Organizing an event can be exhausting due to the activities—which include conducting research, creating event designs, finding a site, arranging for food and entertainment, and supervising at the site, to mention a few—involved. And if not adequately planned, it can be a bad day for organizers.
There are over 7000 languages globally, and organizing an event where the guests have diverse languages can be more tasking. Multilingual events cannot be classified as the usual everyday events. You must consider some essential factors to get the best from such events and satisfy your guests.
This article will give you insight on things to bear in mind and implement when organizing a multilingual event.
Organizing A Multilingual Event
Here are six things to consider when organizing a multilingual event.
The Type of Event
What type of event are you organizing? This should be the first thing you will be considered because all your other choices will depend on it. The event could be a B2B meeting, a career talk, an interview, a scientific conference, a book presentation or a round table. How you plan and design these events differ. For an outdoor guided tour, the equipment needed for the physical setting will be different from the one for a conference, which requires a big room with sophisticated equipment.
Know the Number of Guests and Their Languages
Since it’s a multilingual event, and people will be attending from different parts of the world, you must know the estimated number of guests. More importantly, you should see the number of foreign guests to determine their languages. This will help you to understand the best interpreting technique to use for any event. Also, it will help you hire the exact number of translators with the preferred languages required.
Use Interpreters and Translation Equipment
For an event with guests of diverse languages, they must understand any information passed adequately. Therefore, a need to get interpreters in these languages and also use translation equipment. This will facilitate the flow of information and make your attendees feel considered. The type of event determines translators’ equipment. Remote interpreting is also an option for people with less budget, where the guests will be required to use a portable headset to listen to their preferred language.
Seek Advice
As said earlier, planning a multilingual event can be a monumental task. So, seeking advice from people who know about this type of event can help your planning. You can involve your interpreters in the planning too. Tell them the kind of event you are organizing, and ask the most suitable translating technique to use. Although, you must first build trust and have a fruitful collaboration with your translator to achieve this.
Prepare Your Interpreters
Make sure your interpreters are well prepared. Interpreting can be frustrating at times because the tone of language is sometimes different. Therefore, it will be an advantage if they are provided with the necessary material to be used by the speakers before the event. If possible, the presenters and interpreters should allocate a day to meet for rehearsals. This will enhance the interpreter’s work, make the event better organized, and allow the audience to understand every information disseminated.
Know Important Cultures of Your Guest
Also, every activity that occurs at an event with guests from different languages and cultures matters. As some activities are acceptable to some people, they might not sit well with others. And this can send a wrong impression to them. Hence, it would help if you researched the cultures, habits, and traditions of your guests. Know what you should or shouldn’t do in a gathering of people from different countries.
Conclusion
Multilingual events require proper planning to achieve the best experience. It would help if you remembered that such events are attended by people who share different cultures, traditions, and languages. Hence, you must create an environment where they feel free and comfortable if you want a successful event. Hire interpreters and provide them with the necessary materials to prepare before the event. Finally, use the correct translation equipment for every occasion.
