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In today's globalized world, communication across different languages is more important than ever before. As businesses expand their operations to new markets, there is a growing need for interpreters to bridge language barriers and facilitate communication.

Adding language interpretation to on-site events has traditionally been a logistical challenge. It often involved finding interpreters and then organizing their travel, food, and accommodation — to say nothing of sourcing and setting up interpretation equipment.

Fortunately, since 2014, Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) technology has made interpretation faster, easier, and more cost-effective to organize than ever before. In this article, we’ll explore how RSI works for on-site events, the benefits of RSI, and what event planners should look for in an ideal RSI solution.

This article was originally published on Exhibitionworld.co.uk

Even though remote working has provided greater flexibility, it’s still almost impossible to gather all staff in one place at the same time.

Many consider Cleopatra to be the first recorded event planner in history. She knew the value of bringing people together for celebrations, announcements, and other occasions. Famously, she turned meeting Roman general Mark Antony into a fabulous event. Cleopatra entered the meeting floating down the Nile on the ancient equivalent of a luxury yacht — while dressed as the goddess Venus. Talk about making an entrance.

Cleopatra’s goal for meeting Mark Antony was clear: she wanted to form a close connection with him. The result of her event? Her dynasty got to live on for another day. From seasonal festivals to the modern New Year’s party, events have retained the same underlying goal: to build connections and bring people together for a shared experience.

While the goal of events hasn’t changed, the significant investment required to create modern business events means that there is more at stake. This is especially the case today, with a vast array of technological tools facilitating many parts of event management.

Hybrid and virtual events take this that much farther, as many (if not all) attendees experience the event through their devices. Along with being accessed via devices, online events can be joined from nearly anywhere on the globe. This presents businesses with the opportunity to reach audiences at scale. But is reaching the largest possible audience a sign of a successful event? Some businesses certainly benefit from hosting smaller events that lead to deeper connections and more meaningful networking experiences.

With so many changing factors and business models at play, let’s consider how event “success” has evolved to meet the contemporary business environment.

Conference interpreting hasn't changed much since 1945 - but it has definitely undergone a seismic shift since 2020. With the majority of events being canceled or moved online because of social distancing, interpreters had to adapt quickly to not miss out on interpreting opportunities. Fortunately, Remote Simultaneous Interpretation technology already existed and those who adopted the technology could resume work successfully.

In just months, the global landscape has changed dramatically, with almost every sector having to pivot to digital technology. For now, in-person meetings, lectures, events and conferences are off-the-table (or restricted to fewer numbers), leaving companies to rely on virtual meeting and webinar platforms such as GoToWebinar, Microsoft Teams and Zoom to continue operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the events industry status quo. And for companies to survive and thrive in our ‘new normal’, they need to rise to the challenge of hosting smooth, engaging events in virtual environments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a key driver in the rapid adoption of virtual environments. 

This is not to say that their rise in popularity was unforeseen — the format has carved a niche in the events landscape and will continue to alter the DNA of physical events in the future. Hybrid events are expected to continue to gain relevance, catering to both on-site and remote attendees.