Peter Komornik, CEO of sli.do shares his advice on language barriers and communication at events.
With ever improving transport links and airfare dropping thanks to the ‘no-frills’ airlines developing their business travel offerings, it’s no surprise that the number of delegates traveling internationally to conferences is increasing.
In the UK, for example, record numbers of international delegates visited Britain in June this year bringing a new set of issues in terms of language barriers. English remains the most widely used language in the world in both business and social circles, but it isn’t right to assume that all delegates will be fluent enough to fully engage and interact with conference content in the same way that a native speaker would.
We’ve pulled together a few of the effective tactics we’ve seen conferences use recently to help start breaking down the language barrier:
Make interaction simple
If 82 per cent of delegates are failing to engage with conference content, as revealed by MEDIAMaker, we can imagine how difficult it must be for delegates that don’t have a firm grasp on the language the content is being delivered in. Providing a tool for these attendees to ask questions anonymously may boost their level of interaction by helping avoid embarrassment if they are unsure how to phrase their query.
If time and budget will allow, offering a multi-lingual version of this tool could also go a long way towards improving the whole experience for your international delegates.
Offer pre-event content downloads
The ideal would be to offer content in a range of languages. This isn’t always going to be possible of course, so it can be useful to offer content downloads ahead of the event to international delegates. This will give them time to understand what is being discussed and maybe stimulate a higher level of interaction and engagement.
You could even look at getting your international audience to send in their questions ahead of the event. This will allow them to take the time to think about what they want to ask and will also provide a bank of back-up questions in case no one raises their hand on the day!
Make sure your panels reflect your audience
If you’re expecting delegates from the four corners of the globe, you could look at mixing up the nationalities on your panels too. Delegates are more likely to feel represented if they are listening to someone that understands the key concerns of their own region.
The increasing number of international delegates at events is great news – it shows that the industry is healthy and that there’s still a thirst for live experiences. This should be embraced with open arms and the tips above should help you make all attendees feel comfortable and welcome, no matter where they’ve travelled from.
Any comments? Email Annie Byrne
