Four decades ago there was no adequate training for the conference interpreting profession in Portugal. The "market" was at the mercy of a few translators who began almost by chance to dedicate themselves to this branch of translating.

When Portugal joined the EEC in 1998, Brussels became the school for many professionals, but almost all of them ended up with international careers or having parallel careers outside and inside the domestic market.

In Portugal, supply continued to be scarce for the demand.

Many interpreters, with some outstanding exceptions, had no technique or specific training to exercise their professions. But, with more or less quality, they ended up creating a closed lobby with no place for newcomers and no alternatives for customers. The market suffered, and still suffers from the exorbitant prices that resulted.

BABELBET, a company dedicated exclusively to international conference interpretation in all its aspects, was born of the necessity to introduce new talent into the market with criteria of quality and integrity, with a non-mercenary perspective that is suitable to the country´s situation.

Its founders and its technical director, Maria Bettencourt Rodrigues, have the training, experience and curriculum that have allowed them not only to gain the loyalty of their clients but to be successful in discovering new talent.