The Foundation of Good Performance

A successful conference requires more than just choosing the right conference venue. Appropriate technical equipment and a competent sound engineer are just as important. For this reason Language Professionals recommend equipment certified to ISO standards.

To enable interpreters to work at peak performance, booths should be well-ventilated and spacious. Non-dazzling lighting and sufficient storage space for laptops, documents and dictionaries are another significant aspect. An unencumbered view of the speakers and their visual presentation aids, e.g. slides and transparencies, is also indispensable for interpreters to work accurately.

Therefore the International Association of Conference Interpreters (aiic), in close cooperation with the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC), has devised guidelines for interpreting booths.

Detailed information about interpreting booths is laid down, amongst other things, in the following standards:

• ISO Standard 2603/1983 - describes conference centres and facilities which have been purpose-built for simultaneous interpreting and have built-in booths and equipment.
• ISO Standard 4043/1981 (currently being revised) - defines conference centres without built-in booths which allow for successful conferences using portable interpreting equipment.
• Standard IEC 914/1988 - details electro-technical specifications for interpreting equipment.

Special conditions apply to video and telephone conferences. We will be glad to offer our advice on a case-by-case basis.