A press conference lasts twenty minutes, and the quotes last for days. Whatever your speaker says will be written down, shared and, if it is mistranslated, corrected by someone on social media before lunch. No pressure, then.

If you are hosting international speakers or journalists in Milan, here is how interpreting works for press events, and what you can do to make it run smoothly.

Which mode works best?

It depends on who needs to listen, and how many of them there are.

• Consecutive interpreting is the classic choice. The speaker talks for a few minutes, pauses, and I deliver the message to the room. It is precise, it lets every sentence land, and it needs very little equipment. I usually sit next to the speaker, or to the side if they have a microphone that lets me hear them clearly.
• Whispered interpreting is the perfect partner for the Q&A. When a journalist asks a question from the audience, I whisper it to the speaker on the panel in real time, so they can start thinking about the answer straight away. That is exactly the setup in the photo on my homepage, from a press conference at Palazzo Reale.
• Simultaneous interpreting makes sense when a large room of journalists needs to follow in real time, or when the event is livestreamed. It means a team of interpreters, booths or a portable system, and a technician. I explain the trade-offs in simultaneous vs. consecutive interpreting for your Milan event.

The Q&A is where it gets interesting

The prepared statement is the easy part. The questions are the real test: they come from the room, in any order, sometimes in two languages, and often with a microphone that works only half of the time.

A few small things make a big difference. Ask the moderator to take one question at a time, to repeat it into the microphone when needed, and to make sure I can hear every speaker clearly. If I cannot hear it, I cannot interpret it, and nobody wants a guessed answer on the record.

How to prepare

You do not need a thick folder. A few things sent in advance are enough:

• The press release or the speakers’ prepared statements (embargoed material stays confidential, of course)
• Names, titles and company names, ideally with pronunciation if they are tricky
• Key figures, dates and product names
• The topics you expect journalists to ask about
• The running order, so I know who speaks when

A short chat with the main speaker beforehand is even better. Interpreters work best when they understand not only what will be said, but why.

Allow some extra time

Consecutive interpreting almost doubles the time of any spoken content. A 20-minute statement becomes 40 minutes, and the Q&A stretches too. It is easy to plan for, as long as you plan for it: shorter statements, fewer speakers, or a slightly longer slot.

Recorded or livestreamed?

Tell me upfront if the press conference will be recorded, streamed or broadcast. It changes the setup, and it changes the quote: you can read why in how much a conference interpreter costs in Milan. If the event goes out on television, have a look at my page on TV and broadcast interpreting.

Planning a press conference in Milan?

Send me the date, the venue, the speakers’ languages and roughly how many journalists you expect. I will suggest the right setup and send you a clear, itemised quote, with no buried faff. You can also see what each mode involves on my services page.