International Telecommunication Union sets its agenda thanks to Bosch conferencing systems

Taking place every four years, the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP) provides the opportunity for the organization’s highest policy-making body to set the Union’s general policies, adopt the four-year strategic and financial plans, and elect the senior management team of the organization, the Member States of the Council, and the members of the Radio Regulations Board. The most recent event, PP-22, took place in Bucharest and was the largest to be held in Europe.

Attracting 3,600 participants from 186 countries and lasting for three weeks from the end of September to mid-October, PP-22 required a large-scale conferencing solution that could deliver clear communication for the delegates alongside simultaneous interpretation into six languages.

As would be expected from a high-level meeting of a standard-setting organization, PP-22 had precise technical specifications for the equipment that could be used. For the conferencing system, it was mandatory that ISO22259, ISO20109 and ISO 20108-compliant equipment was provided. To meet this challenge, ITU enlisted the support of Bucharest-based conferencing specialist Conference Systems SRL, a member of the Congress Rental Network (CRN) which chose to deploy a large Bosch Dicentis solution.

Setting the agenda
The conferencing solution for PP-22 needed to cover three rooms ranging in size from 400 to 2,000 participants, which all needed the same six interpretation languages and IR distribution. Covering these spaces would require the largest Dicentis solution to be deployed in Romania as a rental solution. As such, Conference Systems SRL called in the support of the Congress Rental Network to ensure that there would be enough equipment to enable the event to run smoothly.

The Dicentis discussion device with touchscreen was the main component of the system with 500 devices deployed. Featuring a 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen and built in NFC reader for fast recognition of participants, the conference devices are configurable as a single participant, dual use, or chairperson’s device making them perfect for PP-22.

Adding extra flexibility to the solution were 110 Dicentis wireless discussion devices with touchscreen. In addition to the same touchscreen and configuration options as its wired sibling, the device also features an option to display a personalized custom logo on the touch screen and a removable battery pack, making it easy to change and charge.

The simultaneous translations were handled by 12 Dicentis interpreter desks with accompanying interpreter headphones. The translations were distributed to participants thanks to an Integrus wireless language distribution system that saw eight Integrus radiators and 550 Integrus pocket receivers alongside over 1,000 lightweight headphones.

Conference Systems SRL took the approach of “tell us what you want to achieve, and it will be done” with its client. However, with the contract signed a few weeks before the event sourcing the volume of equipment required became the main challenge. Fortunately, this was solved thanks to Bosch delivering new equipment in a short timeframe alongside the added resources of the Congress Rental Network. As a result, the client only saw the success of a well-planned and delivered event.

To ensure the three-week conference proceeded smoothly, a tech team from Conference Systems SRL was on site for the whole event. This team had worked with the ITU on a previous event and has in depth knowledge and experience using Dicentis. As a result, PP-22 was seen as a hugely successful event with ITU complementing the Conference Systems SRL team for their professionalism and competence.