Industrial EWC: 11 Languages on the Move on the Factory Floor

The Challenge: From Gamble to Guarantee

The European Works Council (EWC) meeting for a major multinational manufacturing group is a high-stakes event: roughly 30 union representatives from across Europe, 11 working languages, and critical technical discussions.

The client decided to move the event from the Milan HQ directly to foreign production plants. The challenge was not just logistical, but psychological.

Act I: The Pikkala Gamble (Finland) The first trip involved a tour amidst the noisy machinery of the Finnish plant. Skepticism was total. Both the agency and the client feared a technical disaster and managed expectations downwards with the delegates: "We will attempt this technological approach, but if it doesn't work, please be patient."

Act II: The Slatina Confirmation (Romania) Given the unexpected success of the first leg, the second trip to Romania was approached with the opposite spirit: no longer fear, but an expectation of excellence. The challenge was to replicate the same quality standard in a different industrial environment, consolidating the format.

The Solution: The Replicable "Travel Kit"

We engineered a "trolley-based" solution capable of traveling by air with a single technician, identical for both trips.

In the Meeting Room: RSI Bridge Trolley

Instead of shipping bulky racks, the Converso® technician traveled with carry-on luggage containing the RSI Bridge (compact version) and a lightweight video setup (4 Mevo cameras with NDI direction on iPad). Heavy audio gear (microphones and speakers) was rented locally in Finland and then in Romania, slashing transport costs. The RSI Bridge ensured a stable connection to the RSI Hub in Milan, where interpreters worked securely.

On the Factory Floor: Custom TerpMate Setup

For the tours along the production lines, we used an agile mobile configuration:

• Stabilized Video: Smartphone on a gimbal to send a smooth video feed to remote interpreters.
• Crystal Clear Audio: Dual RØDE Wireless microphones (clip-on for the guide, handheld for Q&A).
• Hybrid Connectivity: SpeedFusion Bonding technology (via Peplink app) to combine local 5G with the plant's Wi-Fi network, ensuring coverage even in blind spots.
• Seamless Experience: Delegates continued listening to the translation exactly as they did in the meeting room: using their own smartphones (BYOD) and personal headphones. The transition from the boardroom to the factory was transparent.

The Results: Setting a Standard

1. Finland (The Baptism): Skepticism turned into amazement. Foreign delegates, thanks to headphone isolation, heard the guide better than the locals. "Never seen anything like it before" was the comment that unlocked the client's trust.
2. Romania (The Confirmation): In Slatina, the system worked with Swiss-watch precision. The anxiety of the first time was gone, replaced by the confidence of having a robust solution.
3. Video Souvenir: On both occasions, the stability of the gimbal footage allowed us to edit a 90-second highlight reel, gifted to the client as an internal communication asset.