When people picture simultaneous interpreting, they usually imagine two professionals sitting in a booth, translating in real time. At large multilingual conferences, though, the reality is more complex: interpreting is teamwork. When an event runs in more than two working languages — English, Spanish, Italian, French and others — a key figure comes into play: the chief interpreter, often referred to by the French term chef d’équipe.
If you’re organizing an international conference and wondering how to hire an interpreter team that actually works as one, this role is what makes the difference between a smooth event and a chaotic one.
What Does a Chief Interpreter Do?
The chief interpreter acts as the main point of contact between the interpreting team and the client. It isn’t a rigid hierarchical position, but rather a professional who coordinates, facilitates, and makes sure the language service fits seamlessly into the overall organization of the event.
Best practices recognized by professional associations such as AITI and AIIC show that interpreting quality depends not only on individual skill, but also on careful preparation and smooth communication among everyone involved — organizers, technicians, speakers, and interpreters.
Before the Event: Preparation and Coordination
The chief interpreter’s work starts long before the conference itself. Typical responsibilities include:
- building the interpreting team, selecting the professionals best suited to the specific assignment;
- acting as the liaison between the client and the interpreters for gathering materials and background information;
- making sure the team receives the programme, presentations, and any relevant documentation in advance;
- requesting clarifications on content, speakers, working languages, and logistics.
This preparation phase is exactly why organizations that hire an interpreter for conferences benefit from involving a chief interpreter from the very first planning stages, rather than only on the day of the event.
During the Event: The Team’s Point of Reference
On the day of the conference, the chief interpreter becomes the reference point for:
- the event organizers,
- the audio-visual technicians,
- the speakers, whenever clarifications are needed,
- the colleagues working in the booths.
The chief interpreter checks that working conditions meet professional standards and makes sure any last-minute updates reach the whole team quickly.
International conferences rarely go exactly as planned. Common unexpected situations include:
- speakers switching languages without warning,
- changes to the programme,
- unannounced video clips,
- technical issues,
- urgent requests for terminology clarification.
In these moments, the chief interpreter steps in with diplomacy and speed, facilitating communication between all parties and helping the interpreting service maintain a consistently high standard.
A Role That Protects Both Quality and the Client
In large multilingual events, having a chief interpreter gives the client:
- a single point of contact for the entire interpreting service,
- linguistic consistency across booths,
- smoother overall communication,
- structured handling of any critical issues.
It’s a discreet but strategic role, especially when the number of working languages grows and the programme becomes more complex — exactly the kind of setting where conference interpreting shows its full value.
My Experience as a Conference Interpreter
As a professional conference interpreter working with English, Spanish, and Italian, I regularly support international conferences and multilingual events, both as an interpreter in the booth and as a chief interpreter coordinating larger interpreting teams. Whether you need an English-Spanish interpreter, an Italian-Spanish interpreter, or an English-Italian interpreter, I bring both linguistic precision and an overview of how the whole language service fits into your event.
Are You Organizing a Multilingual Conference?
Are you planning an international conference or event with several working languages?
I provide professional interpreting services in English, Spanish, and Italian, including simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, and I can also coordinate an interpreting team as chief interpreter to make sure everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
Feel free to contact me to discuss your project.