On May 13, 2024, Flemish Minister for Culture Jan Jambon invited his fellow European Ministers for Culture for an informal working dinner in Antwerp. Set against the stunning background of The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), the session’s central aim was to explore the role and contribution of culture and heritage in the European identity discourse. To facilitate discussions, duvall handled the conference technology. From remote interpretation and automatic camera tracking to AV support, duvall covered all conference bases.
A setting fit for cultural discussion
Flemish Minister for Culture Jan Jambon had selected the KMSKA in Antwerp to host an informal meeting about culture. A fitting location to pick up the conversations from the conference ‘Unity in Diversity? Culture, Heritage and Identity in Europe’ on 15 and 16 April. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp reopened only two years ago after an eleven-year restoration hiatus. As a result, it proved to be a stimulating location to brush up on the art history of the Low Countries. And it was a perfect starting point for a discussion on European culture and heritage.
The art of remote interpretation
A key session with the European Ministers for Culture took place in the Rubens Gallery, replete with monumental paintings. Such a venue immediately impacts interpretation options since placing interpreter booths is not an option in a wonderful museum room. Instead, the solution is remote interpretation. But not all remote interpretation is equal.
While simple at first glance, remote interpretation can be challenging. For starters, the software used by interpreters should enable high-quality audio and feature minimal latency. In both directions. Next, there’s the issue of security, especially with high-level participants. No one likes eavesdropping or wireless interception. Finally, remote interpretation should be user-friendly to ensure interpreters can focus on the message, without any technical hiccups.
Thankfully, duvall’s remote interpretation solution QuaQua ticks all the boxes. During the meeting, interpreters worked remotely from duvall’s interpretation hub. Some interpreters even worked from the comfort of their own homes. All interpreters and participants enjoyed pristine audio, the meeting was secure, and everyone got their message across clearly. Since QuaQua is built for remote interpretation and thoroughly field-tested, the multilingual meeting of European ministers for Culture went flawlessly.
Big picture conferencing: camera tracking and flexible devices
Interpretation is only part of the conference puzzle. To get every participant involved, integrating technology and solutions plays a key role.
Take automatic camera tracking for instance. By combining the participant’s device with the camera tracking system and the displays in the room, talking heads are created automatically. As soon as a speaker activates their microphone, the camera pans, tilts, and/or zooms to bring the speaker into focus. With the addition of a few presets and thanks to automatic camera tracking, you never need to start from a blank canvas.
Having versatile options available to respond to changes is always a bonus. That’s why duvall uses Televic Confidea FLEX wireless devices. Changing units from chairperson to delegate or adding or removing functionality (voting or interpretation) is as easy as a software setting. Adding or removing units is easy, too.
While a summit puts the spotlight on the participants, it’s imperative to keep in mind the delegations, too. duvall therefore equipped a dedicated listening room with AV solutions: short-throw projectors that display the discussion feed and audio systems to enable remote, passive listeners to tune in. Again, combined with remote interpretation. In short: all active and passive meeting participants were on the same page.
Equipment List
- Televic Lingua Interpreter Console
Served as the control hub for interpreters, managing the flow of languages effortlessly. - Televic Confidea FLEX
Easy to use and flexible device for talking, listening, voting, and more - Infrared receivers (conference room and press room)
Each unit facilitated the distribution of interpreted languages. - QuaQua Hybrid
- Remote Interpretation Hub at duvall
- 2 Screens
- Short-throw Projector
Art and science
A historical art room, EU Ministers for Culture with diverse linguistic backgrounds, and their delegations. It could have been the story of a difficult challenge to get things right despite the obstacles. Thankfully, duvall has conferencing down to a fine art.
The keys? Flawless remote interpretation, flexible technology, and a true eye for every participant, active and passive.
Interested in learning more about duvall’s expertise in supporting high profile meetings? Visit the duvall website or subscribe to our knowledge base on this website to get access to our repository of valuable articles.
