Can conferences go ahead despite the threat of the Coronavirus?

As an industry that relies upon travel and thrives on face-to-face interactions (conferences, seminars and talks), the coronavirus is a pressing concern for many event management professionals and delegates alike.

Indeed, in light of the virus’ rapid spread, many events across the globe have been cancelled or postponed to help minimise the risk of contamination. This is because international travel poses one of the biggest threats when it comes to a pandemic reaching global proportions.

Furthermore, some countries have temporarily barred entry to foreign nationals who have visited China to help contain the situation, while all but “essential” travel to and from mainland China is under heavy restriction. So for those in China planning to attend or even host events (in China or abroad), or for those planning to go to China for an event, their plans have been ground to a halt… but there are solutions.

Could live-streaming be the solution and the future for event management?

It’s in instances like these that technology often holds the solution. For speakers, delegates and interpreters, physically attending a conference or seminar in China is out of the question until the pandemic is over. Also, with the coronavirus sweeping across the globe, health and safety must be the foremost concern regardless. So it’s likely that the same goes for anyone attending any event abroad.

But what if those events could be hosted, managed and delivered remotely? What if those events could be delivered to diverse audiences and in any language? The coronavirus may have stifled freedom of movement to and from China (and to an extent those in other infected regions) but there are ways to deliver events without compromising health and safety.

It’s entirely possible and the technology exists: we use it every day. At the lower end, we have Skype, Google Hangouts and other video communication tools. These tools enable us to hold meetings and converse with people wherever, whenever – just minus the translation services. At the higher end, we have remote event conferencing software and simultaneous interpretation systems and services. These solutions enable conversations at scale – supporting any number of users – and can utilise real-time interpretation, meaning language barriers are never an issue. With these technologies, there’s no need to travel to an event as people can attend “digitally”.

So, can technology help event managers to host events despite the threat of the coronavirus? Absolutely – and Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) can help.

What is remote simultaneous interpretation?

Event conferencing software is straightforward – it enables you to create and manage events digitally – but what about Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI)?

Well, RSI takes traditional translation one step further; instead of waiting for a speaker to finish a sentence in their native language, RSI is about doing it whilst that sentence is still in progress. This is called simultaneous interpreting (SI).

Then you have the “remote” element. By leveraging modern technologies conferences of any size can be made accessible to multilingual audiences. All event managers need to do is source interpreters.

Also, as these services are typically cloud-based and delivered via software or an app, there’s no need for on-site interpreters or equipment. Events are then held digitally – all speakers and delegates need to do is connect to the platform (either via the Internet or the app) and the interpreters will translate content in real-time (attendees can specify their language and receive the appropriate translation). And if delegates have questions, they can type them directly into the platform.

For more on how RSI works, click here.

Taking your event management to the next level

The benefits of RSI are clear: it’s scalable, efficient, cost-effective, remote and perfect for situations where speakers, delegates and interpreters cannot travel. It ensures that events can go ahead smoothly and be made accessible to anyone, anywhere.

• There’s no need for infrastructure – just download the platform or application and you’re ready to go.
• It can support any number of speakers, delegates and interpreters.
• Because it’s hosted digitally there’s no need to travel; helping cut costs, improve sustainability and maximise health and safety.
• It’s flexible and versatile – events, conferences, seminars, meetings can be arranged at short notice and can be delivered from anywhere providing a good internet or Wi-Fi connection.

Have you considered using Interprefy?

Interprefy is one of the leading RSI platforms and can reduce the cost of interpreting an event by over 50% and without compromising on quality. It can be used for conferences, panel discussions, online meetings and webinars, seminars and even small meetings.

Because it’s cloud-based, no equipment is required (helping to save on floor space and improve sustainability) and it can work alongside existing event conferencing solutions for a “complete” experience. If there are any technical issues during the event, support staff are always on hand to resolve any issues.

Interprefy also has high-fidelity sound without relying on expensive equipment such as radio transmitters and microphones, and participants can use their own devices to listen to the audio.

Finally, with no need to focus on organising flights or accommodation for speakers and professional interpreters, event managers can focus on what matters most: the quality of the event and the interpreters.