Interpreters: Bridging the Language Gap

Almost all American show organizers want more international participation at their shows.

Sure, there are problems with visas but, with the weakening of the dollar, it becomes easier and more profitable to draw attendees from other countries.

However, there are challenges. What about the logistics of having a show where exhibitors and other attendees primarily speak English, but want to make deals with attendees from overseas?

Las Vegas, the largest tradeshow and convention market in the United States, is a busy one for interpreters and translators who are called in to negotiate deals, work in booths, interpret conference and educational sessions and translate documents.

"Las Vegas is a very international place and has a lot of shows," said Eva Meszaros, a Spanish-language interpreter who also translates documents.

She's been hired to work at some of the largest in the city, including Intl. CES, ranked No. 1 on the 2008 Tradeshow Week 200.

"It's getting better," said Edwin Canizalez, a consultant for Las Vegas Interpreters Connection, referring to the volume of work available in the city. "As the new hotels are being erected ... we're seeing more and more a bigger need for the type of work we do."

There are a wide range of foreign language services required by visitors to town.

"They're hired by companies that are participating in shows or putting on shows," said Jay Herzog, senior account representative at American Language Services, which works around the world and with all languages. The services can range from one-on-one to interpreting conference sessions for 2,000 people.

With the larger groups — for conferences and educational sessions — Herzog and Canizalez said the interpreters conduct proceedings much like those at the United Nations. Audience members wear headsets that receive whatever is being said in their native languages, Herzog added.

Interpreters from Las Vegas Interpreters Connection "for the most part ... do conference interprets," Canizalez said.

But, Las Vegas Interpreters Connection officials and Meszaros said they also do one-on-one and small group meetings and negotiate deals.

"I've worked in the booth and showed the product," Meszaros added.

One of the more interesting situations Meszaros has found herself in was the negotiation of a deal during which the two parties started arguing.

One man said a rude phrase during the negotiations, and "I told him, 'I can't say that. Let me try to smooth (the situation), ... do something with a bit of honey,'" she added.

Meszaros reacted in that way because of the information she had about her clients' meetings beforehand.

"Before they hire me, I always try to get what the scenario is and what they're trying to accomplish," she said. "It's not an easy job, I can tell you that."

Meszaros interprets several different Spanish dialects, which she said is easier because she's traveled to many different Spanish-speaking countries.

"Everyone has their own way," she added. "I know the mentality (behind the literal translation), and that's the most important thing. ... I translate exactly, giving the sense to what they're talking about."

Canizalez said he used to interpret, but now he mostly does training for interpreters. One of the difficulties he's seen is that when interpreters are helping clients negotiate deals, clients speak to the interpreter, not each other. "While interpreting has been around for a long time, people are still learning how to use interpreters properly," Canizalez said. When used in the correct way, he added, the interaction between the two parties should be almost seamless, as if the interpreter wasn't there.

All three mentioned that in the past, Spanish was one of the most highly demanded languages for interpreters in Las Vegas.

But, "it's probably decreased and some of the Asian languages are more prevalent now," Herzog said.

Canizalez also mentioned Japanese, Russian and Armenian as popular requests for interpreters.

"Mostly it's been Japanese," he said of Las Vegas Interpreters Connection's inquiries.

With so many languages to consider, it obviously comes in handy to have these interpreters in Las Vegas when an event like the Natl. Assn. of Broadcasters' NAB, held April 14–17 with 28,310 international attendees — a record high — comes into town.

But it's not as simple as just standing between two people and repeating what's being said.

Canizalez said Las Vegas Interpreters Connection, headed by President Miriam Jiminez, prefers interpreters who are certified through the Natl. Center for State Courts' Interpreter Consortium Certification Program, which offers certification in Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean, among others.

For other languages, Lionbridge, a company with outsourcing services for language, content and technology, has a testing process, Canizalez said.

He added that one of the most difficult challenges for interpreters is having access to continuing education tools and training nationwide.

"It's more on the individual interpreter to improve his or her skills everyday," Canizalez said.

Another challenge is arriving on a scene in which a client has simply not hired enough interpreters, Meszaros said.

Once, she said she was hired to interpret for 16 people from Spain and eight from the U.S. during a business meeting.

"For a big group like that, they should hire two or three people," Meszaros added. Four to six people is the maximum number one interpreter can handle, she said.

Canizalez said in the past six years, more new people are entering the interpreting field.

That could be an interesting development for those at tradeshows that need not only interpretation services, but also a grasp of what isn't literally being said.

"The new generation of interpreters tends to be more bilingual, but also more bicultural," Canizalez added.