A thorough understanding of conference interpreting as a field of inquiry requires one to engage with its professional underpinnings, which have had a significant influence on the development of the field’s scientific paradigms. Therefore, the article goes into the history and gradual professionalization of conference interpreting, starting from the 1920s onwards. The chapter also offers a definition of “conference interpreting. Given the “looseness” of this definition, the chapter also accommodates such distinctions as interpreting in media settings and remote interpreting. Its core nevertheless is the professional practice of conference interpreting in the traditional sense, where such issues as interpreters’ qualifications, working conditions, and performance standards continue to play a vital role in many current lines of research.