Here at Veritas we often deal with requests for interpreting from large companies who have experience with procuring these services. However, many of our customers from smaller organisations may not be as familiar with the spectrum of interpreting that is available to them. This blog post is therefore a rundown of what is meant by the term conference interpreting.

Conference interpreters are required for multilingual meetings or conferences where delegates will need to be addressed in their own languages. The term conference interpreting can be applied to many different settings, from a small business meeting with a prospective client to a complex event staged for 500 people.

Conference interpreting, and interpreting as a whole, can be carried out in a number of different ways, depending on the environment and type of assignment. In general however, there are two main types: simultaneous and consecutive, which may both be used in a conference environment. Simultaneous interpreting may be the most suitable form for events where a larger number of languages will be used, whereas consecutive interpreting may be more appropriate for smaller meetings involving technical or confidential material, where fewer languages are involved.

In terms of information for students, the main organisation for this branch of interpreting is the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC), which currently has over 2,000 members in o more than 80 countries. Becoming a member of a professional association in you chosen area of specialization will open up a mine of information and advice, which is essential in taking your first steps in the industry.

Are there any budding conference interpreters out there? If you are a translator, why did you make the decision to move away from interpreting? Maybe you do both! Please share you experiences with us. We always love to hear from our readers.

For more information about how we can help you with interpreting requirements, please visit our conference interpreting page.