An Exciting Time at Yale

Director’s Note

Hi friends,

As we approach the turning point of summer, we remain hopeful about what the fall season will bring. This is an exciting time as Yale buildings will be transitioning to full pre-COVID occupancy starting on August 1st. We look forward to the hustle and bustle of Yale students in colleges, courtyards, and classrooms, as well as faculty and staff returning back to campus. We will join friends and colleagues once again and dare I say out loud, host in-person events! This is, of course, in addition to hybrid and virtual offerings with new technologies (see our “Zoom Bot” blurb below).

Yale Conferences & Events is currently planning for fall and spring event opportunities, as well as turning our energies towards the planing for sumer 2022 programs. New Yale gathering opportunities can now also be booked at our new beautiful outdoor classroom under the tent at the Greenberg Conference Center (more information below). 

We look forward to seeing everyone on campus soon. Stay safe, stay well, and keep in touch! 

My best, 

Suzanne

Executive Director

Internship Opportunities: Join Our Team 

Do you know a current college student or recent grad who is energetic, conscientious, and has excellent communication skills? If yes, we would love to hear from them! 

YC&E is looking for customer-focused Program Assistants to work closely with our team to support a wide range of Yale programs, conferences, events, and projects (virtual and in-person). This part-time, paid position runs September-December and offers school credit for the Fall 2021 semester. 

To read the full job description, click here. Resumes may be emailed to Megan Palluzzi at megan.palluzzi@yale.edu. 

We’ve Been Nominated! 

Our team at YC&E has been nominated in the category of “Best Pandemic Pivot” for Unique Venue’s 2021 Best of Awards! This award will recognize a team that successfully pivoted its services and offerings due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

We’re honored to be nominated for our efforts in assisting Yale with safely housing students and first responders (including isolation and interim), managing virtual events of every size, establishing a central residential college housing system, and much more. 

If you would like to support us with your vote, please click here, scroll to the bottom, and select “Yale University” from the “Best Pandemic Pivot” drop-down list. Voting closes on Friday, August 13. 

Award recipients will be announced at the virtual 2021 Unique Venues Annual Marketing Conference in October. Best of luck to all nominees! 

Managing Language Interpretation During Virtual Events

YC&E is no stranger to managing in-person events that require language interpretation. However, managing interpretation in the virtual world was completely uncharted territory for us when the pandemic began. After some initial trial and error, our team has mastered running virtual events where multiple languages need interpretation. 

Our resident guru, Shannon LeGault, has successfully managed various virtual events that required interpretation, including the African Women events with the Office of International Affairs. Shannon shares best practices and helpful tips below! 

1. To start, be sure to enable “Language Interpretation” in your Zoom Settings. 
2. Next, find out who your interpreters are in advance, and enter their email information into the specific Zoom Meeting Settings. Here, you will also add in which language they will be translating. If an interpreter changes last minute, you will still be able to add them as an interpreter once they enter the Meeting. 
3. Once your interpreters log into the meeting, Zoom will automatically recognize them, as long as they use the same email address you added to Zoom earlier. 
4. To avoid unnecessary stress, ensure that your interpreters (along with all other event assistants) log into the meeting early so that they can test their audio and you can make sure all language channels are working. 
5. Once you start the translation in Zoom: 

• Zoom will put each interpreter into their own channel.
• Interpreters, even if on the same channel, will not be able to hear one another. 

Helpful Tips

• We ask each interpreter to log in twice - once from their computer and once from a smartphone. This is done so that they can hear the other interpreter they will be working with during the event and allows them to switch on and off (interpreters typically only interpret for 20 minutes at a time). Interpreters may also need to hear another language. For example, they may need to hear Spanish translated into English so they they can translate into French. 
• We usually send participant lists and any reading material (presentations, agendas, etc.) to the interpreters beforehand so that they have some background information on what the event is about, which makes for easier interpretation. 
• Decide, in advance, how you will communicate with your interpreters during the event as it can be hard to follow the Zoom chat. Our team finds that texting works well! 
• There is currently no option in Zoom to use interpretation in Breakout Rooms. 

We hope these tips were helpful and you can always reach out to us (conferencesandevents@yale.edu) for more information and guidance! 

Yale’s Zoom Bot

Our team began test-driving the Zoom Bot at the Greenberg Conference Center a few weeks ago in the hopes that we will be able to offer an effective hybrid event experience for our clients. We have tested the Zoom Bot in almost every room in the Center, trying to find the perfect audio and video quality that will make attending a hybrid event as engaging and meaningful as possible. Every team member at YC&E has had a hand in testing out this technology during our last few staff meetings (with some of us joining virtually and others in person). We are currently working with our campus partners on different hybrid event options featuring the Zoom Bot that fit varying event needs and budgets. 

At YC&E, we are always excited to learn something new and to continue to offer exceptional service to the clients we serve, whether virtually or in person. We look forward to learning more about the Zoom Bot and other ways to successfully manage hybrid events at our conference center! If you’d like more information on the Zoom Bot and hybrid events, please send us a message at conferencesandevents@yale.edu!

Finger on the Pulse

Did you know that YC&E is very active on social media? We regularly share the latest updates on what’s happening on campus, around New Haven (and beyond), and in the events industry.

We also post original content ranging from useful tips and tricks for event planners to carefully curated lists of local recommendations worth exploring (restaurants, shops, beaches, trails, and more). 

Like what you see? Be sure to follow us and never miss an update again!

To Subscribe:

• Go to the Yale Email Subscription hub
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