Steering Committee Interpreting: Simultaneous at Central Retail Vietnam

Author: Khang Nguyen

Khang Nguyen AKT - English Vietnamese Lead interpreter, 25 years in 5000 events 

Steering committee interpreting works best in simultaneous mode when the meeting runs long and the decision-making session needs every minute. At the 6th Steering Committee Meeting of Central Retail Vietnam's Livelihood for Communities project, AKT Translation delivered English–Vietnamese simultaneous interpreting for the entire programme at the group's Ho Chi Minh City office.

The story · What it covered · Simultaneous or consecutive · Terminology · FAQs

Every point said twice: a booth story from a Steering Committee meeting

A two-hour meeting interpreted consecutively means every point is made twice. For a Steering Committee made up of senior executives, what is that time worth?

That was the question I asked before the 6th Steering Committee Meeting of the Livelihood for Communities project, the initiative Central Retail Vietnam – the group behind GO!, Tops Market and Nguyen Kim – has run since 2017 to support farming households in rural Vietnam. Around the table at the group's Ho Chi Minh City office were the Group CEO, a member of the founding family, the Chief Commercial Officer and the Chairwoman of the Vietnam Retailers Association.

The usual format was a bilingual MC, with each report summarised by an interpreter afterwards. AKT Translation proposed simultaneous interpreting for the entire programme, a first for this type of meeting, so the time saved could go where it mattered most: the Committee's review of new project proposals and its decisions. My colleague Thinh and I worked the booth from the opening remarks to the final action plan.

One memorable moment: a senior group leader took the floor in Vietnamese, and the booth switched to Vietnamese–English from the very first sentence. Nobody in the room had to wait.

From Nestlé Vietnam's town hall to board meetings, we start with the same question: what does this meeting need to save? The interpreting format should follow the rhythm of the meeting, not habit. Thanks to the organisers for trying something new.

How does your leadership team run its multilingual meetings? If a steering committee or board meeting with international members is coming up, send us the agenda and we will advise on simultaneous or consecutive.

What the Steering Committee covered and where interpreting gets hard

According to Central Retail Vietnam, the Livelihood for Communities programme was established in November 2017 to bring produce from low-income farming households in rural and remote areas onto the shelves of the group's retail network. The 6th meeting, held at Central Retail Vietnam's office in Ho Chi Minh City, reviewed the project charter, in-store marketing support and six new project proposals. For an interpreter at Central Retail Vietnam's office, the hard parts were the charter language, which must be rendered as precisely as a regulatory text, and the closing feedback session, where members spoke freely without slides. If your leadership meetings combine formal rules with open debate, AKT Translation can help you choose the interpreting mode at the agenda stage.

When should a steering committee or board meeting use simultaneous interpreting?

This guide reflects AKT Translation's experience; a fuller comparison is in our article on simultaneous vs consecutive interpreting. For a small Board of Directors meeting, BOD interpreting usually runs on a portable system rather than a booth.

Terminology: Board of Management, Board of Directors, charter

Ban Điều hành → Board of Management (a company's executive leadership) or Steering Committee (the body that governs a project), never Board of Directors: the interpreter must first establish what the body governs. Central Retail's meeting is the second case.

Board of Directors (BOD) → Hội đồng Quản trị (HĐQT), not "Ban Giám đốc": the BOD is elected by shareholders and sits above executive management.

Charter → "Điều lệ dự án", not "Hiến chương": "hiến chương" is reserved for the founding documents of international organisations.

Proven in corporate governance meetings

AKT Translation has interpreted annual general meetings for HDBank, Vietjet and Vinamilk through three formats: in person, fully online during the pandemic and hybrid. For each meeting, the team maps the script to advise the client on audio channels and which audience listens on which channel.

For event organisers and agencies planning leadership meetings in Vietnam

Event management companies, professional conference organisers (PCOs) and destination management companies (DMCs), including organisers in Singapore and across the region, often need a local language service partner for board meetings, regional leadership retreats and corporate delegations travelling to Vietnam. AKT Translation provides English–Vietnamese simultaneous and consecutive interpreting teams in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and the provinces, on site, online or hybrid, with a briefing for your team before the meeting and a tailored quote based on the agenda.

FAQs on steering committee and board meeting interpreting

1. What should we send the interpreters before a steering committee meeting?

Send the agenda, report slides, the charter or previous minutes, and a list of members with their titles in both languages, to the extent your company is allowed to share them. Interpreters sign a confidentiality agreement before receiving any documents.

2. How much does simultaneous interpreting for an internal meeting cost?

Cost depends on the interpreting mode, duration, number of language pairs and equipment (standard booth, portable system or online interpreting channel). Send the agenda and duration to receive a tailored quote from AKT Translation.

3. How many interpreters does a two- to three-hour meeting need?

Simultaneous interpreting needs two interpreters per language pair, rotating regularly to keep accuracy high. Consecutive interpreting for meetings of two hours or more should also have two interpreters.

4. How do event organisers book interpreters for a client's board meeting in Vietnam?

Share the meeting date, city, agenda, language pairs and number of listeners. A local partner such as AKT Translation then recommends the interpreting mode and equipment, confirms the team and briefs with your client before the meeting.

In the press

Vietnam News: "Modern retail opens doors for small-scale farmers"

Tạp chí Công Thương (Industry and Trade Magazine): "Con đường thành công của 'Sinh kế cộng đồng'"

Service information

AKT Translation provides English–Vietnamese simultaneous (booth) and consecutive interpreting, on site, online via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or hybrid; serving Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and provinces across Vietnam, as well as events abroad; team size depends on scale and duration; pricing depends on mode, duration, subject matter and equipment; contact +84 888 170 069 – info@phiendichvien.com.

Planning a steering committee, board meeting or leadership event in Vietnam for your company or your client?

AKT Translation

✓ Advice on simultaneous or consecutive, based on your agenda

✓ Standard booths or portable systems to suit the room

✓ Interpreters fluent in governance, charter and retail language

Get a quote: +84 888 170 069 | Email: info@phiendichvien.com

AKT – Calm voices. Successful events.

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Read this article in Vietnamese