The objective of this study is to investigate the socio-cultural aspects of simultaneous conference interpreting. Only in the last years, conference interpreting has been studied as a socio-cultural activity. While there is already a large amount of research that has been conducted on quality in the field of conference interpreting, the sociological concept of role has received only very little attention so far. The aspects of quality and role are connected to each other by social norms. The study seeks to answer the questions of what kind of definitions of quality and role perceptions dominate the field of simultaneous conference interpreting and what are the reasons behind. In this study the views of professional conference interpreters are presented. Two web-based surveys were conducted among the members of the international association of conference interpreters (AIIC) and the German association of conference interpreters (VKD). A total of 704 members of AIIC as well as 107 members of the German VKD took part in the survey. A high consensus on the definitions of quality and role expectations was found between but also within the two professional associations. These definitions of quality and role expectations are based to a large extent on a very dominant norm or metaphor in the field of conference interpreting which is propagated by norm-setting authorities such as professional associations and influential conference interpreter pioneers.