• by Seth Burstein
• Sep 20, 2019
• Event Wifi

There was a time when ‘connecting’ with someone meant getting to know them face to face. While in-person meetings remain a common occurrence, ‘connecting’ means a lot more these days than it did before. We now have the ability to connect with people we’ve never met, and it all happens online.

For event managers, this changing definition of what it means to be ‘connected’ is key to hosting a successful event. While attendees will be able to meet and network face-to-face at your event, ensuring that they can connect beforehand and stay in touch throughout the event is crucial for helping them leverage the networks they’ve built.

So, how do you ensure successful new-age connectivity (or, put simply, ‘Internet connectivity’) over the course of your event?

Rule 1: Be Proactive.

How well your event goes is largely linked to two things:

• how comfortably your attendees can network and communicate
• how fast and dependable is your WiFi network

The connection may not seem immediately obvious, but these two points are more linked than ever, and the best way to make the most of both is to be proactive. This means setting up an online space before your event for guests to interact with and get to know other attendees they may want to connect with in the future.

No one is immune from the moment of terror that comes after entering a packed room without a familiar face in sight. By creating something as simple as a Facebook page or chatroom for your attendees beforehand, you can make that initial experience much less terrifying.

A small note: try to make it easy for attendees to sign into the virtual space you’ve created for them. Looking up business and other attendee profiles to find the ones they’re interested in shouldn’t be an added hassle for your guests.

Rule 2: Have WiFi Access Everywhere.

Some event organizers choose not to extend WiFi coverage to their meeting or presentation rooms, mistakenly thinking that it distracts attendees from networking or paying attention to the speaker.

Do not make this mistake! Not only will WiFi access help your guests network with one another, but it can also allow for smoother meetings and conferences by taking advantage of the following:

• Allowing listeners to post comments about the speeches and presentations being given in real time, making for effective, organic buzz.
• Providing a means of communication for attendees to outside world, as many meeting rooms don’t receive a cellular signal and WiFi is the only option. This will help them keep up with their appointments and other notifications while still being present at your event.
• Enabling speakers to use tools that might make their presentations more interesting, and the audience can then discuss those speeches via Twitter using event-specific hashtags.
• Helping listeners keep up with what speakers are trying to convey by allowing them to visit the URLs mentioned in the speech or look up any terms they may not have understood.
• Affording you the opportunity to stream your event online for those who could not make it in person, even turning the stream into a Q&A opportunity wherein viewers post their questions for speakers to address at the end of their speeches.

Rule 3: Make Sure Your WiFi Is WiFine.

It’s not enough to simply have WiFi coverage at your event. The WiFi you provide has to be capable of handling hundreds or even thousands of people actively uploading pictures, videos, social media posts and more.

If you’re searching for a provider that can help you meet those requirements, it might be worth considering Trade Show Internet’s array of services. While the more time to plan is better, installations can be done within 1 to 3 days ? perfect for those in a hurry ? and our WiFi packs a punch, extending coverage across massive conventions, so you know it’ll be able to handle anything you throw at it.