FAQ

GENERAL QUESTIONS

• I need to organise an event, but I do not know anything about technical equipment. What should I do?
• Do you also provide services outside Milan?
• I need to rent a simultaneous translation system and video direction system for an event that starts at 9 AM. The room is available at 8 AM. Is one hour ahead enough?
• Is technical support always necessary?
• We are organising a complex event involving a number of suppliers. Can you cooperate with others or do you only work as the sole supplier?
• I asked you for a quotation both for technical equipment and for interpretation services. Do I have to order both or can you provide the rentals only?

SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION

• I have requested a simultaneous translation system for 150 people. Can your technicians distribute the receivers to the participants?
• I am organising a half-day event with 200 participants, but my budget is too small for the simultaneous translation system. What should I do?
• Is an amplification system included in the price?
• The translation booths do not fit in the room. What should we do?
• We are organising a two-hour meeting with 20 participants. Can we use the simplified simultaneous translation system or the system for guided tours?

VIDEOCONFERENCING

• We are organising a videoconference. What do we need to do?
• We would like to organise a videoconference via ISDN. Do we need to go to specially equipped facilities or can it be done at our own office?
• We need to set up a videoconferencing link-up via ISDN in a conference hall with a large screen. Will the image be very grainy?
• We have scheduled a meeting with 2-3 of our top managers. Do you offer a dedicated videoconferencing room?

 

GENERAL QUESTIONS

I need to organise an event, but I do not know anything about technical equipment. What should I do?

If this is the first time you organise an event and you lack experience, let us know immediately. Our staff are ready to help you determine what you need and will ask you for the information we need to provide your the equipment best suited to your event.

Do you also provide services outside Milan?

Of course. Our organisation allows us to reach customers all over Italy and even abroad. We have affiliates in Rome who can provide you services that are guaranteed to meet our standards of quality, and without the transfer costs, which are overly burdensome for small events. One advantage of having us as your partner for your events outside Milan is that, in addition to the peace-of-mind of having a trusted supplier who is familiar with your needs, you may also find that your costs are basically the same or even lower despite the additional expenses. Our customers benefit from rates that are generally highly competitive in Milan, and, when business agreements are in place, we also grant discounts that keep our fees below those of suppliers located in the city where the event is held.

I need to rent a simultaneous translation system and video direction system for an event that starts at 9 AM. The room is available at 8 AM. Is one hour ahead enough?

Absolutely not. One very common mistake is to fail to consider that technical equipment requires several hours of installation time and testing. As a general rule, installation should be scheduled for the afternoon of the day before a morning event. You will need to find out if the room is available for the day before your event, or in the morning, if your event is scheduled in the afternoon (although this also depends on the amount of equipment you have rented).
Do keep in mind that our technicians can work on installation after 7 PM of the day before the event, perhaps allowing you free access to the room or reduced fees. It is of the utmost importance that you inform us when installation is to take place when you make your rental request: costs differ depending on whether we can install the equipment during the normal working hours or we have to put together a team of technicians to install it at night.

Is technical support always necessary?

It depends on the type of service requested. Some types of equipment are so simple that they may be rented with just delivery and testing of the devices, or they may even be simply collected from our offices. There are other types of equipment, however, for which technical support is necessary, both because one of our technical support staff members must be on hand to ensure the proper functioning of the equipment, and because it is required for the type of service requested. Please remember that if you rent equipment without technical support, you will be responsible for any damage or loss. Professional equipment is generally quite expensive.

We are organising a complex event involving a number of suppliers. Can you cooperate with others or do you only work as the sole supplier?

Of course we can work with other suppliers. Direct dialogue between experts is certainly more effective than having a non-professional organiser act as go-between. We usually have no problems working even with half-competitors. If the customer wishes to obtain audio from supplier A, video from supplier B, and translation services from us, we will be glad to cooperate, provided that the equipment is technically compatible.

I asked you for a quotation both for technical equipment and for interpretation services. Do I have to order both or can you provide the rentals only?

Our company is divided into distinct departments that provide equally distinct services. We also provide separate quotations in order to specify clearly the conditions of each service. We never offer all-inclusive "package" deals. This means that you have the freedom to order the rental service only, if you so wish.

 

SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION

I have requested a simultaneous translation system for 150 people. Can your technicians distribute the receivers to the participants?

Absolutely not. Our technical support staff is dedicated to ensure the proper functioning of the translation system, and often of the audio system as well, and have to stay at the direction centre located in the event room. Up until 20 minutes before the event, technicians can help the reception personnel with distributing the equipment, but then they are required in the room. You will have to book Hostesses specifically for this purpose.

I am organising a half-day event with 200 participants, but my budget is too small for the simultaneous translation system. What should I do?

Using two consecutive interpreters for a half-day event is absolutely out of the question because it would double the event length and bore the audience members who understand both languages and would have to listen to everything repeated twice. In this case we recommend that you use an "Oversound" translation system. This system consists of a simultaneous translation system with traditional receivers only for the foreign speakers, while the Italian audience members may listen to the voice of the interpreters directly over the room's amplification system. Translation is simultaneous and the saving on the equipment for 200 people is in the order of 75%. The "Oversound" system has a fixed cost that does not depend on the number of participants, meaning that the more participants there are, the greater the saving. This system cannot be used when foreign participants are up on stage, since they would only hear Italian from the sound system and would not have the receivers, which are only given to the event speakers (up to a maximum of 10).

Is an amplification system included in the price?

No, it is not included in the cost of the simultaneous translation equipment. The estimate has a section dedicated to audio. Costs are provided separately on request.

The translation booths do not fit in the room. What should we do?

You should enquire whether an adjoining room is available (even a small one). We can connect the interpreters' booth to a CCTV system to allow them to see what is happening in the event room on a monitor (interpreters do not like to work "blind").

We are organising a two-hour meeting with 20 participants. Can we use the simplified simultaneous translation system or the system for guided tours?

Of course. This system is best suited for short meetings with a few people in small rooms. In this case, the interpreter is equipped with a radio microphone broadcasting on the same frequency as the receivers that are distributed to the participants. Instead of sitting next to one or more of the participants, the interpreter sits next to the speaker and translates simultaneously without using headphones. The interpreter's voice is transmitted to the participants using the receivers that have been given to them. Booths, audio systems, and technical support staff are not required. All of the equipment is contained in a case a little larger than a standard briefcase.

 

VIDEOCONFERENCING

We are organising a videoconference. What do we need to do?

First of all, you need to know the type of communication that you intend to use: ISDN or Internet protocol. Videoconferences on IP protocol have now reached excellent levels of stability and security.The IP protocol has now almost completely replaced what until recently was considered to be the most secure and stable system: ISDN lines. These are today used only in certain areas of the world where broadband has not yet been implemented. Unlike ISDN, the IP protocol has no installation costs.

We would like to organise a videoconference via ISDN. Do we need to go to specially equipped facilities or can it be done at our own office?

You just need ISDN lines or a broadband Internet connection (at least 512Kps guaranteed for upload). Our technicians will come to your premises, install our equipment in your meeting room, and connect it to your audio/video system. A similar set-up is obviously required in the remote room as well.

We need to set up a videoconferencing link-up via ISDN in a conference hall with a large screen. Will the image be very grainy?

Absolutely not. Image quality is the same whether the image is projected on a 42" plasma TV set or on a large screen with a 5-metre base. The signal generated by the CODEC is a graphic signal, i.e. a video composite that may be sent to a normal video projector or projected onto any screen without compromising quality.

We have scheduled a meeting with 2-3 of our top managers. Do you offer a dedicated videoconferencing room?

Our facilities include a videoconferencing room that can host up to 5 participants in a relaxed, anonymous setting only 5 minutes from the Piazza Duomo underground train station.