Live translation for church conferences, synods and events

What makes events different

Conferences are intense: many sessions in one or two days, several rooms, speakers who change every hour, and attendees who come once and need to understand quickly how things work. Budget is often tight, and the organising team is mostly volunteers. Hiring interpreters and renting equipment for every session is rarely possible, so usually only the main sessions get interpretation, if any.

Live AI translation scales differently. Unlimited listeners per language cost nothing extra; you pay per minute per language while someone is listening. That makes it realistic to translate every main session, not just the opening keynote.

Planning a translated conference

1. 01
   Decide on languages early

   Look at the registration list. Which languages do your attendees need? Switch those on in the church settings. Remember that the event runs from a church account, so the account settings apply to every session.

2. 02
   One broadcast per account

   A church account runs one live broadcast at a time. Translate the main hall with it; if a parallel session also needs translation, set up a separate account for that room with its own feed from the sound desk. Invite your AV crew as team members so each technician can log in.

3. 03
   Put the QR code everywhere

   On the badge, in the programme, on the screen between sessions. Attendees scan it once and keep the page open; it stays connected for the next speaker in that room.

4. 04
   Switch speaker language between sessions

   When the next speaker preaches in another language, the technician changes the speaker language with one tap before they start.

5. 05
   Have a help point

   A volunteer at the info desk who can show people how to scan, choose a language and connect earbuds saves a lot of confusion in the first session.

What attendees experience

Delegates scan the code at the start of the first session, choose their language and listen with their own earbuds. Those who understand the speaker quite well often switch off the audio and read captions instead, or show the original text alongside to check a phrase. People who like to take notes can ask for the transcript by e-mail after the session.

Remind attendees to bring earbuds and a charged phone; put it in the joining instructions. A few spare cheap earbuds at the info desk are a kind gesture.

Wi-Fi and connections

Events stress networks. Hundreds of people on the venue Wi-Fi, all streaming, can be a lot. Listening uses some data per person, so check with the venue whether the Wi-Fi can cope, and remind attendees that mobile data works too. The broadcast itself must have a stable connection; a wired connection for the broadcast laptop is the safest choice.

Panels, Q&A and workshops

Keynotes and sermons translate well because one person speaks clearly into a microphone. Panels with people talking over each other, and Q&A where questions come from the floor without a microphone, are harder. Pass a roving microphone to whoever asks a question, and ask panellists to speak one at a time.

Small workshops and group discussions are where live translation reaches its limits. For a delegates' meeting where decisions are made, for example a synod vote or a contract discussion, consider a professional interpreter. The interpreter or AI comparison sets out the trade-offs.

Costs for an event

Two days with 8 hours of translated sessions in total, into three languages, is 8 × 60 × 3 = 1,440 credits, if every language has listeners all the time. A monthly plan plus an extra credit pack (1,800 credits for €255, never expires) usually covers a conference. Talk to us early if you are planning something larger. See pricing.