on site and liaison interpreting for meetings and visits
On-site and liaison interpreting for meetings and visits
On-site and liaison interpreting provides direct language support wherever people meet in person and do not share a common working language. Instead of interpreting from a booth or through a remote platform, the interpreter is physically present with the participants and works in short segments of speech. The interpreter listens to one party, pauses the conversation at suitable points and then renders what has been said into the other party's language. This makes it possible for participants to conduct negotiations, inspections, briefings and visits in a way that feels conversational and interactive while still maintaining accuracy and clarity across languages.
The approach is especially suited to smaller groups, typically ranging from two individuals to a handful of participants on each side. Because everyone shares the same space, they can see each other's facial expressions, gestures and reactions, and the interpreter can take these non-verbal cues into account when choosing terminology and register. In contrast to large conference settings, where long speeches are common, on-site liaison work supports a back and forth exchange of questions, answers and comments. This structure helps build trust, clarify expectations and avoid misunderstandings in situations where decisions, contracts or safety issues are at stake.
What on-site and liaison interpreting involves
On-site and liaison interpreting is generally delivered in a consecutive mode, meaning that each speaker talks for a short period and then pauses to allow the interpreter to reproduce the message in the other language. For very small groups or one-to-one meetings, the interpreter may use whispered interpreting, speaking softly into the listener's ear while the conversation continues at a natural pace. The working style chosen depends on the acoustic conditions, the sensitivity of the meeting and the preferences of the participants. In all cases, the interpreter's objective is to convey meaning, tone and intent faithfully without summarizing or adding their own opinions.
Prior to an assignment, the interpreter prepares by reviewing any information the client can provide, such as agendas, presentation slides, company profiles or technical documentation. This preparation allows them to become familiar with terminology, acronyms and names that are likely to appear in the conversation. During the meeting, the interpreter may take notes to help retain figures, dates and complex sequences while each party is speaking. After the assignment, the interpreter does not keep these notes for record-keeping purposes; they are normally destroyed to protect confidentiality and ensure that sensitive information does not leave the meeting room.
Typical use cases for on-site and liaison interpreting
Many companies rely on on-site and liaison interpreting during business negotiations with partners, suppliers and clients from other language backgrounds. It is common in contract discussions, pricing talks, due diligence meetings and strategic workshops where both sides need to ask detailed questions. The presence of an interpreter enables decision makers to express themselves in their strongest language without reducing the precision of what is being communicated. This can be particularly important when the discussion involves financial commitments, risk sharing or long term obligations.
Beyond negotiations, liaison interpreters often support factory tours, technical inspections, training sessions and quality audits. Engineers visiting a production site, for example, may need to understand process steps, maintenance routines and safety procedures that local staff explain in another language. The interpreter accompanies the group through production lines, warehouses or laboratories and interprets explanations, questions and instructions as the visit progresses. Public institutions also use on-site interpreting for delegations, twinning projects and official visits where representatives exchange experience on policy, education or urban development.
Working with interpreters before, during and after meetings
Effective on-site interpreting begins well before participants sit down at the table. Organizers can help by sharing clear objectives for the meeting, a schedule or agenda and short descriptions of who will attend and what roles they occupy. Providing written material, such as reports or presentations, allows the interpreter to identify key terms and names in advance rather than encountering them without context. Clarifying whether the meeting is exploratory, operational or centered on formal decision making helps the interpreter anticipate the type of language and level of detail that will be needed.
During the meeting, simple communication habits make the interpreter's work more effective. Participants are encouraged to speak at a moderate pace, avoid talking over one another and pause when complex information has been delivered. The interpreter may occasionally ask a speaker to repeat a word, clarify a reference or shorten a segment if the message becomes too long to reproduce accurately. These requests are part of professional practice and are aimed at maintaining precision for all parties, not at changing the content of the discussion. After the meeting, organizers can exchange feedback with the interpreter or the language service provider on what worked well and which aspects could be optimized for future visits.
Environment, equipment and seating arrangements
Although on-site and liaison interpreting usually requires less equipment than conference interpreting, the physical environment still matters. Quiet rooms with good acoustics help the interpreter hear every speaker clearly, which is essential when technical terms or figures are being discussed. If a meeting must take place in an industrial or outdoor environment, it may be necessary to use portable sound systems, tour guide headsets or move to quieter areas for sensitive parts of the conversation. Environmental considerations also include adequate lighting so that all participants can see each other's faces and the interpreter can monitor non-verbal signals.
Seating arrangements can support smooth communication. In small meetings, the interpreter is often placed between the primary speakers or slightly behind one side so they can hear and be heard equally well by both languages. For delegations, a semi-circle or U-shaped table can help everyone maintain eye contact while the interpreter moves their attention between the sides. The aim is to avoid situations where the interpreter is placed far from one group or has to listen through other conversations, which would reduce accuracy and increase fatigue. Clear positioning also signals that the interpreter's role is to facilitate direct communication between the parties rather than becoming a third party in the negotiation.
Ethics, confidentiality and impartiality
Professional interpreters follow codes of ethics that emphasize confidentiality, impartiality and accuracy. Confidentiality means that content discussed during the meeting is not shared with others outside the assignment and that documents are handled with appropriate care. Impartiality requires the interpreter to avoid taking sides, expressing personal views or steering the conversation toward a particular outcome. Accuracy is reflected in the effort to render meaning and tone as faithfully as possible, without omitting important elements or adding statements that were not made by the speakers.
Clients can support these ethical obligations by including interpreters in their standard confidentiality frameworks where appropriate and by explaining any sector-specific requirements in advance. In sensitive areas such as healthcare, finance or public administration, it is common to formalize confidentiality commitments in writing or to align them with internal compliance rules. When all parties understand the interpreter's professional obligations, it becomes easier for participants to speak openly, ask candid questions and share information that is necessary for the meeting's objectives. This, in turn, reinforces the value of on-site interpreting as a tool for building trust across language barriers.
Language combinations and subject matter expertise
Selecting interpreters with the right language combination and subject matter background is an important part of planning on-site and liaison work. A language combination describes which languages the interpreter can work between and in which direction they usually interpret. In many cases, interpreters work into their native language for complex or high-stakes content, although experienced professionals may also interpret reliably into a second language in certain settings. Subject matter expertise ensures that terminology related to law, engineering, medicine, finance or other fields is understood and applied correctly.
For recurring meetings, some organizations choose to work with the same interpreters over time so that they can build familiarity with the client's products, services and internal terminology. This continuity can improve consistency and reduce the amount of explanation needed during each briefing. For one-off assignments or highly specialized topics, agencies may search for interpreters who combine the required language pair with experience in a particular sector. When language and subject matter requirements are carefully matched, on-site and liaison interpreting becomes a precise, reliable and efficient support for multilingual meetings and visits.