Service · On-site interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation for events that can't afford to fail
Simultaneous interpretation is real-time spoken interpretation, delivered by interpreters working in an acoustically insulated booth as the speaker talks — no pause, no delay on stage. The audience listens through a receiver in the language of their choice. STIB has provided full-service simultaneous interpretation in Brazil — interpreters, ISO 4043 booths, equipment, and an on-site technician — since 2007.
What's included
What a full-service on-site interpretation package includes
- Conference interpreters — certified professionals, scheduled by language pair and by the event's technical field.
- ISO 4043 standard acoustically insulated booth — sound isolation, ventilation, and a direct view of the stage. An improvised booth leaks sound into the audience and degrades interpretation quality.
- Interpreter console and audio feed — direct capture from the event's sound board, not from an ambient microphone.
- Transmitters and receivers — one channel per language, with receivers and headsets for the audience, sized to the number of listeners. For bilingual and trilingual events, LED headsets are available, with one color per language.
- On-site technician for the full event — distribution, collection, battery changes, and real-time troubleshooting.
- Pre-event briefing and glossary — event materials sent to interpreters in advance to align terminology.
Behind the scenes
Why events are staffed with two interpreters per language
This is the question that comes up most often when clients see a quote, and the answer is technical, not commercial. Simultaneous interpretation requires listening, understanding, converting, and speaking at the same time. The cognitive load is high enough that accuracy starts to drop after 20 to 30 minutes of continuous work.
That's why the international standard is to staff two interpreters per language pair, rotating within that window. While one is on the microphone, the other tracks numbers, names, and terminology, ready to take over without a break in continuity.
A quote with a single interpreter for a full day is cheaper because it delivers less. The drop in quality shows up in the second half of the event — often exactly when the most important part happens.
Three terms that show up in a quote
- Décalage — the time lag between the speaker's words and the interpreter's rendering. Too short compromises syntax; too long overloads memory.
- Relay — when there's no direct interpreter between two languages, a third one serves as a bridge. Common in multilingual events with less common language combinations.
- Pivot — the interpreter who provides that bridge, whose accuracy determines the quality of every booth that depends on them.
Cost factor
What determines the price of simultaneous interpretation
There's no fixed rate card, and anyone who hands you one is either underestimating or planning to add extras later. The price comes from the combination below. With this information, STIB returns a fixed quote within 24 hours.
- Language pairs
- Each additional language means another booth, another pair of interpreters, and another channel.
- Duration
- Half-day, full-day, or multi-day. Overtime beyond the agreed schedule should be defined in the contract, not on the day.
- Audience size
- Determines the number of receivers needed — the variable that changes most between a boardroom meeting and a large congress.
- Technical field
- Medical conferences, arbitration, oil and gas, and financial markets require interpreters with domain-specific terminology.
- Location and logistics
- São Paulo, another state, or another country — this affects booth and equipment transport, travel, and crew accommodation.
- Venue infrastructure
- If the venue already has a fixed booth and sound board, less equipment is needed. A venue with no existing structure requires a full setup.
- Recording and deliverables
- Recording the interpreted channel, transcription, or subtitling afterward are billed separately.
Choosing the format
On-site, online, or silent conference
| Format | Best for | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| On-site | In-person audience; congresses, ceremonies, training sessions, technical visits | ISO 4043 booth, console, receivers, and on-site technician |
| Online (RSI) | Distributed participants; corporate meetings and webinars on Zoom, Teams, Meet, or Webex | Interpretation channel integrated with the event platform, no crew travel |
| Hybrid | In-person audience and remote audience at the same time | On-site setup integrated with the platform's stream |
| Silent conference | Multiple simultaneous tracks in the same space, without audio bleed between them | Multi-channel headset transmission, no booth |
Coverage
Where STIB operates
On-site service, with interpreters and equipment at the event venue, in São Paulo, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Campinas, plus crew and equipment traveling to Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belém, Manaus, and other Brazilian capitals.
Sectors regularly served include medical and scientific congresses, pharmaceutical, government and diplomatic events, oil, gas and energy, renewable energy, technology, agribusiness, legal and arbitration, financial markets, and global public health.
Frequently asked questions
What event organizers ask most
What's the difference between simultaneous and consecutive interpretation?
In simultaneous interpretation, the interpreter speaks at the same time as the speaker, so the event stays on schedule. In consecutive interpretation, the speaker pauses for the interpreter to render each segment, which roughly doubles the length of the talk. For events with a program and multiple speakers, simultaneous interpretation is the only format that fits the schedule.
How far in advance should we book?
Ideally three to four weeks. Conference interpreters with technical specialization have busy calendars, and equipment availability is limited during peak event season. Urgent requests are handled based on availability — it's worth asking even on short notice.
Do we need to rent equipment separately?
No. STIB provides the booth, console, transmitters, receivers, and technician together with the interpreters. If the venue already has a fixed booth and sound board, the scope is adjusted and the quote reflects that.
How does the audience hear the interpretation?
Each participant receives a headset and selects the channel for the language they want to hear. Anyone who speaks the stage language simply doesn't use the receiver. An STIB technician distributes, collects, and troubleshoots equipment throughout the event.
Do interpreters receive event materials in advance?
Yes, and it makes a real difference. Presentations, internal glossaries, participant names, and industry acronyms are sent ahead of time for preparation. An event without advance materials is still covered, but with a higher margin of terminology error.
Can AI replace human interpreters?
For casual conversation, it can help. For a critical event, it can't. Machine interpretation still struggles with accents, room noise, overlapping speech, irony, mid-sentence correction, and niche terminology — exactly what happens at a real congress. The cost of an error at an arbitration hearing, a diplomatic ceremony, or a results presentation outweighs any savings from cutting corners on the budget.
Next step
Send us the date, language, and number of participants
With those three details, STIB can scope the event. Fixed quote within 24 hours, no cost, no commitment.
São Paulo · WhatsApp
+55 11 91777-6227Brasília · DF · WhatsApp
+55 61 99848-9988Phone
+55 11 2110-2548