The challenge of matchmaking at a multilingual event
An event that draws attendees from several language backgrounds has to solve a problem before even thinking about conference content: how to match two people who don’t share a common language, without excluding them from an otherwise relevant business meeting.
Ignoring this challenge often leads to matches that look excellent on paper, based on declared sector and objectives, but that fail in practice for lack of a clear way to communicate during the meeting.
This problem shows up especially at events bringing together international delegations, where two perfectly compatible companies on business terms can see their meeting fail simply because no common language allows the discussion to go beyond basic introductions.
Structuring multilingual profiles without losing nuance
The first step is to let attendees fill out their profile in their preferred language, while making sure a faithful translation is available for organizers and future meeting partners.
A well-structured profile for this context should include:
the working language or languages the attendee is fluent in
a preferred language for exchanges during B2B meetings
an automatic or human translation of the company description
an indication of whether an interpreter would be needed for certain meetings
Human translation remains preferable for company descriptions, where nuance matters, while automatic translation may be enough for more factual fields like sector of activity or organization size.
A platform used in more than 140 countries, as mentioned by the team behind B2B/2GO , necessarily has to deal with this multilingual reality on a daily basis, which shows that profile translation isn’t a marginal issue but an essential component of any internationally oriented event.
Planning live translation for conferences
Beyond profiles, the program itself poses a similar challenge. A talk delivered in only one language automatically excludes part of a multilingual event’s audience, even if the topic interests them directly.
AI-powered simultaneous translation solutions, like those offered by Maestra , now let attendees follow a talk in their preferred language simply by scanning a QR code, without setting up traditional interpretation booths.
The table below summarizes common options for making a multilingual event accessible to all attendees.
Element to translate
Automatic option
Human option
Attendee profile
Fast automatic translation
Human review for nuance
Main conferences
Live AI-generated subtitles
Traditional simultaneous interpretation
Individual B2B meetings
Mobile translation app
Dedicated interpreter on request
Presentation materials
Automatic translation
Professional translation
Adapting service to attendees by language
A successful multilingual event doesn’t stop at translating content; it also extends to the service offered to attendees before and during the event. Reminder communications sent in each attendee’s preferred language, rather than a single default language, noticeably improve attendance at planned meetings.
The custom support offered to organizers can include this kind of adaptation, particularly for automated communications sent before the event.
Making your next multilingual event a success
A multilingual event delivers on its promise of international networking when translation of attendee profiles, conferences and communications is planned from the event’s design stage, rather than added at the last minute. This attention to language turns potentially frustrating meetings into genuine business opportunities, regardless of each attendee’s native language.
Organizers planning an in-person or hybrid event bringing together several language communities can explore how to structure this kind of matchmaking as early as the registration stage.
Frequently asked questions
How can a multilingual event be organized without hurting matchmaking quality?
Organizing a multilingual event without hurting matchmaking quality requires collecting each attendee’s working languages at registration and faithfully translating the profiles used for matchmaking. Adding a preferred language for B2B meetings to the profile also helps avoid matches where communication becomes an obstacle.
Is a human interpreter needed for every meeting at a multilingual event?
Not necessarily. A human interpreter remains preferable for complex negotiations or sensitive matters, but mobile translation apps are often enough for shorter B2B meetings. The key is to offer the option to attendees who need it rather than imposing it on everyone, which helps control costs while still covering cases where nuance is essential.
How can conferences at a multilingual event be translated without installing interpretation booths?
AI-powered simultaneous translation solutions let attendees follow a conference in their preferred language directly on their phone, often by scanning a simple QR code. This approach removes the need to install traditional interpretation booths, particularly for events with multiple rooms, where physical booths quickly become expensive to multiply.
