How does AI interpretation work in a conference hall?

The speech goes from the mixing desk to the laptop running the PONTAVOX Studio. PONTAVOX interprets continuously into each chosen language and puts each one on its own channel of the equipment. Guests listen on receivers with headphones, about five seconds behind the original.

What should go into the glossary for an event?

The programme, the speaker list, names, abbreviations and technical terms. You can also send documents such as slides or a manuscript in advance. Every event has its own glossary.

What happens if the AI interpretation fails?

PONTAVOX notices the silence, rebuilds the language and catches up on the missed audio. If that fails, a second path takes over for that language. The technician sees every language in the Studio, with its level and distance to the speech.

Who operates PONTAVOX during the event?

A technician at the desk, for the whole event. At the Eventforum Bern this is the Eventforum’s technician. Under a licence, your venue, your AV company or you yourself take on this role.

Do we get a report after the event?

Yes, if you wish, as a report with the figures for each language. You can mention this in your first enquiry.

How do guests choose their language on the receiver?

They switch the receiver on, select the channel for their language and set the volume. If the channel is quiet, someone on stage is speaking that language and guests hear the room.

Do you come to us with equipment and a technician?

No. Outside the Eventforum Bern you license PONTAVOX for the duration of the event, and your venue, your AV company or you run it on site. Terms, set-up and support are agreed in a conversation.

How AI interpretation works in the hall

Two ways: at the Eventforum Bern or under licence

There are two ways to use PONTAVOX. Which one fits depends on where your event takes place and who provides the equipment. The steps below apply to both, and where they differ, this is noted. For events in Bern, the way in is a booking at the Eventforum Bern.

At the Eventforum BernHall, equipment, technician and interpretation from one source, with a quote within 12 hours. In Bern, PONTAVOX is only available at the Eventforum.
Under licence in your own hallOutside the Eventforum you license PONTAVOX for the duration of the event. Your venue, your AV company or you yourself run it on site with your own equipment. We do not travel with equipment and a technician.

Six steps from enquiry to report

The steps are the same for every event, whether a symposium or a general meeting.

1. EnquiryYou tell us the date, the hall, the languages and roughly how many guests. At the Eventforum Bern a quote follows within 12 hours; for a licence, a conversation about terms, set-up and support.
2. Glossary and documentsThe programme, speaker list, names, abbreviations and technical terms go into the glossary beforehand. You can also send slides or a manuscript in advance.
3. TrialAt the Eventforum Bern you can book a trial in the hall. For languages other than German, French, English and Italian we run a trial first.
4. The eventThe speech comes from the mixing desk, PONTAVOX interprets, and a technician looks after every language at the desk.
5. Failover watchThroughout the event PONTAVOX watches every language and rebuilds it if it goes quiet while someone is speaking.
6. ReportAfter the event you receive, if you wish, a report with the figures for each language.

Glossary, documents and trial

Every event has its own glossary. It holds the programme, the speaker list, names, abbreviations and the technical terms of your field. That way PONTAVOX knows the vocabulary of your event before the first speech begins.

You can send documents such as slides or a manuscript in advance. At the Eventforum Bern you can book a trial in the hall. For languages other than German, French, English and Italian we run a trial beforehand. Outside the Eventforum, trial and set-up are agreed in the conversation. Which languages are possible, and which have been measured, is on the Languages page.

How AI interpretation works during the event

The speaker talks into the lectern or headset microphone as usual. The mixing desk passes the sound to the laptop running the PONTAVOX Studio, clean and without room echo. PONTAVOX interprets continuously into each chosen language and gives each one its own output. From there the language goes to a channel on the equipment, and guests listen on receivers with headphones. How PONTAVOX connects to radio, infrared or loudspeakers is explained under Equipment and connection.

PONTAVOX starts before the end of a sentence and waits when the speaker hesitates. With fluent speech the interpretation runs four to five seconds behind the original, with hesitant speech and on panels five to six. Each language speaks with one fixed voice, female or male, from the first sentence to the last. When someone on stage speaks a channel’s language, that channel goes quiet and guests hear the room. A panel works if everyone has their own microphone and speaks one at a time.

In the Studio the technician sees each language with its output, level and distance to the speech. What AI interpretation can do and where its limits lie is set out under AI interpreter. To hear the result, play the samples.

Failover watch: what happens when a language stalls

The failover watch follows every language for the whole event and acts in stages. Before every new version, PONTAVOX passes more than 250 automated checks.

Detecting silenceIf a language goes quiet while someone is speaking on stage, PONTAVOX notices.
Rebuilding and catching upPONTAVOX rebuilds the language and catches up on the missed audio.
A second path per languageIf that fails, a second path takes over for that language.
Renewal in a pauseAt long events PONTAVOX renews its connections during a pause in the speech.
Restart after a crashAfter a crash, PONTAVOX restarts.
A technician at the deskThey see every language with its output, level and distance to the speech.

Report and data protection

After the event you receive, if you wish, a report with the figures for each language.

During the event the speech is sent encrypted to a specialised speech service that listens, translates and speaks. Which service it is, where it operates and what it keeps for how long is set out in our data protection sheet. You can have it on request before the quote; just use the form below. The contract is made in Switzerland, in Swiss francs.

For negotiations and confidential content, an interpreting team is the better choice. PONTAVOX is not meant for classified content.

How to listen: a guide for your guests

You can pass this short guide on to your guests, for example with the invitation or when the receivers are handed out. More on receivers and headphones for groups is on the page Translation headsets.

Take a receiverYou receive a receiver with headphones at the entrance.
Switch onSwitch the receiver on and put on the headphones.
Choose the channelSelect the channel for your language. You will be told which number belongs to which language when you collect the receiver.
VolumeSet the volume on the receiver.
Silence is normalWhen someone on stage speaks the language of your channel, the channel goes quiet. You then hear the room.
A short delayThe interpretation runs about five seconds behind the speaker.

How it works: from enquiry to post-event report