New AV technology increases meeting efficiency and cuts down travel costs
Marshalltown, Iowa – Iowa’s Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 33 (Local 33) recently upgraded their audiovisual (AV) conferencing technology to create more user-friendly experiences for their members during meetings and training. Frequently during meetings, Local 33 members struggled with hearing the presenter or other participants who were not at their same locations due to poor audio quality. Similarly, attendees could not clearly see the content displayed or shared on the video screen via their over 20-year-old AV technology. Because of these challenges, training could not be held remotely, so all union members were required to travel to the Des Moines office for any required training.
“We wanted to find a way to bring our extremely outdated AV equipment to the 21st Century,” says Jason Shanks, Union President of Local 33. “The image quality was poor and the audio was distorted. Mechdyne was able to find a solution that met our requests for our union meetings and training, and was overall a really great group of people to work with.”
Mechdyne designed and installed a connected experience for the Local 33 training center in Des Moines and their other Iowa locations in Sioux City, Ottumwa, Mason City, and Fort Dodge. The AV upgrade included:
- Four 65″ displays mounted on the wall
- Five gooseneck microphones for the union panel seating
- Cameras to display the Des Moines office to remote participants
- Motion tracking camera and lanyard for the presenter
Local 33 is experiencing an increased return on investment with the new system due to decreased travel requirements of their members and outside visitors, and increased meeting efficiency. They are now able to hold all meetings and training remotely, if desired, without audio and video difficulties across all locations.
About Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 33
With the expertise necessary to complete projects safely and on-schedule, the highly-skilled members of Local 33 provide quality craftsmanship throughout central and western Iowa. Their productive workforce of 1,500 plumbers, steamfitters and welders are highly trained and ready to work on multi-family housing, commercial and industrial facilities, as well as process piping.
About Mechdyne
Mechdyne Corporation is a broad-based technology partner specializing in audiovisual and information technologies (AV/IT), visualization and software solutions, immersive virtual and augmented reality technologies, and technical support services. We address complex projects where an in-depth understanding of user requirements leads to the development of customized solutions involving elements of display, graphics computing, software, and professional services.
Headquartered in Marshalltown, Iowa, Mechdyne serves a global client base that includes leading government laboratories, university and research centers, energy, aerospace, manufacturing, and medical organizations, as well as any other user of advanced technology.