When searching for interpretation vendors, be prepared for common questions that you will be asked. These questions usually help the vendor determine the type of equipment you will need, estimate the amount on labor needed, and create a proposal for your meeting. Common Questions:
- Where is the meeting? City and venue
- What are the dates of the meeting? Meeting dates and times as well as setup and breakdown dates
- What is the meeting room layout? The floor plan, seating arrangement and venue size will help the vendor determine what type of equipment is needed.
- Will raisers or a video feeds be provided for the interpreter booths? Interpreters work best when they can see the person speaking. If the room is large or if the sightline is blocked, raisers can lift the booths off the ground providing a better viewing angle. Video assist systems can be used to provide a visual of the speaker on a monitor within the booth.
- How many languages will be required? In most cases there is one booth, two interpreters and one channel required per language.
- What is the audio source for the interpreters? If the company providing the interpretation is not providing the audio, they will need to coordinate with the audio provider to get the audio signal for the interpreters.