The client for this pharmaceutical conference sent all the presentations in advance. The interpreting team travelled out the day before the event and had the travel day upgraded to a full working day as there would be a briefing. There was another briefing in the morning of the following day and another final one at the end of it.
Part of the briefing was not strictly necessary as it covered aspects that interpreters know more about than the client. However, I for one was very happy to spend the extra time being prepared rather than just preparing on my own as nuances were explained, important messages emphasised, and terminology clarified.
The client was also very obliging in arranging internet access for us after we explained that the final presentation we received in the evening of the first day would not be much good as it was very technical if we couldn't prepare for it, which would involve accessing extremely useful and sometimes downright life-saving resources like dict.cc and linguee.com.
I felt very confident and at ease working for this client as I always knew what they said and what they intended to communicate with it. It made my - our - work so much easier. Sure, the client paid extra in terms of the full day instead of just travel and an hour over-time on the first conference day for the added briefing but I would argue that was not a punishment. Rather it was a good investment as their message would have well and truly hit home rather than having us struggle unprepared with the technical niceties of RA, if you know what I mean. ;-)
On top of that, as the meeting ended, everyone of the presenters and delegates received a glass of champagne. And so did the interpreting and technical team. I'm not saying that this should be a requirement but it surely makes me remember this particular client fondly, although extra work was involved.
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The role of an interpreter is rapidly growing within both the medical and the legal fields. Communication remains an important cornerstone within both of these fields. When individuals do not speak the same language or there is a communication barrier, such as hearing loss, the ability to establish effective communication can be compromised. This is where an interpreter or translator can prove to be invaluable. In the medical field, physicians and other health professionals may find it difficult to understand the precise problem a patient is experiencing if there is a communication barrier.
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