• by Seth Burstein
• Dec 17, 2018
• event wifi, faster wifi, wifi for events, wifi tips, event wifi tips

Organizing WiFi for large events, such as exhibitions or shows, can be overwhelming, even for the most experienced event coordinator. When planning such an event, you’re tasked with arranging everything from the guest list to the menu, the decorations to the lighting; there are countless important details that need to be considered before preparations can begin. Among the most critical detail, once you’ve found the right location for your event, is ensuring secure access to WiFi. The extent of configuration necessary to guarantee all of your guests and their various tech devices are constantly connected to a reliable network can be a challenge.

While most venues already offer WiFi access, the circumstances aren’t always optimal. There will be times when the connection doesn’t meet your expectations or the tech team is incapable of solving an issue you’re facing. In cases like these, you’ll need to bring in a company that specializes in providing WiFi for events. As a company that provides such specialized solutions, we always do our best to provide the fastest and most reliable connection possible, but it never hurts for you to be prepared as well.

The following are three simple but important steps you can take to help ensure an optimal WiFi experience at your next large event.

Consider Every Detail

At the forefront of your event-planning agenda should be awareness of the type of event you’ll be hosting. This will help you determine which guests to expect as well as what tech devices they may be using at the event and for what purposes.

If you’re hosting a trade show, for example, some participants might request dedicated bandwidth through a hard-wired Ethernet connection, while others will need nothing more than casual WiFi for their staff.

In another example, if you’re hosting a fashion show, your guests will want to be able share photos and videos of the event, especially those closest to the runway or stage, so your WiFi connection will need to be strongest in that area.

• Type of Venue

In addition to tailoring your WiFi connection to the event you’re hosting, it’s a good idea to visit the venue beforehand in order to determine where the connection needs to be most concentrated. This is especially important if the venue doesn’t have enough bandwidth or doesn’t come with WiFi at all, as you’ll want to place key vendors and advertisements in high-priority areas to maximize ROI and have the WiFi capacity strongest in those areas.

Pre-cabling is one of the first things you should do when setting up a venue for your event. If the venue owner allows it (and you should do whatever you can to get their permission), it’s highly advisable to run the cables the day prior to the event. That way, when the participants start arriving to prepare for the event, they’ll have much-needed Internet access immediately.

 

Prioritize Your Network

When planning your event budget, don’t leave WiFi at the bottom of the list. Unless you have no problem with your network cutting out or being otherwise unreliable, we wouldn’t recommend going with the least expensive provider. Remember the timeless adage: you get what you pay for.

Guests attending first-class events expect commensurate WiFi and Internet service. If you’re expecting hundreds or thousands of attendees and a good number of them are using their tech devices to share their experiences in real-time, a robust WiFi network, one built specifically for the event, is a necessity.

Choose the Right Equipment for the Job

Telecom equipment comes in all shapes and sizes, and just as network technologies continue to improve over time, event ISPs should continuously upgrade their equipment. Older equipment may still be functional, but it won’t be up to par with newer tech.

Data transfer rates matter as well. In a best-effort situation, cellular bandwidth may be the best option, but the speed of the connection is never guaranteed. If significant aspects of your event depend on a fast, consistent Internet connection, it’s important to use a dedicated bandwidth solution. You should never depend on best-effort bandwidth in events where the network is critical.

 

Hire a Specialist

As an event coordinator, you have a lot on your plate without constantly worrying about whether or not the current Internet connection is sufficient for everyone’s needs. Your role is to bring together the best of the best in order to create an unforgettable event, not to do everything yourself.

For example, you can put together the menu for an event, but in the end, you leave it to the caterers to cook the food. And while you may have a friend who hosts wonderful dinner parties, you likely wouldn’t hire them to cater your 1,000-person event, as the latter requires a very different set of skills and equipment from the former.

In that same vein, an aspect of your event as important as the network connection should be left to a specialist with the necessary equipment, knowledge, and expertise to deliver the best event WiFi experience possible. In addition to setting everything up, an on-site specialist can make adjustments to the network as necessary, which is crucial for preventing an overwhelming success from turning into an outright flop because of an unexpected problem.

When hiring a specialist, you should depend on someone you can trust, an expert in the field who needs no supervision or direction. We at Trade Show Internet know how to meet our clients’ highest expectations and will provide you with everything you need, from the equipment to the expertise, to transform your dream event into a reality.