Event Planners Should Be Aware of Translation Needs

      International event planners should know which languages are needed, how many sessions require interpretation and the number of concurrent sessions to determine which interpretation equipment to use, said Frank Ferrer, president of Miami-based MFM, at an April 9 presentation.

      Mr. Ferrer spoke at a meeting of the American Web for International Languages (AWIL) at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Sandy Springs.  MFM, which has an office in Atlanta, is a provider of equipment for simultaneous translation for meetings and other events.

      Certain technologies will only work with a limited number of meeting rooms and languages, said Mr. Ferrer, while more advanced interpretation systems can provide up to 24 languages per room and may be used in a large number of separate locations.

      Clarity of sound, reliability and security from eavesdropping are also features that should be weighed against the cost of the equipment, he said.  High-tech infrared systems, while very clear, secure and dependable, are also much more expensive than the low-tech FM systems, which operate basically like a radio station, said Mr. Ferrer.

      Small, bilingual meetings don’t necessarily need the infrared systems which are used at large, multilingual events such as a meeting of the United Nations, he added.

      MFM has offices in Washington, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta, and has provided interpretation equipment for projects including two chambers of the United Nations building in New York, and is currently working on a system for the Senate and Parliament building in Haiti.

      For more information about the company call Kevin Craemer at MFM’s Atlanta office at (404) 876-2266.  To learn more about AWIL, call Lya Sorano at (770) 393-8966.