It’s widely acknowledged that the event planning profession is fraught with stress and challenges that stem from a rapidly changing industry, short timelines, rising costs, and the unrelenting demand to raise the bar for each subsequent event. According to a recent study conducted by the World Scholarship Vault, event planners are experiencing unprecedented stress levels, ranking as the third-most stressful job globally last year. One of the most frustrating things for any event planner is grappling with hurdles that could have been avoided. Conference Internet and WiFi is a prime example and a central source of preventable challenges.

To prevent your next event from going off the rails, we offer the following solutions to four common Conference Internet and WiFi roadblocks that, if avoided, will enable you to host with confidence:

Roadblock #1: Tech Provider Exclusivity and Non-Competes

When it comes to venue contracts, event planners often encounter a significant obstacle: in-house technology restrictions. This dilemma leaves planners feeling trapped, since preferring a third-party technology provider over the in-house provider typically brings added requirements, restrictions and costs.

Here's how it was explained recently by one of Xpodigital’s customers:

“We didn't get to work with our preferred tech provider for our event because the venue had specific requirements and restrictions on their in-house technology, and our preferred provider was not already on the approved vendor list.“

Solution: Enlist your technology provider as a consultant to advocate for your needs. A team of experts can accompany you during onsite visits, communicate with venue IT personnel, help design custom solutions, review venue contracts, and anything else needed to ensure your Internet and WiFi is stellar and your events are equipped appropriately BEFORE the final contract has been signed.

Roadblock #2: Insufficient Internet Bandwidth

In today's digital environments, having adequate Internet bandwidth is essential to ensure seamless communication, efficient operations, impressive multimedia presentations, uninterrupted live feeds, and reliable guest WiFi connections. Venues will typically allocate a specific amount of bandwidth for events, but is it dedicated to your event, or is it shared with other guests, events, or even the public?

Solution: Inquire about dedicated network options and conduct thorough connectivity and capacity tests BEFORE finalizing venue arrangements. By ensuring sufficient bandwidth allocation, you will enable seamless operations and prevent Internet-related hiccups.

Roadblock #3: Poor WiFi Coverage

On event day, the venue sees an influx of people inhabiting both indoor and outdoor areas at any given time. This is why strong and reliable WiFi coverage is critical. Secure networks and private WiFi are required for vendors to process electronic payments and provide outdoor services to guests. Poor or disrupted WiFi connectivity can result in point-of-sale (POS) transaction interruptions and lost revenue. It also undermines the guest experience by negatively impacting an event's essential programming, like keynote speeches, multimedia displays, security cameras, apps and live feeds. What’s more, attendees with limited WiFi access are unable to share their experiences in real time, which can adversely affect the event's reputation and hinder promotion efforts. 

Solution: Partner with an experienced and trusted network services provider to equip your events with secure, high-density bandwidth on a temporary or permanent basis.

The right Internet and WiFi partner will be able to:

• Custom design utilizing strategic placement of wireless access points

• Configure dedicated private networks

• Provide dedicated onsite support with real-time response

Roadblock #4: Sub-par Conference Internet and WiFi Support

During conferences, a lack of hands-on Conference Internet and WiFi support specialists can lead to unwanted setbacks, access issues, downtime, disruptions, degraded and intermittent live streams, and complaints. 

Solution: Avoid a poor attendee experience by partnering with a reliable and responsive team of experts who can provide superior service and support. 

A full-service Conference Internet and WiFi partner will take a variety of important concerns off your plate including:

• Proactive monitoring of all systems and networks

• Full-service 24/7 onsite technical support 

• Network security and redundancy

• Connectivity for POS systems and security cameras

• Custom event reporting to assist in future planning and budgeting

Partner With Experts You Can Trust.

While Conference Internet and WiFi can present its fair share of challenges, proactive planning and strategic partnerships can help overcome these obstacles. By addressing common roadblocks such as in-house technology restrictions, insufficient internet bandwidth, poor WiFi coverage, and sub-par support, you can optimize your event technology, impress attendees, and gain peace of mind.

Consider partnering with Xpodigital. 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. Learn more at: www.xpodigital.com/convention-internet