I'm working on some final preparations for a multilingual event today and wanted to share some basic considerations you'll need to consider if you are planning a multilingual meeting.

Ask yourself: What will be in writing? These things will (understandably) need to be translated.

• Printed materials: You'll need to finalize your content earlier to allow time for the translators and the graphic designers to make versions for each language. Likely it will be cheaper to do separate materials for each language (rather than putting them all in one booklet), but this will require knowing registration numbers in time. If your event is abroad and you are shipping your materials there, don't forget to allow even more time for getting them through customs.
• Signage on site: Are you providing pathfinding for all languages to all important locations they will need to access?

Ask yourself: Will your attendees be all together for all sessions? Divided by language for all sessions? Some middle ground? One compromise we often see is that attendees are together for keynote sessions and speakers use whatever language they are most comfortable with (or whatever is the dominant language of the conference), but breakout sessions are split up by language.

• When languages are separated: Items like presentation slides, videos, and teleprompter text will need to be translated. You may need to translate materials used just by presenters as well—if, for example, you have trainers presenting the same instructional content in a variety of languages and some of the trainers are not proficient in the meeting's main language.
• When languages are together: Real-time translation is what you need. Each translator will have a booth (a quiet cubicle with an audio feed from the stage). If possible, provide translators with a copy of what will be said in advance so they can begin preparing. You'll also need a special headset for each participant who needs translation. These should come with your translation package, but also require a good idea of registration numbers. If you have presenters in languages other than the conference's main language, consider those presenters' teleprompter/scripting needs and the interpreting needs of the whole conference.

Ask yourself: Do you have plans to get attendees from different languages mixing and sharing? These opportunities can really make a multilingual event experience.

Ask yourself: Are there any meeting follow-up items that might need translation or subtitling? For example, meeting minutes, webcasts, or reports of findings?

What else have you had to deal with as you planned a multilingual event?