Trade missions
Business delegations with a programme of company visits, matchmaking sessions and institutional meetings, often organised by a chamber of commerce or a trade agency.
BrazilNew YorkMiamiLos AngelesTravelling with the delegation
Delegations & official missionsA delegation is a moving agenda with a protocol attached.
Trade missions and official delegations are the hardest interpreting assignments to improvise: several venues a day, changing participants, formal protocol at some stops and a factory floor at the next. STIB has been doing them since 2007 — including as the official interpreting team for Brazil's delegation at four editions of WorldSkills.
Track record
Four editions, three continents
STIB served as the official interpreting team for Brazil's delegation at four editions of the WorldSkills Competition, working the English–Portuguese pair alongside competitors and judges, on three continents.
2011United Kingdom
2013Leipzig, Germany
2015São Paulo, Brazil
2017Abu Dhabi, UAE
Programme types
What we are asked to cover
Government and institutional delegations
Official visits with protocol requirements, ceremonial moments and working sessions in the same day.
International competitions and fairs
Multi-day events with technical vocabulary, judging or evaluation processes, and participants who need continuous support rather than scheduled sessions.
Sector study visits
Technical tours of plants, laboratories, ports or farms, where the interpreting happens standing up and moving.
What makes it work
How delegation work differs
The interpreter travels with the group
One professional across the whole programme means the terminology, the names and the context carry from the opening session to the closing dinner — and that nothing has to be re-explained at every stop.
Protocol and register
An official visit moves between ceremonial register and plain operational talk within the same hour. Interpreters used to delegations switch without being told.
Equipment that moves
Portable systems for walking tours and larger setups for the seated sessions, planned against the programme rather than the venue list.
Preparation from the programme
Participant lists, company profiles, technical materials and the agenda are studied in advance, under confidentiality.
Process
From programme to arrival
The programme
Send the full agenda: cities, venues, session formats and who is in each room.
Team sizing
We size the interpreter team against the programme, not the day count — parallel sessions need parallel interpreters.
Preparation
Materials, participant lists and terminology studied ahead; equipment planned per stop.
On the road
Interpreters travel with the delegation for the agreed programme, including the parts that change on the day.
Straight answers
Questions we are asked about this assignment
Has STIB worked with official delegations before?
Yes. STIB was the official interpreting team for Brazil's delegation at four editions of the WorldSkills Competition — the United Kingdom in 2011, Leipzig in 2013, São Paulo in 2015 and Abu Dhabi in 2017 — working the English–Portuguese pair with competitors and judges.
Do interpreters travel with the delegation?
Yes. For multi-city or multi-day programmes an interpreter travels with the group, which keeps terminology and context consistent across every stop. Travel and accommodation for the interpreter are quoted transparently as part of the assignment.
How many interpreters does a delegation programme need?
It depends on the programme rather than the number of days: parallel sessions need parallel interpreters, and any seated simultaneous session longer than about an hour needs two per language. A walking programme with one group can often be covered by a single escort interpreter per language.
Can you cover a mission that visits both Brazil and the United States?
Yes. STIB covers Brazil from its São Paulo headquarters and Brasília office, and has interpreters and equipment on the ground in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. An interpreter can also travel with the delegation across both legs when continuity matters more than local presence.
What languages can a delegation be supported in?
The core pair is Brazilian Portuguese ↔ English, and STIB's network covers more than 40 languages with over 80 certified interpreters, including Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, French, German and Italian.
How much notice does a mission programme need?
More than a single meeting: interpreter teams, equipment and travel are reserved together, so several weeks is comfortable for a multi-city programme. Shorter notice is accepted subject to availability.
Tell us about the assignment.
Dates, city, languages and the kind of room you will be in. You get the interpreter profile, the setup each session needs and a scoped proposal.