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New research from global multilingual event technology company Interprefy has revealed widespread frustration among Asia-Pacific event organisers over the lack of live translation and interpretation at international events.
The study, Accelerating Global Communication, surveyed 600 senior decision-makers across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, South Korea, and Japan. Respondents worked in events, marketing, project management, and learning and development for multinational companies with annual revenues exceeding USD $10 million.
The findings show a region ready to embrace greater language access:
71 per cent of business event organisers report high or very high demand for multilingual live translation and interpretation.
92 per cent expressed frustration over the lack of live multilingual translation at international events, with nearly half describing their frustration as “extreme” or “very high.”
49 per cent remain unfamiliar with Remote Simultaneous Interpretation, and 46 per cent have never encountered live multilingual captioning — revealing a gap between intent and understanding.
81 per cent of organisers say they are likely to use real-time translation services at their own events.
Interprefy chief executive Oddmund Braaten says the findings highlight both the urgency and the opportunity for multilingual innovation.
“Access to language should be viewed as access to opportunities,” Oddmund says.
“Our research shows APAC event organisers are under mounting pressure to deliver seamless multilingual experiences, with 71 per cent reporting high or very high demand for real-time translation and interpretation.
“The need for multilingual technology is clear, but to truly make an impact, organisers must collaborate with partners to find the best ways to leverage these tools. Technology alone won’t engage audiences — it’s about building strategies that align with event goals and budgets.”
Interprefy’s report concludes that as accessibility expectations rise globally — and regulatory standards such as the European Accessibility Act influence international operations — APAC organisations have an opportunity to lead in inclusive, multilingual event design.
The company identifies five key considerations for APAC organisers:
Awareness and education: Clarify the difference between RSI, AI translation, captioning, and hybrid configurations.
Trust and accuracy: Address concerns around AI reliability and confidentiality.
Format prioritisation: Expect multilingual adoption to grow first in webinars and virtual meetings.
Regulatory and accessibility trends: Track global standards shaping compliance expectations.
Market opportunity: Early adopters can set benchmarks for multilingual event delivery across the region.
The global multilingual interpretation market is projected to reach USD $20.47 billion by 2025, with steady growth through 2032.
