NON-PROFIT STEPS INTO THE WORLDWIDE CONVERSATION
The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) is a leading voice on girls-only educational institutions. Their annual conference has evolved into an international forum on the topic. Experts and advocates from all over the world come to participate in the conversation they’ve begun. As a result, more diverse voices bring the promise of further innovation and a wider reach. This has posed some practical challenges to our events team.
THE PROBLEM
In 2016, the NCGS annual conference went from national to global. As international interest in the discussions grew, the national coalition found themselves organizing a global forum. With a global presence rose a new challenge: how to overcome the language barriers. “We wanted to walk the walk,” said Jen Shakeshaft, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Professional Development at NCGS. “If we’re going to have an international conversation, we need to make sure that everyone can participate, even if all of the conference programming is in English.” The NCGS needed to find a way to provide access to all of their attendees, and maintain their tight budget and timeline.
THE SOLUTION
The NCGS decided to partner with LTC Language Solutions for their conference interpretation solutions. One of the key factors in the decision was LTC’s partnership with Interactio. Interactio utilizes an app for a remote, simultaneous interpretation experience. Full audio and video is streamed to the interpreters. This allows them to work from any location. Budgets are now safe; saving time, money for travel expenses, and more. Ultimately, equipment needs are largely scaled down. Headsets, transmitters and receivers are no longer needed. Not only that, but the NCGS was able to integrate the application into their own mobile app. Everything solved with a simple and seamless solution. “We’ve sold our delegates on the fact that anything you’re going to need for the conference is going to be right there on your device,” explains Shakeshaft. “We want to make things as easy as possible for our attendees.”
THE RESULTS
The 2018 NCGS annual conference went off without a hitch. Due to the events team having so much to manage, they were glad to have one thing off their plates. After a quick needs analysis and introductions to various teams, LTC took it from there. The AV team had to ensure the infrastructure was in place for the system to run smoothly. “I really felt like LTC’s solution was turnkey. There’s a process and as long as you respond with the information they need, they really take the ball and run with it.” Most importantly, the NCGS has now set the stage for a more inclusive event in the future. As word spreads that their event caters to foreign speakers, they hope that new and diverse voices will join in on the conversations happening at the conference each year.
