Speaker at an Event

Beyond the Data: My Key Takeaways from Researching The Multilingual Event Gap

As a writer in the event tech space, I get to see a lot of surveys and reports. But rarely does data stop me in my tracks like the findings from a recent study we commissioned at Interprefy.

The headline number was stark: One in three event organisers across APAC and the Middle East still don’t provide any real-time language support.

I wrote about this in depth on the Interprefy blog (Why 1 in 3 Event Organisers Are Still Missing the Multilingual Moment), but after living with this data, I wanted to share my personal takeaways — the human insights behind the statistics that every event professional should know.

1. The Frustration is Personal (Even for Pros)

The number that haunts me is that 92% of APAC event organisers feel frustrated when they themselves attend an event without interpretation. We’re the experts. We’re the ones who build these experiences. If we feel excluded and disconnected without language access, what does that say about the experience we’re providing for our own audiences?

This isn’t a hypothetical problem. It’s a visceral one. It translates to lost connections, missed nuances, and that sinking feeling of being on the outside looking in. This data point, for me, moved the issue from a “business challenge” to a “human experience” failure.

2. The Biggest Barrier Isn’t Budget — It’s Awareness

Before this research, I might have guessed that cost was the primary obstacle. I was wrong.

The most significant hurdle we found was a simple knowledge gap. Nearly half of the organisers we surveyed weren’t familiar with Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) or live multilingual captions.

This was a lightbulb moment. The problem isn’t that solutions are too expensive; it’s that many teams don’t yet know how accessible, scalable, and cost-effective they have become. The tech has evolved, but the industry’s awareness is still catching up. This isn’t about convincing people to spend more; it’s about showing them a smarter way to invest their existing budget.

3. “English-Language Events” Are a Limiting Strategy

Relying on English as a default isn’t just exclusionary; it’s a strategic ceiling on your event’s potential. You might be reaching a wide audience, but you’re not engaging a deep one.

In regions like APAC and the Middle East — where multilingualism is the norm — providing language access is the key to unlocking true engagement, trust, and collaboration. It’s the difference between being heard and being understood. The businesses that recognize this won’t just host more inclusive events; they’ll host more effective ones.

Why This Matters to Me

Writing this report solidified a belief I’ve long held: language isn’t a feature; it’s the foundation of communication. In a world where events are increasingly hybrid and global, overlooking language isn’t an oversight — it’s the single biggest point of failure.

The good news? Closing this gap is more achievable than ever. From RSI that connects you to global interpreters instantly to AI-powered translations that scale, the tools are here, waiting to be used.

If you’re involved in planning events — whether a internal all-hands or a massive conference — I encourage you to read the full analysis. It’s not just our data; it’s a call to action for our entire industry to meet our audiences where they are: in their language.

Dive into the full research and insights here: Why 1 in 3 Event Organisers Are Still Missing the Multilingual Moment

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this in the comments. Have you felt this frustration? What’s holding your organization back?

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