The world of event planning is no stranger to stress. According to a recent study by the World Scholarship Vault, event planner stress levels have reached a new high as the third-most stressful job in the world for 2023. Event planners are jugglers of time, managing shorter lead times, endless details, and more demanding clients. As Jenn Artura, a global marketing executive and founding committee member of Event Minds Matter, aptly puts it, "Event planners are being asked to do so much more and maintain an 'always on' level of work further impacted by high levels of uncertainty, job changes, a looming recession, increased costs, additional pressures with contracting, resources, and sourcing, the weaponization of travel, and the Great Resignation."

Technology has become an indispensable enabler of today's conferences in this complex, high-pressure environment. Event planners rely on essential technologies for a multitude of tasks, from managing logistics to enhancing guest experience and engagement. The right event technology is so vital that it can increase conference attendance by 20%, according to a study by Enterprise Event Marketing. Event internet and WiFi are the backbone of modern conference experiences and are relied upon by every stakeholder and conference guest. Still, the essential role of high-speed internet and WiFi is often overlooked until it breaks or something goes wrong.

In an era where digital operations are paramount, the robustness of and access to internet and WiFi can make or break the guest experience and negatively impact the success and reputation of the conference. Secure, high-speed internet and WiFi are no longer a luxury but a basic expectation for event hosts, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and attendees. Recent data from iPass reveals that, on average, event attendees now bring an average of three mobile devices to conferences and use those devices to navigate the conference, communicate with other attendees, manage their event schedules and stay connected to work and family.

For event planners constantly juggling priorities, it can be difficult to analyze, plan for and manage technology requirements when you are not an expert and are already underwater. For these individuals, we offer the following suggestions that can help you avoid costly missteps:

Questions to Avoid Costly Missteps

Because internet connectivity is a linchpin for successful events, slow or unreliable internet can disrupt schedules, affect live streams, and lead to a barrage of complaints from speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees. Your day-of event schedule is packed tight, so poor internet and WiFi is the last thing you want to deal with. Consider these questions to determine if your venue is displaying some early warning signs:

• Has there been slow or unreliable internet during events in the past?

• Is there limited bandwidth capacity overall or in key locations on the property?

• Do you find a general lack of networking expertise onsite?

• Do the networks sometimes get overloaded during times of peak usage?

• Have there been repeated technical outages, glitches or failures?

• Are there specific dead zones with limited connectivity within your event space?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, consider reinforcing your event internet and WiFi networks.

The Importance of Service and Expertise

A lack of hands-on support when you really need it can lead to unwanted setbacks, internet access issues, downtime, disruptions, degraded and intermittent live streams, and complaints. These disasters can impact and jeopardize long-term customer relationships and future revenue. This is why it’s crucial to partner with a provider that can offer expert planning and hands-on technical support when you need it most.

A dependable partner will be able to verify the venue's onsite capabilities, analyze its existing internet architecture, recommend proactive measures and act to mitigate any potential problems to ensure a successful event. In advance of the event, a reliable team of experts can begin to mitigate risks and supplement what's already available so that at the time of the event, their team can successfully provide onsite technical support and troubleshooting in areas that include:

• Proactive monitoring of all systems and networks

• Fully engaged support staff ready to address technical issues and complaints in an efficient and timely manner

• Effective management of digital content, including real-time updates and last-minute changes, to keep screens in sync with the conference

• A/V and multimedia support to resolve any content or presentation-related issues for speakers and sponsors

Enlisting adequate support staff for your event and equipping them to handle real-time issues and escalations will help your event run smoothly with minimal crises. Sounds simple, right? Maybe not.

Partner With Experts You Can Trust.

As an event planner, you must be vigilant about recognizing signs of inadequate internet capabilities and support at your venue. But with so much already on your plate, it’s helpful to partner with an experienced service provider who can offer onsite technical support and personalized solutions so you never have to worry about all those potentialities and unanticipated issues ever again.

To avoid unnecessary setbacks and stress, consider partnering with event technology experts like 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 to optimize their events, free up valuable resources and improve the attendee experience. Learn more at: www.xpodigital.com/convention-internet