How to avoid wireless connection problems at your next event
These days all event attendees expect fast and stable wifi connection. Therefore, whether you are organising a small conference for a few hundred visitors or a big international exhibition with thousands of attendees and exhibitors, starting to plan your wifi deployment strategy 4–6 weeks ahead is crucial to the success of your event.
The rising demand for hybrid events that facilitate live communication over video streaming and event apps amongst others puts the onus on event organisers to provide flawless wireless connectivity and sufficient bandwidth to handle thousands of simultaneously connected devices utilising the technology.
Although some venues may already have their own wireless facilities, it may not be a good idea to rely solely on these.
Built-in wifi networks were designed for general use and not for conferences or trade shows where many visitors or exhibitors require strong and reliable managed wifi service all day long. In any case, it is worth asking a set of questions in advance, about the wireless network capacity at your venue before making the final decision.
- Has the venue hosted similar events in the past?
- Did attendees experience connection problems during previous events?
- What maximum number of simultaneous connections can the network handle?
- Ratio of access points to expected devices?
- What are the locations of the access points?
- Can you count on qualified technical support throughout the entire event?
- Is there a dedicated amount of bandwidth, and what are the Internet upload/download speeds?
If you have doubts about the wifi network at your venue, turning to a specialist managed wifi provider will help you to avoid attendee complaints and ensure a smooth successful event experience for all those involved.
Follow the 6 steps below to avoid connectivity problems at your next event
1. Include in your budget the cost of the required amount of Internet bandwidth and a fully managed wifi network to share it over.
Dedicated bandwidth is not cheap. Therefore, include the cost of a dedicated amount of bandwidth and managed wifi network. The total price may vary significantly depending on the event size and type.
2. Calculate the estimated number of guests.
Make sure you know the approximate number of visitors, including attendees, speakers, exhibitors and event staff. Remember each one of these will require quality Internet access at some point.
3. Estimate how many devices are going to access the network simultaneously.
Keep in mind that nowadays attendees are likely to have more than one device. This means that if you are expecting to host 1000 people probably you’ll have to cope with 1300–1500 digital devices connected throughout the event.
4. Calculate the amount of required dedicated bandwidth.
Based on the numbers above you will need to ensure that you budget for the right amount of Internet bandwidth for your event. Although no exact science, below is a rule of thumb from which to determine ideal size of bandwidth, with the associated estimated cost.
5. Determine the areas and the times that might require higher coverage and bandwidth allocation.
Think carefully which areas are likely to require more connectivity as this will be important in determining the location of access points, and bandwidth distribution.
Visitors are also more likely to require more internet access at certain times through out the day, so plan ahead as to when and where the highest level of connectivity will occur.
The advantage of having a supported managed wifi service is that your on-site engineer will be able to monitor and adjust the wifi network parameters to ensure that at key times, users in all locations will have sufficient bandwidth available. In terms of the wifi network, your wifi provider will ensure that the whole area is set up to provide the best possible coverage and performance in those areas.
6. Make sure that your attendees know how to access the correct wifi network.
Ensure that there are always staff members available ready to assist clients’ needs and provide instructions on how to access the network. Put up posters and notices around the venue, telling the visitors how to access the wifi network.
In conclusion
Remember that a good wifi connection is expected and bad wifi and Internet connection are noticed. You don’t want a poor signal to become the main discussion point of the entire event nor would you want it to grow into a trending topic on your social networks. No doubt, satisfied attendees, speakers and sponsors is the main goal of any event organiser, that is why planning and executing the right wireless network strategy should be one of the main tasks on your to-do list.
At TapFuse we understand the value and complexity of guaranteeing a seamless and fully managed connected event, which is why we have partnered up with Simpli-Fi to make your events BETTER CONNECTED.
