The live events landscape continues to evolve and today’s conferences are more digital than ever before. Of course, this increased digitization poses a considerable challenge for event planners and venues, requiring more sophisticated network architectures and greater internet and WiFi coverage, bandwidth and speeds. The importance of technology for today’s events is underscored by a recent study from Enterprise Event Marketing, which reports that the right event technology can elevate conference attendance by a remarkable 20%.

Higher expectations for digital performance and increased technology usage is happening at a time when businesses are also waiting longer to commit to events due to economic uncertainties. Changes in keynotes, speaking tracks, meeting spaces, special events, floor plans, and branding continue to occur on the fly, but now with even less time to spare. The result is a surge in last-minute bookings and event planners having less time to prepare for increasingly complex situations. Event planning, already known as one of the most demanding professions in the U.S., reached new heights in 2023, becoming the third-most stressful job in the world, according to the World Scholarship Vault.

We believe planning a world-class event is possible with the right checklist, preparation and support. To help minimize the stress and complexity, we offer four steps for flawless conference internet:

Step 1: Select A Venue That Will Dedicate Adequate Bandwidth to Support Your Event

Adequate internet bandwidth is essential to ensuring seamless communication, efficient operations, impressive multimedia presentations, uninterrupted live feeds, and seamless guest WiFI. Focus on the following areas to avoid service interruptions, technological glitches, and a poor attendee experience at your next event:

Ensure dedicated WiFi networks

Event venues typically allocate a specific bandwidth for events, but planners must confirm it isn’t shared with guests outside the conference. In the planning phase, inquire whether the venue provides a dedicated network for your event or shares bandwidth with other users.

Test connectivity and capacity

Pre-event planning can be challenging and requires vigilance. You must trust the venue's initial responses to your questions while verifying their claims to the best of your ability. While the WiFi may have been strong during your initial walkthrough of the venue, how will it handle a sudden influx of attendees? Test the connectivity and capacity at the venue in advance, preferably during another event of similar size.

Bring along your own team of experts

Consider partnering with an outside team of experts that can validate onsite capabilities, address gaps in the venue's internet and WiFi networks, and design a custom solution that supplements the venue's existing capabilities to ensure ideal coverage across every inch of the conference area, including indoor and outdoor spaces. This may require additional bandwidth during peak times and extending WiFi coverage areas. Having an expert team to proactively manage Internet and WiFi and  interface with the venue and other technology vendors on your behalf will help you avoid problems and headaches and leave you with confidence knowing that your technology will work seamlessly and without delay.

Step #2: Leverage Analytics to Make Sound Decisions For Future Events

Underestimating internet and WiFi needs may lead to issues like communication glitches, tech performance issues, and a negative attendee experience, while overestimating can result in wasteful spending and cost overruns. It is important to make sure you have access to performance analytics and network reporting during and after the event. During the event, real-time monitoring allows for better management and optimization of internet and WiFi networks which can result in greater digital performance. After the event, network performance data can provide event planners with the insights they need to better budget for the next event and avoid cost overruns. Each year, events aspire to be more impressive than the year before, and consumer digital reliance grows. So, in addition to understanding prior usage, it is important to expect and budget for an incremental increase in usage. When selecting a venue, make sure the venue is prepared to provide network performance reports. If not, this may be one more reason to bring in outside expertise to manage, monitor and report on internet and WiFi performance.

Step #3: Develop a Contingency Plan

Because unforeseen events can occur, it is important to have a contingency plan for your conference internet to help minimize frustration and ensure a seamless experience for attendees, sponsors, vendors and staff. We recommend the following proactive steps to prepare:

• Confirm that the venue has emergency backup measures in place including redundancy.

• Maintain a master contact list in both digital and print formats.

• Designate a dedicated individual from your team to interface with the venue and vendors.

Step #4: Coordinate Processes Across Vendors

Inadequate coordination among technology vendors can significantly jeopardize the success of any event. The remedy? Establish a technology council and encourage all technology vendors to appoint representatives to engage in the council. This approach can significantly reduce the amount of potential issues events planners must deal with during an event and ensure that all event technology operates as intended.

Consider Xpodigital

The cornerstone of a successful event lies in having adequate internet coverage, speed, and bandwidth. For event planning professionals, carrying off a successful event while keeping stress at bay can seem far-fetched. Last-minute bookings, on-the-fly adjustments, and the demand for sophisticated network capabilities and bandwidth are just a few challenges you face on a daily basis. With so much already on your plate, it's helpful to partner with an experienced conference internet provider who can offer technical expertise and planning, onsite support and customized solutions so your event will go off without a hitch.

For over 20 years, world-class event planners and major venues have turned to Xpodigital to help design, install, manage and support their critical internet and WiFi networks to optimize their events, free up valuable resources, and improve the attendee experience. To learn more about Xpodigital’s industry-leading event technology support and service, please set a time to Meet with Us.