How we managed to take on the arduous task of interpreting in 5 different languages during the official visit of the European Works Council delegation

Client goal and needs

The aim of the assignment was to simultaneously interpret in five languages during the official visit of the European Works Council delegation.

Service provided

Subject: Simultaneous conference interpreting in the field of energy and whisper interpreting (chuchotage) in 5 different languages

Project duration: 28/6/2018, 9:45am – 9:00pm

City: Bratislava

Language combination

6 interpreters interpreted in the following language combinations:

• Slovak – German,
• Slovak – French,
• Slovak – Romanian
• Slovak – Italian.

Interpreting equipment

To ensure our simultaneous conference interpretation ran smoothly, we secured the following:

• complete interpreting equipment for 6 – 8 interpreters,
• 3x small interpreting booths,
• video direction for the adjacent room,
• 4x LCD monitors for each booth,
• 25 receivers for participants,
• sound system equipment,
• 54 table-top microphones,
• wireless hand-held microphone
• mobile interpreting equipment – whisper sets: 4 transmitters, 14 receivers.

Project progression details

Interpreting

• Due to the complex professional terminology required to interpret this topic, choosing interpreters was straightforward but nevertheless difficult. We managed to provide professional interpreters who have extensive experience in interpreting for the energy sector.
• We scheduled and sorted the interpreters in the booth by their experience following a group consultation (the conference interpreting lasted approx. 1.5 hours, which was then followed by chuchotage with the help of whisper devices).
• Background materials for assisting with interpretation were provided to the interpreters by the client.

Interpreting equipment

• We consulted with the client in person on-site the morning the interpretation was due to take place in order to come up with a customised interpreting tech set-up.
• Additionally, two technicians were present during the conference interpretation to explain how to operate the whispering devices for a smooth transition into the chuchotage segment.

Summary

• We are not only grateful to the interpreters and technicians, but also to our client and to the delegation for their very kind demeanour. What came across as a challenging project turned into a very pleasant event, resulting in client satisfaction.
• We had a backup plan in place in case of any technical difficulties.
• We designed the simplest and most efficient method of interpretation that was advantageous for both parties.