Delivering an event in the native language of your audience

Are things getting lost in translation? If you’ve got an international audience at your next event, consider communicating in their native language to improve the overall experience. 

Why not create an environment that engages your audience by speaking to them in the voice they understand best? To make things easier, if you set up your event with Ensemble, you can deliver it in a multilingual format or translate your content for a new audience. 

The benefits of delivering an experience in the native language 

Before you decide whether to translate your event, think about your audience. What is the percentage of native English speakers? Are most of your audience Dutch or Italian? 

If there are a large proportion of guests that are not native, offering your content in another language could improve their experience. Even if most of your participants speak English, they’ll get so much more from the event if it’s available in a language they are most familiar with. 

Simple touches like translating your pre-event communications, ticketing information or brochures will allow you to expand your audience or connect better with those who don’t speak the primary language of the event. Guests who fully understand how to participate will have a more positive impact on the event too. 

If you can offer multilingual resources, you engage an international audience. This is especially helpful if you need to make sales or attract new clients. Limiting your language may alienate potential customers or cause a lack of confidence in your brand. On the other hand, multiple languages can instantly increase your customer base and improve your overall ROI. 

Your audience will instantly feel more comfortable when being spoken to in their native language. Plus, there will be no danger of misinterpretation, so you’ll be able to impress guests with a high-quality event and an all round positive experience. 

Using Ensemble to deliver an event in the native language

Ensemble makes it simpler than ever to reach an international audience. Or even just to create an event in your own native language, if you’re based outside of the UK or Netherlands. 

When you set up an event with Ensemble, you can add multiple translations of your content, depending on the languages of your participants. Guests are then given a choice of language when they register, to make sure that they get the most from the event. 

Ensemble lets you communicate with participants in their native language at all times. There’s no need to worry about language barriers and miscommunication! Invitations and pre-event communications can be sent in the participants’ preferred language so that they are fully prepared. Then, on the day they can access translated schedules, pages, maps and agenda item descriptions. And after the event, you can even send out surveys in the participants’ native languages, so that they can express their feedback with ease. 

If you need to reproduce an event abroad or for an international audience, you can translate the whole thing with Ensemble. Simply add your content to the app in a second or third language to produce a multilingual event. 

How to create a successful multilingual event

No, it’s not as simple as sticking everything into Google translate! To create an event that speaks to your audience in their native language, you’ll need to use native interpreters and local knowledge. Find a trusted interpreter to create content for your event and ensure that you engage with visitors. 

If you’re hosting an event abroad, it helps to get to know the culture and traditions of the place. This will allow you to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for your guests and avoid any embarrassing moments. 

It’s important that your messages are delivered genuinely and that guests can relate to what you are saying. Find an interpreter that understands the motivation behind your event. Don’t forget to make sure that your written translations are accurate too – there’s nothing more distracting than a poor translation that turns a serious subject into a comedy sketch! 

Consider both the experience and the language of your event. Have multilingual staff available to welcome guests and answer any queries so that everyone is looked after. This will help your guests to feel comfortable and at ease from the moment they arrive. 

You should also accommodate for different levels of language proficiency. Think about using universal pictures, charts and diagrams to help with communication throughout the event if you know that written communications are going to be difficult. You can create visual signage for toilets and directions to make the overall experience better!