We hold events to bring people together. The annual party gives colleagues a chance to meet outside work, a wedding introduces two families, and a conference gathers people who have something to learn from each other. We pick the venue, think about the food and build the schedule with that in mind.
But the guest's experience starts before they walk into the room. It starts with the invitation. That's where they should be able to work out what's happening, what's on offer and what they need to answer.
When your guests speak different languages, the invitation has to take that into account too.
The same invitation can be clear to some and not to others
Picture an annual party at a workplace where Icelandic, English and Polish are all spoken. You've put work into a lovely invitation, described the evening and added questions about food and partners. For anyone who reads Icelandic fluently, it's all there.
A colleague who is still learning the language may need to read the text a few times. They understand it's the annual party, but they're not quite sure whether partners are welcome, whether the bus costs anything or how to register a dietary request.
They might ask a co-worker to explain, send you a question or hold off on replying. You then don't necessarily know whether they're still deciding or simply need clearer information. For the guest, what matters is being able to read the invitation with confidence and answer for themselves, on their own terms. That is an important part of inclusion.
Several languages for the same event
This is where Melda helps. You can offer guests the event details in more than one language and keep every reply together on a single guest list.
You write the description, the questions and the schedule in your own language. Then you choose the other languages and add automatic translations. The guest picks their language at the top of the registration page and gets the details in it.
The question about partners is still the same question, whether one guest reads it in Icelandic and another in Polish. Dietary requests collect in the same place and you keep working from the same guest list. You don't need a separate event or registration page for each language. Nor do you need a line at the top of the event text that says ENGLISH BELOW.
The translations also cover the event title, the venue name, the answer options, the FAQ and the terms. So the guest gets the context of the evening in their language, from the description of the invitation to the schedule they follow on the night.
You know your guests and you have the final say
You choose the languages to match who you're inviting. English and Polish are among the options, but you can also add Portuguese, Spanish, German, French or Ukrainian, for example.
Melda's own interface is in Icelandic, English and Polish. In other languages, guests read the translated event text while buttons and labels appear in English.
You can translate the text yourself or have AI write a first version. The original and the translation sit side by side so you, or someone who knows the language, can review the wording. Translations into Icelandic are written by hand.
AI translations are shown to guests as soon as they're ready, so it's a good idea to finish reviewing before the invitations go out. Translations you've edited and saved are kept when the AI is run again. If the original text changes, Melda marks what needs another look.
You start under Guest languages on the event overview. That's where you pick the languages, work on the translations and review them. Then check the registration page in each language before you send the invitation.
One plan that reaches more people
Back to the annual party. The same colleague now opens the invitation in Polish. They can see that partners are welcome, check the details and answer the questions about food. You get their reply on the same list as everyone else's.
That's the gain: guests find it easier to understand the invitation and take part, and you spend less effort keeping several versions in sync and explaining the same points again and again.
Whether you're planning a company event, a wedding or a conference, you can create an event in Melda and choose the languages that suit your guests.
Everyone is welcome, on their own terms. Isn't that the point?
