Summary
-
SentiVue, in partnership with Bechtle, delivered live multilingual translation at the SAMA Partners 10th Anniversary conference in Mannheim, Germany, with 200+ cybersecurity leaders from across Europe.
-
Setup took under 5 minutes: a single audio feed from the stage and one connected laptop.
-
Attendees joined via a QR code on their phones, with over 25% on-site adoption. No apps were needed.
-
A non-German-speaking panelist participated live in a German-language discussion, hearing questions through an earpiece and responding naturally in real time.
-
The deployment ran with zero data retention and regional processing, meeting strict privacy requirements for an enterprise audience.
For most international conferences, language is the variable nobody plans around carefully enough.
Speakers are confirmed, the agenda is set, and the AV setup is tested. And then, somewhere in the process, multilingual attendees are left to either follow along in a language that isn't their own or miss parts of the conversation entirely.
The SAMA Partners 10th Anniversary conference, held at Mannheim Palace in October 2025, wanted to avoid exactly that outcome. The event brought together more than 200 cybersecurity leaders from across Europe, in partnership with Bechtle, one of Germany's largest IT system houses. SentiVue was brought in to make sure language didn’t become the limiting factor in the room.
What is the challenge with multilingual live events?
Most conferences solve multilingual attendance in one of two ways: traditional interpreter booths or asking attendees to simply follow along in whichever language the speaker happens to use.
Both come with trade-offs. Interpreter booths require advance scheduling, dedicated equipment, and a fixed number of language channels. Plus, they introduce a layer of formality and friction that doesn't fit every event format. Asking attendees to follow along in a non-native language works until the conversation gets technical, fast-paced, or unscripted, which is pretty much the conditions present in a cybersecurity conference with live panels and high-stakes discussion.
For SAMA Partners' anniversary event, the requirements were: a solution that was instant, discreet, and fully compliant with strict privacy standards, while keeping pace with rapid technical dialogue.
How did SentiVue solve it?
SentiVue deployed a live translation layer built around four requirements: speed, simplicity, privacy, and zero disruption to the event's program.
Instant access
Attendees joined the translation experience through a QR code on their phones. There was no app to download and no onboarding flow. Attendees scanned, connected, and started listening within seconds.
Setup in minutes, not hours
The full deployment required a single audio feed from the stage and one connected laptop. Setup was completed in approximately five minutes, with no specialized equipment or dedicated technical team required on-site beyond a single operator.
Sub-second latency, even in technical panels
Translation ran at sub-second latency throughout the event, fast enough to preserve the natural rhythm of conversation, including during fast-paced technical panels where pauses or lag would have disrupted the flow of discussion.
Privacy-first by design
Given the sensitivity of a cybersecurity-focused audience, the deployment ran with zero data retention and regional processing, meeting strict compliance requirements throughout the event.
What happened when a non-German speaker joined a German-language panel?
The clearest test of the system came during a live panel discussion conducted primarily in German. However, one of the panelists did not speak German.
Rather than being routed to a separate session or relying on a human interpreter relaying questions with delay, the panelist participated directly in the discussion, hearing each question translated into English through an earpiece in real time, and responding naturally as the conversation continued.
For the audience, the effect was a panel that felt entirely natural despite the language difference. A level of participation that traditional interpretation, with its inherent lag and formality, would have made difficult to achieve in a fast-moving technical discussion.
What were the results?
-
Attendees: 200+ cybersecurity leaders
-
Languages: German and English
-
On-site adoption: 25%+ of attendees used the translation experience
-
Conversational latency: Sub-second
-
Stage setup time: Approximately 5 minutes
-
Data retention: Zero
The adoption rate matters because there was no app download, no onboarding flow, and no pre-event training. Attendees discovered the translation experience during the event, scanned a QR code, and started using it in real time.
What does this mean for future international events?
The SAMA Partners deployment established a model that doesn't depend on event size, format, or advance planning beyond the audio feed itself. The same five-minute, single-operator setup now serves as a blueprint for keynotes, panels, and multi-speaker formats where presenters speak in their native language across different European markets.
For event organizers managing increasingly international audiences, the deployment demonstrates that live, natural-feeling, multilingual participation doesn't require the logistical overhead of traditional interpretation, including for fast-paced, technical, or unscripted content.
Planning a multilingual event?
Every event has its own format, audience, and language needs. If you're organizing a conference, panel, or keynote with an international audience, we're happy to walk through what a deployment would look like for your event.
Click here to talk to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does real-time event translation work without an app?
Attendees access translation through a QR code displayed at the event, which opens a browser-based experience on their phone. No app download or account creation is required, attendees simply scan and connect within seconds.
How long does it take to set up live translation for a conference?
A full deployment can be completed in approximately five minutes, requiring only a single audio feed from the stage and one connected laptop. No specialized AV equipment or dedicated technical crew is required beyond a single operator.
What latency can organizers expect during live events?
SentiVue delivered sub-second conversational latency throughout the SAMA Partners conference. Fast enough to preserve natural conversational rhythm, including during fast-paced technical panel discussions.
Can live translation support unscripted or fast-paced discussions?
Yes. During the SAMA Partners event, a non-German-speaking panelist participated live in a German-language discussion, hearing translated questions through an earpiece and responding naturally in real time, demonstrating the system's ability to support unscripted, fast-moving dialogue.
Is attendee data retained during live event translation?
No. The SAMA Partners deployment ran with zero data retention and regional processing, meeting strict privacy and compliance requirements appropriate for a cybersecurity-focused audience.
What adoption rate can organizers expect from attendees?
At the SAMA Partners conference, more than 25% of attendees actively used the translation experience on-site, without any pre-event instructions or app downloads required.
Why not use a general-purpose translation tool for a live conference?
Tools built for calls and meetings are designed for structured, one-to-one or small-group conversations inside a platform. A live conference is a different problem: capturing a speaker on a stage, in a real room, and distributing that translation to hundreds of attendees simultaneously, with zero setup required on their end. That's the specific problem SentiVue Events was built to solve.
