Step-by-step guide to preparing your event for simultaneous interpretation in SP: physical space, briefing, audio test and event day.
From the physical space to the interpreter briefing — 6 steps to make sure nothing fails on the day.
Before any contact with lingo: how many languages, how many participants, total duration, number of simultaneous rooms and whether the event is in person, remote or hybrid. These variables define the equipment kit and the number of interpreters.
The event venue must fit the ISO booth (if needed) without blocking the audience's visibility. The booth goes at the side or back of the room — never at the front. The venue's sound system needs a line out for the interpreter's console.
For standard languages (English, Spanish, French): 1 week is possible. For rare languages or large events: 3+ weeks. The lead time exists for the availability of specialized interpreters — not equipment.
7 to 10 days before the event: detailed agenda with times, presentation decks in PDF, glossary of the sector's technical terms and earlier videos of the speaker if available. The more context, the greater the vocabulary accuracy.
Full test: receiver quality across the whole room, booth volume, integration with the speaker's microphone and the venue's sound system. Technical problems are solved at this moment — not during the opening.
Designate a person on the organizer's side who knows the venue's sound system and can make decisions in real time. The lingo technician looks after the interpretation equipment — the contact person looks after integration with the event's PA.
Simultaneous interpretation is a service where the result depends as much on planning as on performance on the day. An experienced interpreter cannot make up for a badly placed booth, a sound system without a line out or a glossary that arrived the day before. That is why the six steps above follow the order in which decisions are usually made: scope first, then the venue, the lead time, the material, the test and, on the day, the point of contact.
This page goes deeper into each step, explains the reason for each requirement and shows what happens when it is ignored. lingo has worked for 21 years at corporate events, congresses and meetings in São Paulo, and most of the problems we find come from information the organizer did not know needed to be passed on. The goal here is for you to know, before the first contact, what to ask and what to report.
The scope gathers the variables that define the equipment kit and the number of interpreters: languages, participants, duration, simultaneous rooms and format. Each variable weighs differently. The number of languages defines how many interpretation channels will be needed and how many pairs of interpreters. The duration defines the rotation, because simultaneous interpretation is done in pairs that alternate. The number of rooms defines how many booths, consoles and technicians go into the operation.
The format also changes the calculation. An in-person event uses receivers and a booth. A remote event uses a platform with an interpretation channel. A hybrid event combines the two and requires the room audio and the online audio to reach the interpreters without echo. When the organizer does not yet know one of the variables, the best path is to report the likely range and warn that the number may change, rather than omit the information.
To find out how much each configuration costs, see the simultaneous interpretation pricing page for SP. The quote amount is the final invoice amount, so the scope information helps avoid adjustments after approval.
The ISO booth needs space and a line of sight. The interpreter works best when able to see the speaker, the slides and the audience, because body language and the projected image help anticipate the speech. That is why the booth goes at the side or back of the room, where it does not block the audience's view. A booth at the front gets in the way of the audience and usually leaves the interpreter far from the sound.
The venue's sound system needs a line out so that the interpreter's console receives clean audio, without going through the room loudspeaker. Without this output, the interpreter hears the speaker through the room, with echo and noise, and the quality of interpretation drops. Before booking the venue, ask the technical manager whether the output exists and who operates it.
If the space is small, there are alternatives. The portable booth takes up less area, and portable equipment with individual receivers dispenses with the booth in smaller meetings. To understand the differences, see the comparison between the ISO booth and portable equipment. In cases of severe restriction, remote interpretation is a viable option. Medium and large events have a technical inspection by lingo at the venue, which confirms positioning, integration with the sound and access logistics.
The three-week lead time is not an equipment requirement. Receivers, consoles and booths are often available. What limits it is the schedule of interpreters specialized in the event's subject. For standard languages, such as English, Spanish and French, it is possible to hire with one week. For rare languages or large events, three weeks or more is ideal, because finding interpreters and preparing the glossary take time.
Last-minute hiring increases the risk of the event ending up with an interpreter who does not know the sector. A medical congress, a board meeting and a technical engineering presentation call for different vocabularies, and the quality of interpretation depends on how well the interpreter knows the subject. Those who plan the event in advance choose the right professional, instead of accepting whoever is free.
The interpreter works in real time, with no pause to consult a dictionary. All the study happens beforehand. Between seven and ten days before the event, send the detailed agenda with times, the presentations in PDF, a glossary with the sector's technical terms and, if they exist, earlier videos of the speaker. Each item solves a problem: the agenda shows the sequence of topics, the slides show names and numbers, the glossary fixes the company's terminology and the video reveals the accent and pace.
If the presentation is still being prepared, send the latest version and warn when there are changes. Confidential material can be protected: lingo signs an NDA with a validity of 5 years before receiving any document. To look up common terms in the sector, see the glossary of simultaneous interpretation equipment terms.
The audio test is complete and takes place two hours before the start. It checks receiver quality across the whole room, the volume in the booth, integration with the speaker's microphone and the connection to the venue's sound system. A thirty-minute test does not solve complex problems, such as interference in one corner of the room or a microphone that saturates. With two hours, there is time to swap a cable, reposition a transmitter or adjust the gain before the audience comes in.
On the day, the organizer should designate a person who knows the venue's sound system and can decide in real time. The lingo technician looks after the interpretation equipment, and the organizer's person looks after integration with the event's PA. This division prevents a problem from having no owner. The operation has spare receivers and a redundant transmitter, so the failure of a piece of equipment does not interrupt interpretation.
This timeline is a guide. Large events, with several languages or simultaneous rooms, call for starting earlier. For an overview of the mistakes that most often get in the way, read the page on common simultaneous interpretation mistakes in SP and the tips for perfect interpretation.
In remote and hybrid events, the six steps still apply, with adjustments. The physical venue now includes the internet connection and the broadcast audio. The audio test includes the platform, the interpretation channel and participants' choice of language. And the point of contact also becomes the person responsible for the platform, who creates the room, enables the channel and watches the chat.
For these formats, lingo offers the remote simultaneous interpretation page and the hybrid events page, which detail the platforms and the audio flow. In both cases, the material sent to the interpreter and the hiring lead time are the same as for an in-person event.
With the six steps in mind, requesting a proposal is simple. State the date, city, venue, languages, number of participants, duration and format. lingo replies with the equipment and interpreter configuration, and the quote amount is the final invoice amount. To learn how hiring works, see the page on how to hire a simultaneous interpreter in SP, or request the automatic quote in 60 seconds.
Yes. For medium and large events, lingo's technical team visits the venue beforehand to confirm booth positioning, integration with the sound system and access logistics.
We use the portable booth as an alternative. For events with severe space restrictions, remote interpretation (without a physical booth) is a viable option.
From the venue to post-event — no logistics worries.