Project of 2022 or how we technically secured the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU
Dozens of prestigious events, hundreds of tons of professional equipment and countless valuable experiences. See how AV MEDIA EVENTS provided technical support for the most important events held on the occasion of the Czech EU Presidency in 2022.
The Czech Republic hosted the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2022 and held many events in the Czech Republic during this period. And we were honoured to supply cutting-edge technology for the most important of them.
We have been preparing since 2019
As this was a huge and extraordinary project, preparations for it were made several years in advance. Already in 2019 we organized a model event for representatives of the Czech Government Office and the Czech Ministry.
Our employees were also regularly trained to operate BOSCH equipment. Similarly, investments (especially in BOSCH equipment and interpreting booths) needed to be planned.
We managed the demanding preparations, so our team was thoroughly prepared for the organization of individual events.
Official opening of the Presidency in Litomyšl
Right at the beginning we had a stress test - the technical arrangements for the official opening of the Presidency (including a visit to the College of the European Commission). This took place on 1 July at the castle in Litomyšl.
The AV MEDIA EVENTS team had to work with surgical precision and caution because the Litomyšl castle is a UNESCO heritage site, so it was out of the question to damage anything. Among other things, taping cables with gaffa was forbidden, we had a limited number of sockets and we were not allowed to use lifts.
Our colleagues, however, coped with the challenges perfectly. For example, they supplied the event with BOSCH Dicentis conference microphones, interpreter booths or sound, lighting and cameras for the meeting rooms. They also took care of providing video feeds for journalists or the transmission of simultaneous interpretation.
16 informal ministerial meetings
We also enjoyed the technical arrangements for the informal meetings of the ministers at the Prague Congress Centre. From 11 July to 23 September, we handled a total of 16 of them, and we had these orders confirmed up to 14 days before the start of the Presidency.
We supplied 50 BOSCH Dicentis conference microphones, 15 interpreter booths, as well as lights, sound, projection or podium and breakout room equipment. 30 technicians were in charge of the informal meetings of the ministers.
The toughest test: the 2022 Presidential Summit
If any of the events had to be 100% successful, it was the spectacular event in the form of the Presidential Summit 2022. It was the most prestigious event of the Czech Presidency, that took place on 6-7 October at the Prague Castle and we prepared for it for two and a half months. We were at our wits' end, but the result was worth it!
The installation of the technology was challenging, among other things because Prague Castle had its own agenda until the last moment before the event. At the same time, the client didn't officially confirm the order until 3 days before the event, so it was quite a ride. In addition, our team had to comply with high security standards and a strict accreditation system.
Dozens of people from AV MEDIA EVENTS participated in the Presidential Summit, providing more than 40 tons of equipment (it was a complex contract):
118 conference microphones BOSCH Dicentis
40 interpreting booths
displays
secured signal
lighting and sound system
cameras and PTZ cameras
P2P connection between Prague and Brussels
videoconferencing on the Prague-Kyiv route
tent structures, stage platforms and elevations, carpets, electric generators,
cable crossings, power and optical cabling, data interconnection of premises
COSAC Plenary Session
The most challenging of all the events was over, but that was not the end of the work for us. On 14th and 15th November, the AV MEDIA EVENTS team organised the COSAC Plenary Session at the O2 Universe in Prague.
We were originally supposed to supply 75 interpreter booths for the event, but after the pandemic restrictions were lifted, the client cancelled the request, and so the number of booths was significantly reduced just one month before the event. But this time we managed.
For this plenary session, our technicians also provided 380 BOSCH Dicentis microphones, 24 interpretation booths, PTZ cameras, printers, streaming, LED screens and NFC card identification.
SME Assembly or a prestigious event for small and medium-sized enterprises
The O2 Universum also hosted the SME Assembly event, the most important European event for small and medium-sized enterprises. It took place from 28 to 30 November and the participants were treated to panel discussions, workshops and award ceremonies.
While the client provided the production and technical production themselves, we supplied the technology. Specifically, this included an atypical LED screen from KVANT, sound and lighting, cameras, decorations or breakout room technology.
What we have learned during the Presidency
The months of intensive work on the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU have brought us a lot of wonderful experiences that we will draw on in the future. Among other things, we have learned:
- It is necessary to have unconfirmed technology ready, because many changes occur at the last minute.
- Anticipate that a larger trained technical team may be required (due to unexpected demands and absence of some members).
- Count on the fact that suppliers do not always meet equipment delivery deadlines. That's why it's important to have a backup solution in place.
- It is also important to act as a consultant who helps with the planning and preparation of the event.
Finally, we would like to thank the entire AV MEDIA EVENTS team that participated in the events of the Czech Presidency and managed them excellently despite many complications.
Our CRN partners deserve thanks as well. They have helped us significantly with events during the Czech Presidency - from training technicians to helping us with operational matters to promoting us on social media.
Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU
