attendees (that’s Limited English Proficiency), add interpretation services to your initial task list and budget.
When you contact your language service provider, be ready to indicate where and when the event will take place, how long it will be, how many languages you need service in. You’ll also need to specify how many attendees there will be who need interpretation, and what the subject matter will be. And as we’ve said before, if your event will be any longer than a couple of hours, plan for a team of two interpreters per language.
The Role of Technology in Onsite Interpretation
One essential point to consider is technology. Will your event include a small number of people, and take place in relatively close quarters? You probably won’t have any special technological needs in this case. Are you planning a large-scale conference in a large space, with a high volume of attendees? Then you’ll want to plan for special interpreting booths. These come in a range of sizes with optional features However, all should be big enough to accommodate two interpreters, and serve to cancel out ambient sound. This will allow the interpreters to focus on the speaker’s words through headsets.
You’ll also want to offer headsets to your LEP attendees, so they can hear the interpreters clearly. And for sign language interpretation, think about the size of your venue, and how the attendees will be able to see the speaker’s stage. If the sign language interpreter will be clearly visible from every seat, you’re in the clear. If not, plan for video equipment and display screens.
All of this audio/video technology can add considerably to the cost of any project. And that’s not including the expert human resources need to install, run and maintain the devices. So, do yourself a favor when preparing your event. Try to choose a venue with this technology and personnel already available onsite!
Consider a Partnership with TrueLanguage
Are you looking for a partnership with a language service provider? If so, you may wish to consider TrueLanguage. We offer ISO-certified state-of-the-art business translation services that are on budget, on time, and to the exact specification. Every time. Or perhaps you’re just looking for a cost-free, no-obligation estimate for your next translation project. Either way, we’d love to hear from you!
