A conference with speakers and participants of different languages needs a language plan that starts months before the opening and ends with the publication of the proceedings. Since 1995 the firm has supported scientific societies, universities, public bodies, trade associations and companies in organising the language side of congresses, seminars, international assemblies, presentations and visits of delegations: interpreters and equipment, translation of all written material, multilingual secretariat and reception, relations with the foreign press.
Before the conference
Preparation begins with the programme: the firm translates the call for papers, the scientific programme, the registration forms, the event website and the communications to speakers and participants, and handles the correspondence in the foreign language with foreign speakers to collect abstracts, biographies and presentations. The abstracts and presentations received are translated or edited for the book of abstracts and handed in advance to the interpreters, who study them together with the glossary of the discipline built with the scientific committee. For events with foreign patronage and sponsors the firm translates sponsorship proposals and contracts, with the competence it applies to corporate and commercial documents.
During the conference
In the hall the firm provides simultaneous interpreters, in pairs for each language, and organises with a trusted technical supplier the booths, receivers and assistance, or the portable system for parallel sessions and guided visits. For round tables, interviews and bilateral meetings on the sidelines it provides consecutive and liaison interpreters. The secretariat and the reception desk are staffed by people who speak the participants’ languages, for registrations, information and the handling of the unexpected, and hostesses accompany foreign delegations during transfers and visits. The texts that arise during the event, such as motions, final declarations and press releases, are translated in real time for distribution in the working languages. The techniques and languages are described on the page on interpreting.
After the conference
The recorded speeches are transcribed in the original language and translated for the publication of the proceedings, in print or online, with the editing of the texts by native speakers of the discipline and the proofreading of the laid-out pages. The firm translates satisfaction questionnaires and final reports for funding bodies, closing press releases and the foreign press review, and the certificates of attendance and training credits for foreign participants. The videos of the speeches can be subtitled in the languages of the event.
Press office in foreign languages and delegations
For events addressed to the international press the firm drafts and translates press releases in the languages of the target media, adapts the press kit and assists the communications manager in contacts with foreign correspondents and in interviews with an interpreter. For visits of institutional and corporate delegations, in Italy or abroad, it organises language support for the whole mission: an interpreter for the meetings, translation of the dossiers and of the documents to be signed, assistance at ceremonies and visits.
The quote is built on the programme of the event, with separate items for interpreters, equipment, translations, staff and post-event services, so that the organising committee can choose what to entrust to the firm and what to manage in-house. For conferences repeated every year the firm keeps glossaries, translation memories and the contacts of the interpreters who know the subject.
Frequently asked questions
Do you also handle the venue, hotels and catering?
The firm handles the language side of the event and works together with the organising secretariat or the agency chosen by the client for logistics. On request it suggests technical suppliers and agencies it has worked with for years, but it does not manage hotel bookings and catering directly.
How many interpreters are needed for a one-day conference in three languages?
In simultaneous mode two interpreters per booth, so four for two foreign languages in addition to Italian, with the possibility of reducing the number when one language is covered in both directions by the same pair. The final programme, with the length of the sessions and any parallel sessions, determines the exact number, which the quote states.
Is simultaneous interpreting possible for participants joining remotely?
Yes. Professional video conferencing platforms provide audio channels for the languages, and the interpreters work from a booth in the hall or from a remote hub. The firm checks the configuration with the technical supplier and runs a test with the speakers before the event.
How far in advance should the language side be organised?
For a conference with simultaneous interpreting at least two months before, to book interpreters with the right specialisation and the equipment, and to have time to translate the preparatory material. For a seminar with consecutive or liaison interpreting two or three weeks are usually enough.
Do you translate the proceedings even if the speeches were not submitted in writing?
Yes, from the recording: the firm transcribes the speeches, submits them to the speakers for approval and translates them for publication. It is the usual route when speakers improvise or depart from the text submitted.
Are you organising an international event?
Send us the programme, even a provisional one, with the languages planned: you receive within one working day a proposal with interpreters, equipment and translations, item by item.
