This study among three different user groups yields different evaluation profiles. While there is fairly high agreement by all groups on the importance of some of the criteria, conference interpreters and users as well as different user groups among themselves differed in their assessment of other criteria. The findings confirm the validity of the theories that view translation and interpretation as an intercultural communication process and emphasize the importance of situational and communicative context. They clearly show that the target-language receiver or listener must be seen as an essential element in the process.