A new context (COVID-19 included)
COVID-19 has changed international events in the arts industry, probably forever. But it’s not all bad news. In this article, I’ll tell you how you can turn it to your advantage and make your art reach a wider audience.
The secret (language) weapon to reach a global audience
Event planning is evolving really fast, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. You might have already noticed that there’s a higher demand for virtual events. And thanks to technological advances, virtual or hybrid events can make your art reach global audiences and make it more accessible than ever.
If you’re planning on hosting a festival, biennial, gallery launch or any other artistic event with attendees from Spanish-speaking countries, live language interpretation (people also call it simultaneous translation or simultaneous interpreting) helps you break the language barrier and connect with thousands of people in their own language.
You have probably seen simultaneous interpretation at the United Nations or in big international events. It might look like only high-profile organizations can afford it, but the fact is that your event can have live translation, too, especially if it’s online. All you need is good internet, a videoconference platform, professional interpreters for the languages of your choice, and voilà!, your conference becomes global.
How does simultaneous interpretation work?
During a virtual event, live language interpretation allows you to have a separate audio channel for the second language you want your audience to hear or speak. If you want to connect with Latin America and Spain, it’ll be Spanish. This means a team of two interpreters will be hearing the original audio (for example, in English) and translating everything into Spanish.
If it’s a bilingual event, attendees can select the audio channel to hear the interpreters speaking in their language of choice. In our example, it’d be English or Spanish.
This means your audience will be many times larger than in any event you host in a single language. Now, let’s be bold. Imagine having your festival streaming in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese at the same time. Most human beings on the planet would be able to hear your message and interact with you in the language they’re comfortable with.
When can I use simultaneous interpreting?
Any online event can benefit from live translation, any time. It can be a virtual gallery or exhibition launch, a hybrid meeting or conference, a parallel forum or roundtable during a festival or biennial, you name it.
When hosting an art event to cater to a global audience, it’s worth considering time zones. For example, if you’re in Europe and want to have people from the Americas joining in, do it in the afternoon or evening, so they can enjoy your event in their morning. One of the little things I love about interpreting for international events that cover different time zones is when one of the speakers says “Good morning, for those in South America, and good afternoon for those of you in the UK.” It feels we’re really connected, no matter the distance or language.
Do I really need simultaneous interpreting?
According to several studies, more than 70% of people are inclined to participate, buy or follow your art if your content is delivered in their mother tongue. Also, more than 50% of people consider getting information in their own language is more important than the price of a product or service.
Hosting an event with simultaneous interpretation is not for everyone. It’s only for those who understand that breaking the language barrier will the secret weapon to captivate a wider audience. If you feel your artistic work is ready to transcend boundaries, then you’re ready to have live translation in your events.
Having remote simultaneous interpretation in Spanish can expand your reach to all Latin America and Spain. This means you can create memorable experiences for an entirely new audience. If you need help planning your next multilingual event, get in touch and learn more about how Meridian Muse can help you transcend boundaries
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