Start with people and the programme
Before choosing technology, prepare a table of rooms, times, languages spoken on stage and languages requested by the audience. Distinguish in-person participants from remote contributors. A remote speaker has different audio needs from a listener seated in the audience.
Share the programme with the agency or interpreters: language combinations, shifts, materials and relay requirements should be agreed with the people doing the work. One language in the programme does not automatically mean one person for the whole day.
Map three paths: stage, booths, audience
The production desk captures original stage audio and video. Interpreters receive these signals and send their interpretation. The audience chooses a listening channel. Writing down these three paths helps identify who needs to prepare microphones, computers, headphones and connections.
In VoxVent, booths and the audience player run in the browser, while production uses the desktop app. Interpretations can return on separate production audio outputs. A language can also be available in the player without a physical output: that is what this setting means: NO OUT.
Prepare intelligible audio before adding services
Interpreters need a clear signal. Agree with the sound engineer which microphones and contributions feed the original audio, including audience questions and videos with speech. An off-mic contribution may be audible in the front row but absent for someone interpreting remotely.
Video should help interpreters follow the event: speakers, slides and contributions should be managed according to the programme. During testing, check what the interpreter actually sees, not just the production preview.
Make audience access simple
Prepare a link for each room and clear information about available languages. Test the journey on a phone: open the link, select a language, start audio and adjust volume. Remind people about headphones before the event, not only once the audience is seated.
The venue network is part of the plan. Discuss the expected number of devices and other planned activities with its operator. A successful test with a few phones does not certify capacity for the whole event.
Run a test that resembles the actual programme
- One speaker uses the stage microphone and another contributes remotely.
- Each interpreter checks the original feed, output language and microphone.
- A listener checks each language on their own device.
- The production team checks returns intended for sound reinforcement, recording or speakers.
- The team tests handovers and agrees how to report a problem.
Record a person responsible and an alternative for every critical step. The backup plan must be understandable to the team on duty, with agreed contacts and actions. Do not rely solely on the software's automatic reconnection.
Multilingual event production: who is responsible for what?
A multilingual event needs a shared production plan, not just a list of languages. Give each task an owner and a check that can be completed before doors open.
- Organiser: confirms the running order, simultaneous rooms, languages, audience size and the contact who can approve a programme change.
- Interpreter coordinator: agrees language combinations, relay, shifts and preparation material with the interpreters. Software capacity does not replace professional staffing decisions.
- Sound engineer: provides a clean original feed, checks every language return and keeps the interpreter’s own voice out of their return path.
- Video technician: checks that remote interpreters see the speaker and presentation content they need, including remote contributions.
- Audience support: tests the listening link and QR code, prepares headphone instructions and helps anyone who cannot use their device.
A practical example: one room, two languages
For an English–Italian conference, first agree how speeches in each language will be interpreted. With remote interpreters, production sends the original audio and stage video to the browser booths and receives the interpreted feeds. With interpreters already on site, production captures the original and translated outputs from the existing audio system instead.
In both scenarios, decide which feeds reach the venue mixer and which are available to web listeners. For 80 people expected to listen at the same time, plan capacity for 80 concurrent web listeners, not 80 unique visitors over the day. Physical mixer outputs do not consume web-listener places.
Two languages are included in each paid VoxVent production room. Check interpreter workstation capacity separately and rehearse the actual language changes before the event. Explore the remote interpretation setup or distribute existing venue audio to smartphones.
How to run the final production rehearsal
- Use the actual stage microphone, then play a video and test a remote contribution if the programme includes one.
- Have an interpreter confirm both audio and video, then check each language from the audience’s position.
- Pause and resume listening, change the listening language and test representative phones on the venue network.
- Rehearse a speaker switching language and a planned break. Agree what the audience should hear when interpretation is silent.
- Test the backup procedure and write down who makes the decision, who changes mixer routing and who informs participants.
Record what passed, what failed and who will fix it. Run the technical interpretation checklist again after changes. VoxVent is under testing: agree availability, capacity and a suitable setup before committing it to a live event.
Add a MAIN and backup rehearsal
With the new VoxVent backup builds, start MAIN and its transmission before connecting the reserve to the same room. Prepare the same signals on both computers, verify that the backup is ready, then rehearse manual handover and loss of MAIN with an interpreter and an audience listener.
The reserve uses the same licence. Physical outputs stay operational: the sound engineer manages the mixing console. Full handover testing is still in progress; agree a tested setup before your event. Read the backup setup guide →