Interpret the Future help to make the Social Business Forum, Milan 2012 a great success

Interpret the Future at the Social Business Forum, Marriott Hotel,
Milan, June 2012. From left to right: Loredana Nano, Ian Mansbridge,
Isabelle Handley-Allen, Lara Warburton, Bruno Musarra,
Robert Dennis and Alice Bertinotti. Photo: Karin Vettorel

Our interpreters recently collaborated with social business consultancy OpenKnowledge to provide simultaneous English-Italian and Italian-English translation at the Social Business Forum in Milan, Italy.

The Social Business Forum is the leading European event on employee empowerment, customer engagement and collaborative innovation. With over 5 years of international experience and expertise it has attracted over 3600 participants and 150+ speakers. Attendees can meet international practitioners, globally recognized thought-leaders and experts. You can also connect with a network of vendors, managers and consultants to build long term relationships that will help your business.

Held at the prestigious Marriott Hotel in Milan over two days (4-5 June), the Social Business Forum provided a challenging and stimulating environment in which our team of interpreters had to deal with some very tricky subject-matter as well as provide interpreting services in a range of settings (plenary sessions as well as smaller presentations and discussions, which included question and answer sessions).

To prepare for the Social Business Forum, the Interpret the Future team utilised a number of online resources, including an extensive vocabulary list which they compiled via a Google spreadsheet and worked on collaboratively. They also used Google docs to co-ordinate with OpenKnowledge in organising and scheduling pairs of interpreters for each session of the Forum.

Ian and Bruno in action at the Social Business Forum
Photo: Karin Vettorel 

A closed Facebook group was used to manage day-to-day communications and to act as a focus for the team where information, advice and mutual support could be accessed, provided and shared. The interpreters practised for the actual event by using videos of last year's forum posted on the Vimeo social video site.

Led by social business and communications consultant Robert Dennis the team gained valuable experience of working under pressure to deliver a truly first-rate service throughout the Forum. Feedback on Interpret the Future has been very positive and the team have been encouraged by the comments and support they have received.

Valeria Pensabene of OpenKnowledge, who was responsible for logistic organisation, planning and operations for the Social Business Forum helped co-ordinate the efforts of the Interpret the Future team. We are grateful for the invaluable support and encouragement Valeria provided throughout the project.

Click here to read more about the Social Business Forum on the Milan English blog:
How to "Interpret the Future": understanding Social Business in English and Italian this June