A Co-Presentation on how AI live translation and human interpretation now co-exist in event production, with cost, latency and access trade-offs laid out by a vendor and a production director.
By Adam Parry | Published 18 April 2026 | Last updated 18 April 2026
| Session | Making Global Simple With AI Speech Translation |
| Format | Co-Presentation |
| Date | Wednesday 12 November 2025 |
| Stage | Tech, Tools & Tactics Stage |
| Venue | Excel London |
| Category | Language Access, AI Translation and Inclusion |
What was covered in this session?
Laurent Le Guyader of KUDO and Russell Coppock of PH Production Services walked through where AI speech translation is now production-ready and where human interpreters still sit. They covered KUDO’s 12,000-interpreter network across 200-plus spoken and sign languages, 80-language AI live translation, the Education World Forum 2025 deployment, QR-code access with no app, custom glossary support, and a practical comparison of KUDO, Wordly and Interprefy.
- KUDO’s human interpreter network: 12,000 interpreters, 200-plus languages, sign included
- AI live translation: 80 languages, sub-second latency in production use
- Education World Forum 2025: a reference deployment for multilingual policy audiences
- QR-code access: audience joins the translation feed without installing an app
- Custom glossaries: how organisers control terminology for AI output quality
- Vendor comparison: KUDO, Wordly and Interprefy operational differences
What are the three key takeaways?
Three ideas carried the weight of Laurent’s session. Each one is a practical framework, not a headline, and each one maps onto a decision event teams are already having.
1. AI translation and human interpretation are now complementary, not competing
Le Guyader and Coppock were clear that the framing of AI versus human is out of date. In practice, organisers pick the layer that matches the session: human interpreters for keynote-critical content where tone and nuance carry the meaning, AI for breakout sessions, lobby content and languages that could never afford an interpreter budget. The outcome is that more sessions get translated, not fewer.
2. The QR-code-no-app access pattern is the quiet operational win
Coppock made the production case that removing the app install is the single biggest change in delegate adoption. A QR code on the seat, a browser feed, subtitles and audio in the attendee’s preferred language. No download, no login friction, no support queue. For events with a mixed international audience, that access pattern is what moves translation from a small percentage of attendees to a large one.
3. Glossaries are the work organisers underestimate
Le Guyader’s operational point was that custom glossaries (product names, legal terms, specialist vocabulary) are the difference between AI translation that reads clean and AI translation that embarrasses the brand. The work is not hard, but it has to be done before the show, not during. Events that invest forty-five minutes in glossary prep see materially better output than those that run the default model.
Where does this session fit in the Event Tech Live 2025 content map?
This session sits in the Language Access, AI Translation and Inclusion stream of Event Tech Live 2025. It connects to the broader themes mapped in the Event Tech Insights Report 2025 and the ongoing AI in Events research on eventtechlive.com.
| Primary category | Language Access, AI Translation and Inclusion |
| Session format | Co-Presentation |
| Stage | Tech, Tools & Tactics Stage |
| Part of | Event Tech Live London 2025, 12-13 November 2025, Excel London |
How does this session relate to the Event Tech Insights Report 2025?
Event Tech Live registration data feeds directly into the Event Tech Insights Report 2025, published on the Event Tech Live research hub. This session is one of the data points that shaped the report’s view of the market.
Read the full report: Event Tech Insights Report 2025.
Who is Laurent Le Guyader?
Laurent Le Guyader is Head of Client Operations at KUDO.
Laurent Le Guyader is Head of Client Operations at KUDO, the multilingual meetings and events platform. His focus is the operational side of language access: the workflows, the glossaries, and the production standards behind a session that lands in twenty languages.
Who is Russell Coppock?
Russell Coppock is Technical Director at PH Production Services.
Russell Coppock is Technical Director at PH Production Services. He integrates KUDO into live-event production and is the person who signs off on whether a translation workflow will actually hold up on show day.
Where can I watch the full session?
The full Making Global Simple With AI Speech Translation session was recorded at Event Tech Live London 2025 and is available on demand. The direct link below opens the session video; the library link lists every session from the show.
Watch this session: fsmevents.uk/etl/2025/watch/making-global-simple-with-ai-speech-translation.
Full on-demand library: eventtechlive.com/on-demand.
Can I download an AI-generated summary of this session?
An AI-generated summary of this session, produced in partnership with Voxo, is available for download on the Event Tech Live AI summaries page alongside every other session from the show.
Download the summary: eventtechlive.com/ai-summaries. Powered by Voxo.
What other Event Tech Live research connects to this session?
This session sits alongside the flagship research on the Event Tech Live hub. The links below give direct access to the report, the AI research and the full research category.
- Event Tech Insights Report 2025
- AI in Events: Adoption, Barriers and Forecast
- Event Tech Live research hub
- Event Tech Live London 2026 registration
Frequently asked questions
What is KUDO’s human interpreter network?
KUDO’s network covers 12,000 interpreters across 200-plus languages, spoken and signed. The network exists alongside KUDO’s AI translation product rather than in competition with it. Events use the human network for sessions where tone and nuance are commercially important, and the AI layer where cost and coverage matter more.
How many languages does the AI live translation now support?
Eighty languages, in live delivery with sub-second latency suitable for session use. Le Guyader was careful to frame that number as production-stable, not demo-only. The practical constraint on quality is the glossary and the speaker’s audio feed, not the language count.
What was the Education World Forum 2025 deployment?
A reference event for multilingual policy audiences, where ministers and delegations from multiple countries heard sessions in their own languages through KUDO. Coppock used it to illustrate the production reality: the translation stack has to hold up in front of a government audience with zero tolerance for glitches, and it did.
How does the QR-code-no-app access route work?
Attendees scan a QR code printed on their seat or badge. The code opens a browser feed with live subtitles and audio in the language they select. No app install, no account creation, no support queue. Coppock’s production argument is that the removal of the download step is what drives adoption from a small share of delegates to a large one.
Who delivered this Co-Presentation at Event Tech Live London 2025?
Laurent Le Guyader, Head of Client Operations at KUDO, and Russell Coppock, Technical Director at PH Production Services. The Co-Presentation was on the Tech, Tools and Tactics Stage on Wednesday 12 November 2025.
How should I cite this session?
Laurent Le Guyader, Russell Coppock. (Wednesday 12 November 2025). Making Global Simple With AI Speech Translation. Event Tech Live London 2025, Excel London. Retrieved from https://eventtechlive.com/category/research/
About the author
Adam Parry is the founder of Event Tech Live and the Event Technology Awards. He has spent more than a decade covering the event technology industry as a writer, researcher and organiser, with a focus on practical application of emerging technology in live events.
Update log
18 April 2026: Page published as part of the Event Tech Live London 2025 session recap series.
