---
title: "Conference AV and Simultaneous Interpreting in Marrakech"
description: "International conference in Marrakech: interpreter team sizes (AIIC), booths at the Palais des Congrès, plenary sound, live streaming, lead times and budget."
image: "https://saphyyrevents.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/M3-auditorium-conference-public.webp"
---

Source: https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/conference-av-simultaneous-interpreting-marrakech
Date: 2026-10-26
Language: en

For an international conference in Marrakech, three technical trades decide what your delegates hear and see: simultaneous interpreting, sound reinforcement in the room, and filming or live streaming. What matters is not the most expensive kit but the right sizing: how many interpreters per language, how many booths, what upload speed for streaming, and when to book it all. The professional standards of AIIC, the International Association of Conference Interpreters, set minimum team sizes; the city’s large halls, such as the Ministers Auditorium at the Palais des Congrès with its five interpreting booths, set the framework. Our [seminar and conference team in Marrakech](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/seminar-in-marrakech) coordinates AV, filming and interpreting: for a first estimate, send a [free quote request](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/free-quote?projet=seminaire) with your headcount, languages and number of days.

This guide complements our article on [conferences and conventions of 300 to 1,000 delegates](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/conference-convention-marrakech-300-1000-delegates), which covers venues, hotels and transport and leaves the technical side “on quote”.

## Simultaneous, consecutive or whispered interpreting?

Simultaneous interpreting happens in real time from a soundproof booth: the interpreter hears the speaker through headphones and speaks into a microphone, and delegates listen on a receiver. It is the standard for any conference beyond a few dozen people, or as soon as more than two languages are involved.

Consecutive interpreting follows the speaker, sentence by sentence or in blocks. It roughly doubles speaking time but needs no booth or receivers, which suits a press conference, a signing ceremony, a short speech or a small meeting.

Whispered interpreting is delivered to one or two listeners, without equipment or with a small portable system: useful for a delegation during a visit or a dinner, not for a room.

A useful point for Moroccan speakers: under article 5 of the 2011 Constitution, Arabic is the official language of the State and Amazigh is also an official language. French is widely used in business, but if representatives of Moroccan institutions take the floor, ask which language they will use and plan the booth accordingly.

## How many interpreters and booths do you need?

Interpreters do not work alone in a booth: under AIIC’s professional standards, a team has at least two interpreters per language and per booth, and a working day does not exceed two sessions of two and a half to three hours each. Minimum team sizes from AIIC’s table for common set-ups:

| Set-up | Booths | Minimum interpreters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| English conference, interpreted into French only | 1 | 2 |
| Bilingual English-French conference, interpreted both ways | 1 or 2 | 3 (can be reduced to 2 in some cases, notably short or general meetings, if both interpreters work into both languages) |
| Three languages, all interpreted (e.g. English, French, Arabic) | 3 | 5 |
| Four languages, all interpreted | 4 | 8 |
| Consecutive interpreting, two languages | none | 2 |
| Whispered interpreting for one or two listeners | none | 2 |

These are minimums. AIIC asks for more interpreters for long days, uncovered language combinations or technical and scientific content, and for systematic relay (interpreting from another booth’s output) to be avoided; when it cannot be, at least two interpreters must be able to provide that relay.

## Built-in or mobile booths: what Marrakech venues offer

Large congress halls have built-in booths. According to the operator’s official pages, consulted on 26 October 2026, the Ministers Auditorium at the Palais des Congrès de Marrakech, with 1,487 seats on four levels, has five translation booths, an integrated control room, a videoconferencing system and a backup generator; the Ambassadors Auditorium, 427 seats, has three booths and a control room.

In a hotel ballroom or an unusual venue, mobile booths have to be installed at the back or side of the room with a clear view of speakers and screens. The ISO 17651 series covers interpreters’ working environment and ISO 20109 the interpreting equipment: ask your supplier to confirm compliance in writing, and mark booth positions on the floor plan during the site visit. Every delegate needs a receiver and headset: count one per registered delegate plus a margin, with a distribution desk at the entrance.

## How to prepare your interpreters

AIIC standards provide that working documents and texts to be read out are sent to interpreters in advance: agenda, slides, written speeches, speaker list with job titles, a glossary of your acronyms and products. Hold a short briefing with the main speakers and remind them to speak into the microphone and not to read too fast.

## Sound for a plenary

Conference sound must make speech intelligible everywhere, including the back row and the booths. Ask the venue for its technical rider and confirm the number of microphones (lectern, wireless mics for the panel, audience mics for questions), speaker monitors, the feed from the sound desk to the interpreting booths, audio recording, and a technician present throughout every session.

In our [seminar budget calculator](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/seminar-team-building-budget-calculator-marrakech), the basic AV line (sound, projector, microphones and technician) is €300 to €600 per day below 50 delegates, €600 to €1,200 from 50 to 149 and €1,200 to €2,500 from 150. That is a baseline for a meeting room; interpreting, booths, filming, staging and screens for a large plenary are quoted case by case. To choose a room around these needs, see our [seminar venues in Marrakech](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/seminar-venues-in-marrakech).

## Filming and live streaming

Filming serves three purposes: streaming live to remote audiences, recording for later, or showing speakers on large screens in the room. Each needs cameras, a control desk and an operator; live streaming also needs enough upload capacity. As a benchmark, YouTube’s official help recommends, for H.264 encoding, a video bitrate of at least 5 Mbps and ideally 14 Mbps for 1080p at 30 frames per second, and 3 to 8 Mbps for 720p, and advises testing upload speed before choosing a resolution.

In practice: ask for a dedicated wired line for the stream, separate from delegates’ wifi; plan a backup connection; test the whole chain the day before at session time; and decide whether the stream carries the floor language, the interpreted channel, or both.

## When to book

AV suppliers usually need two to three months’ notice for a mid-sized event and up to six months for a complex production, with a site visit a month before. Good interpreters are booked at least two to three months ahead, more for rare languages and in high season (March to May and September to November). For a conference of several hundred delegates, the hall and its booths are secured together with hotel rooms, often six months ahead or more.

## What Saphyyr Events does

We draft the technical brief with you, select the venue according to booths and control room, assemble the interpreting team, sound and filming crews, run the site visit and rehearsals, and stay on site throughout the conference. You receive an itemised quote within 48 business hours, in English or French.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many interpreters for an English-French conference?

Under AIIC standards, at least three interpreters in one or two booths when interpreting both ways (two in some cases, notably short or general meetings, if both work into both languages), and two in one booth when interpreting into one language only.

### Does the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech have interpreting booths?

Yes. According to the operator, the 1,487-seat Ministers Auditorium has five booths and the 427-seat Ambassadors Auditorium has three.

### How much does simultaneous interpreting cost in Marrakech?

We do not publish a rate: it depends on languages, days, interpreters’ travel and equipment, so we quote it case by case. The basic AV line of our calculator, excluding interpreting, is €300 to €2,500 per day depending on headcount.

### What upload speed do we need to stream?

For H.264 encoding, YouTube recommends a 5 to 14 Mbps video bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps and 3 to 8 Mbps for 720p. Ask for a dedicated wired line and test it the day before.

### Can we record the interpretation?

For your conference in Marrakech, discover our [seminar and conference organisation](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/seminar-in-marrakech) or request a [free quote](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/free-quote?projet=seminaire) with your headcount, languages, number of days and whether you will stream live.

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