A video remote interpreting company in Strasbourg provides professional interpreters who join meetings, hearings, consultations, training sessions and events through secure video platforms, enabling participants to work across languages in real time. For organisations active around the European institutions or in the Upper Rhine region, the essential point is that video remote interpreting services offer a flexible complement to the institutions' own interpreting arrangements, covering the many side events, partner meetings and cross-border projects that fall outside them.
The service is relevant for NGOs, law firms, associations, lobby and advocacy groups, universities, research institutes, regional authorities, companies working across the French and German border and organisers of congresses at the city's convention centre. It is most useful for meetings linked to the European agenda, for bilingual cross-border cooperation and for events with participants joining from several countries.
Strasbourg is one of the most international cities in France, yet many organisations around the institutions still improvise interpretation for their own meetings. This article compares the main interpreting formats, explains what makes Strasbourg distinctive, sets out a step-by-step approach to choosing a provider and lists the venues used for international events.
Different situations call for different approaches. The table below links typical Strasbourg use cases with the interpreting format that usually serves them best.
| Use case | Recommended format | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Side event during a plenary week | Remote simultaneous interpreting | Several languages for an audience, without installing booths |
| Meeting between an NGO and partners abroad | Video remote interpreting | Direct dialogue in a small group, no travel required |
| Cross-border project meeting in French and German | Video remote interpreting, consecutive or simultaneous | Flexible, bilingual and easy to schedule regularly |
| Association congress at the convention centre | Remote or onsite simultaneous interpreting | Large audience, plenary and parallel sessions |
| Legal or advisory consultation | Video remote interpreting, consecutive | Precision on every statement and full confidentiality |
Many organisations use more than one format. An advocacy network might hold a hybrid conference with remote simultaneous interpreting during a plenary week and rely on video remote interpretation services for its regular coordination calls with members across Europe.
Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, which holds its monthly plenary sessions in the city, and it hosts the Council of Europe, with its 46 member states, and the European Court of Human Rights. These institutions have their own interpreting services for official proceedings, but they generate a large number of related events organised by NGOs, interest groups, delegations, universities and law firms, which require their own interpretation.
Strasbourg sits on the Rhine, facing Kehl in Germany, and is part of a cross-border region with Baden-Württemberg and nearby Switzerland. Regional authorities, cross-border health and education projects, chambers of commerce and companies operating on both sides of the border regularly need interpretation between French and German, often in recurring meetings.
The University of Strasbourg and the city's research institutes host scientific conferences throughout the year, while its legal and human rights expertise attracts seminars, training and expert meetings with international participants.
Plenary weeks bring a significant influx of delegates, journalists and visitors, which affects hotel availability. The Christmas market season, from late November to the end of December, has a similar impact. Strasbourg is well connected by high-speed rail, while many international participants fly via larger airports in the region, so hybrid participation and remote interpretation help organisers include those who cannot travel.
These steps help organisations in Strasbourg move from an informal approach to a reliable interpreting arrangement. They apply to one-off events as well as to recurring meetings linked to the European agenda or cross-border cooperation.
Working through these six steps gives a clear picture of how each provider would deliver the service. It also makes proposals easier to compare, because every provider responds to the same, precisely defined needs.
Consider a hypothetical European advocacy network that organises a policy breakfast in Strasbourg during a plenary week, inviting 120 participants including members of the European Parliament, civil society representatives and journalists. Speakers present in English, French and German, and the network wants Italian and Polish channels for member organisations following online, giving five languages in total. Remote simultaneous interpreting provides all five channels without booths in the meeting room, while the network's monthly coordination calls with partners use video remote interpreting, with the same interpreters ensuring continuity in terminology and context.
Strasbourg's main event complex combines the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès, renovated and expanded in 2016, with a new Parc des Expositions designed by Kengo Kuma, which opened in September 2022. Together they form a single complex close to the European quarter and the city centre.
AP | PORTUGAL has extensive experience supporting events in venues of this kind and in many other international destinations, providing video remote interpreting, remote simultaneous interpreting, audiovisual equipment rental, event management and accessibility solutions.
Venues frequently used for congresses and corporate events include:
The convention centre hosts large association congresses and conferences, while the exhibition centre provides flexible space for trade fairs and combined events.
There is no official ranking of video remote interpreting companies in Strasbourg; no independent body evaluates providers for this purpose, and any list available online reflects its author's own criteria. The steps above offer a more reliable basis for identifying a capable provider.
A frequent pitfall is assuming that participants who work around the institutions will all be comfortable in English or French. Many representatives of civil society, local authorities and partner organisations contribute more effectively in their own language, and excluding them reduces the quality of the discussion.
Another is improvising with bilingual colleagues in cross-border meetings, which can lead to inaccuracies on legal, financial or technical points. Finally, real time translation services based on AI are useful for captions and quick understanding, but they are not a substitute for professional interpreters in policy debates, legal consultations or negotiations.
AP | PORTUGAL is certified under ISO 23155, the international standard for conference interpreting services, which sets requirements for how interpreting assignments are organised and delivered. The company also works according to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles, a commitment that distinguishes its approach.
Remote delivery reduces travel for interpreters and participants, lowering the footprint of recurring European and cross-border meetings.
Interpretation allows civil society, local authorities and citizens to take part in European and regional discussions in their own language.
Confidentiality agreements, documented procedures and transparent proposals give clients clarity and accountability, particularly for sensitive policy and legal topics.
Video remote interpreting is delivered online, so organisations in Strasbourg can work with a specialised provider wherever it is based. AP | PORTUGAL has around 30 years of experience and thousands of multilingual projects, managing interpreter selection, platform configuration and live support for institutional, associative, legal and corporate clients.
For conferences and hybrid events, the same team can provide audiovisual equipment rental, event management, an event website and accessibility solutions, aligning interpretation with every part of the event.
Another option is AI real-time translation, available from AP | PORTUGAL for events and meetings in Strasbourg where a large number of languages is needed or where sessions are mainly informational. It offers live translated captions and audio in many languages and works well alongside professional interpreting, which remains the recommended choice for high-stakes content.
Our most requested solutions include:
Plan around the institutional calendar. If your event is linked to a plenary week, confirm interpretation, venues and accommodation early, and consider a hybrid format so that partners who cannot travel can still participate in their own language.
For cross-border cooperation, establish a regular interpreting arrangement rather than booking each meeting separately. Recurring French and German sessions with the same interpreters build familiarity with the projects, the people and the terminology involved.
Finally, agree on basic technical standards with participants, such as headsets for remote speakers and microphones in meeting rooms, and schedule a short test before important sessions.
Not usually. Official proceedings are covered by the institutions' own services, while side events, partner meetings and external conferences are generally organised and interpreted independently.
French, German and English are the most common, with Italian, Spanish, Polish and other European languages frequently required for EU-related events.
Yes. Consecutive interpreting over a secure platform is well suited to legal and advisory consultations, where precision and confidentiality are essential.
Yes. The interpretation feed can be integrated with the venue's audio system, serving delegates in the halls and participants online.
It depends on the language combinations, the duration and frequency of sessions, the interpreting mode and the level of technical support required.
In most cases, yes. Continuity is recommended for recurring meetings, as it improves accuracy and efficiency.
Earlier booking is advisable during plenary weeks and the Christmas market season, when demand for venues, accommodation and services is highest.
Strasbourg combines European institutions, a Franco-German border region and a growing congress sector, creating constant demand for clear communication across languages. Video remote interpreting supports meetings, consultations and cross-border cooperation, while remote simultaneous interpreting gives larger audiences access to events in their own language.
With around 30 years of experience and thousands of projects delivered, AP | PORTUGAL supports organisations in Strasbourg with video remote interpreting, remote simultaneous interpreting and integrated event services. To plan interpretation for your next meeting, side event or conference, contact the AP | PORTUGAL team and request a proposal tailored to your needs.
ABOUT US
AP | PORTUGAL operates as a Language Solutions Integrator (LSI) specialising in video remote interpreting and remote simultaneous interpreting for corporate, institutional and multilingual conferences, integrating language services, communication technologies, real-time AI translation and audiovisual solutions for onsite, hybrid and digital events.
Working with multidisciplinary teams across technical, linguistic and audiovisual areas, AP | PORTUGAL covers not only interpreting and real-time translation, but also technical coordination, audiovisual integration, accessibility and operational support tailored to each event format.
AP | PORTUGAL develops professional, tailored solutions across the areas of: VRI - Video Remote Interpreting, Remote Simultaneous Interpreting, AI Real-Time Translation, AI Real-Time Subtitles, Event Management, Event Website Platform, Audiovisual Equipment Rental, Translation and AI Content Production and Generative Engine Optimization.
With offices in Lisbon and Porto, it is the only Portuguese company certified by both International Quality Standards ISO 17100, ISO 18587 and ISO 23155.
AP PORTUGAL includes the Artiga Center - European Centre for Amplified Events -, a facility which offers all equipment necessary for any type of event, be it hybrid, face-to-face or digital, besides being equipped for face-to-face or digital Team Building activities.
You can also follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
Mário Júnior has around 30 years of experience coordinating simultaneous interpretation, conference interpreting and multilingual communication projects for corporate, institutional and international events. At A AP | PORTUGAL, he combines extensive interpreting expertise with technical know-how in event production, communication technologies and audiovisual integration.
Throughout his career, he has supported thousands of onsite, hybrid and digital events, helping organisations eliminate language barriers, improve communication accessibility and ensure operational reliability in complex multilingual environments.
This article reflects an informational perspective on the remote interpretation and multilingual event communication sector, based on common industry practices and recognised evaluation criteria. A AP | PORTUGAL is referenced as a specialist provider within this context, however each organisation should assess its own specific requirements, compare providers and validate technical solutions before making a decision.
For organisations wishing to explore additional market references, there are international associations, specialist directories and professional platforms dedicated to conference interpreting, simultaneous interpretation and language services. These resources may help organisations identify qualified providers, compare service models and better understand different operational approaches available within the industry.