In-Person Simultaneous Interpretation
UHF receivers, portable booth and technical operator — from meeting rooms to auditoriums of 2,000 people.
▶ QUICK SUMMARY
In-person simultaneous interpretation uses individual UHF receivers, a transmitter, a soundproof booth and a technical operator to deliver real-time translation to any audience, from 10 to 2,000+ participants. lingo supplies and operates the complete system, with Google Developer Day (2,000 receivers) as the largest event served.
How the receiver system works
The interpreter speaks into a microphone connected to the UHF transmitter — encrypted signal, no interference.
A hub that distributes the signal to all receivers. lingo operates the rack throughout the event.
Each participant gets a receiver + headphones and selects the language channel with a button. No visible cables in the room.
Booth types: portable, desktop or fixed
For meeting rooms and smaller events. Set up on a table or discreet rack. Ideal for 10–100 participants.
Soundproof, self-supporting, set up in any space. ISO standard for events of 100–500 participants.
Permanent in international congress auditoriums. lingo operates in fixed booths already existing at the venue.
Events served by lingo with an in-person system
Vila Belmiro, August 2026. Deliberative council + Zoom channel for remote attendees. English–Portuguese.
WTC São Paulo. The largest technology event in Brazil at the time. English–Portuguese.
Annual event with executives and international investors. Grand Hyatt or JW Marriott Faria Lima.
The largest defense fair in Latin America. 50+ countries. Bilateral meetings with individual receivers.
Languages and number of simultaneous channels
lingo's receiver system supports up to 16 simultaneous language channels at a single event. Each participant selects the channel on the receiver — English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Korean, Hindi, Dutch, Russian, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Portuguese.
The language of each channel is defined in the quote. lingo also offers remote interpretation via Zoom and Teams for hybrid events.
In person vs remote — when to use each format
| Criterion | In person (UHF) | Remote (RSI) |
|---|---|---|
| When to use | Trade fairs, congresses, large auditoriums | Online meetings, remote boards |
| Audience | 10–2,000+ physical participants | 5–500 remote participants |
| Equipment | UHF receivers + booth + operator | Videoconferencing platform |
| Logistics | Travel of interpreter and operator | Zero — the interpreter connects from anywhere |
| Hybrid | Can be combined with a parallel Zoom/Teams channel | Can be combined with parallel physical receivers |
Everything included in the in-person quote
lingo's in-person simultaneous interpretation quote includes: the interpreter (Alex Barros for English–Portuguese, or a partner interpreter specialized in the sector for the other 14 language pairs), complete equipment (receivers, transmitter, rack, booth), a technical operator throughout the event, and travel and freight logistics within the national territory.
Before the event, the interpreter receives the presentation deck and the agenda 48 hours in advance to prepare the specific technical glossary — proprietary company terms, industry acronyms and product names that do not appear in dictionaries. For recurring events, the glossary accumulates session after session, increasing accuracy with each engagement.
The quote amount is the final invoice amount — no hidden items added after confirmation. Lingo Qi Interpretações LTDA issues an electronic invoice (nota fiscal) and accepts payment by TED, PIX or international transfer in BRL.
Why in-person interpretation is still irreplaceable at certain events
Even with the maturity of RSI platforms, there are contexts where in-person interpretation remains the correct technical choice — not out of tradition, but because of physical characteristics of the event that no remote solution replicates. Trade fairs and congresses with multiple booths and parallel sessions require the participant to change channels physically while moving around the space, something only the individual UHF receiver allows without friction. Large auditoriums, such as Google Developer Day with 2,000 receivers, depend on a signal distribution system that no videoconferencing platform was designed to support at that scale.
There is also a dimension of perception: in M&A negotiations, IPO roadshows and board meetings with international investors, the physical presence of the interpreter in the room — inside the booth, visible to participants or not — communicates a level of investment and seriousness that reinforces the formality of the event. It is not a question of the technical quality of the interpretation itself, which can be identical in both formats, but of the context in which the business decision is being made.
lingo recommends in-person for: events with more than 100 participants in the same physical space, trade fairs and congresses with multiple simultaneous sessions, high-value negotiations where the formality of the setting matters, and any event at a venue without reliable internet infrastructure for RSI. For other cases, remote RSI is usually just as effective and more economical.
Planning: what to define before hiring
An in-person event with simultaneous interpretation works well when a few decisions are made early. The first is the language map: which languages will be spoken on stage, which need their own channel and whether there will be audience questions in more than one language. Each target language occupies one channel on the transmitter and requires a dedicated booth and an interpreter or pair of interpreters.
The second decision is the structure of the program. Plenary sessions in a single hall call for a simple system, with one booth and audio coming from the mixing console. Congresses with parallel rooms call for one booth per room, separate channels and a technical team that moves between them. Telling lingo the number of rooms, schedules and languages per session lets it size equipment and team precisely in the quote.
The third is the venue. lingo coordinates the installation with the venue's audio and video team, and the earlier that conversation happens, the fewer surprises on the day: a power outlet near the booth, a clean audio output from the mixing console, a view of the stage and slides, and access for loading and setup at an agreed time.
Typical timeline: from confirmation to event day
The quote comes in 60 seconds through the site assistant or WhatsApp. After confirmation, lingo reserves the team and equipment. For events in São Paulo, we recommend at least 72 hours' notice; for other cities, 5 to 7 days, because of freight.
The interpreter receives the presentation deck and agenda 48 hours in advance to prepare the glossary: proprietary terms, industry acronyms and product names that do not appear in dictionaries. The more material arrives beforehand (reports, scripts, list of speakers), the better the preparation.
On the day of the event, the technical team arrives before opening to set up the booth, install the transmitter and rack, test all channels and check the signal at different points in the room. Receivers are handed out at the entrance or on the seats, and the operator stays throughout the program to adjust audio levels, change batteries and assist participants.
Sizing: receivers, channels and interpreters
The number of receivers should consider registrants and the expected attendance rate, with a reserve margin for swaps and occasional failures. Batches range from 10 to 2,000 units, and lingo recommends the ideal quantity based on the event data.
As for interpreters, international practice at long events is to work in pairs per language, rotating every 20 to 30 minutes to maintain quality. In short meetings, a single interpreter may be enough. Events with several simultaneous languages multiply the teams, and the quote itemizes each line.
The system supports up to 16 language channels at the same event. In practice, most corporate events use one or two channels besides Portuguese, and international fairs and congresses can expand to more, depending on the audience.
Best practices for speakers and moderators
- Speak at a steady pace and avoid reading texts at high speed; if there is a script, send it to the interpreter beforehand.
- Keep the microphone close to the mouth and pass the microphone to those who ask questions, so the audio reaches the booth clean.
- Avoid jokes that rely heavily on wordplay and explain acronyms the first time they appear.
- Pause briefly before showing numbers, because figures and dates demand extra attention from the interpreter.
- Agree with the moderator on how audience questions will be repeated or summarized before the answer.
These precautions improve the experience of all participants and reduce the risk of errors in sensitive data, such as transaction values or deadlines.
Common mistakes at events with interpretation
The most frequent mistake is hiring the equipment without thinking about audio integration: without a clean output from the mixing console, the interpreter depends on the room's loudspeaker, which impairs listening and causes echo. The second is setting up the booth without a view of the stage and slides, which makes it hard to follow demonstrations.
It is also common to send the preparation material at the last minute, or to forget to mention that there will be videos and pre-recorded speech. Another problem is underestimating the number of receivers at events with high attendance. Telling lingo about these points in advance avoids rework and ensures a silent operation, in which the audience notices only the content, not the technology.
Hybrid events: combining the room and remote participants
Many events today bring together an audience in the room and participants at a distance. In that case, the interpreted audio can be delivered by UHF receivers to those present and by a language channel on the video platform to those following online. The operation is single, with the same team, the same glossary and the same schedule, and lingo coordinates both formats so that neither audience has an inferior experience to the other.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum number of receivers?+
There is no formal minimum. lingo serves everything from meeting rooms with 10 receivers to auditoriums with 2,000+ receivers. The system scales to the need.
Does lingo provide the equipment or do I have to hire it separately?+
lingo supplies and operates the complete system — receivers, transmitter, rack, headphones and booth. Technical operator included. You do not need to hire equipment separately.
Does lingo work outside São Paulo?+
Yes. lingo serves all Brazilian states — Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and others. Travel and equipment freight are included in the quote.
How does a hybrid event (in-person + remote) work?+
lingo combines UHF receivers for the in-person audience with a simultaneous interpretation channel on Zoom or Teams for remote participants. Santos FC × SDC Sports used this format in August 2026 with 150 receivers + Zoom.
How many languages can be interpreted at the same time?+
Up to 16 simultaneous channels at a single event. Each participant selects the channel on the receiver.
What is the deadline to confirm the equipment?+
For events with fewer than 100 receivers, 48 hours' notice is enough. For larger events (500+), 5–10 days is recommended for freight logistics and installation.
Need simultaneous interpretation?
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Lingo Qi Interpretações LTDA · CNPJ 53.834.741/0001-34 · São Paulo, SP