Source: Magnific.com
Reliable internet has become part of the basic infrastructure for modern events. A guest wants to connect their cellphone, an exhibitor expects to register and pay, and event teams are typically reliant on cloud-based tools to keep everything going.
Unfortunately, venue WiFi can have issues when hundreds of people connect at once and when a venue WiFi network wasn’t designed for demanding events. Hotspot rentals can be a practical solution for ensuring connectivity during planning events in the event of venue network slowdown, congestion, or inaccessibility.
Understand Where Venue WiFi Can Fail
An event can start off with great WiFi performance in a quiet venue and then change dramatically once people begin to use it. Hundreds of devices can be connected to the same network at a conference, trade show, wedding or corporate meeting.
All of this can be happening simultaneously to attendees: streaming, photo uploads, schedules, event apps, and video calls. In advance, make sure you ask the venue what the bandwidth, capacity, limits and availability of connections are and if they will have dedicated network connections for event personnel.
Identify Your Critical Connections
First, various services from public access should be distinguished. Throughout the day, you might need a reliable connection to the Registration systems, payment terminals, staff communication systems, livestreaming systems, and event management systems.
Make a basic list of critical systems and approximate bandwidth requirements of systems. This makes it easier to avoid using a single connection to everything, and makes it simpler to develop a backup strategy that backs up the most critical functions first.
Use a Dedicated Backup Connection
Hotspot rentals can be one practical part of that strategy, particularly when portability and quick deployment are important. Hotspot equipment can connect devices independently of the venue’s network, depending on available mobile coverage and the technology used.
This can be helpful in situations where there is a lot of guest traffic and the primary network gets overloaded, such as when working at events. The appropriate setup depends on the venue size and attendance, device numbers, and application needs.
Test Connectivity Before Guests Arrive
Don’t assume that a connection is of high quality just because you have mobile coverage in the area. Practice the proposed connection on site prior to the event. Ideally, signal strength should be checked in various regions such as the registration area, exhibition space, stage, meeting rooms and outdoor spaces where connectivity may also be required.
A pre-event test is a chance for organizers to find any weak points to make changes in equipment positioning or backup plans.
Protect High-Priority Event Operations
If you have a backup line, make sure to use it wisely. Event organizers can maintain their registration devices, payment systems, staff communication systems and other vital functions off the general guest flow.
If the systems are very critical, it’s also worthwhile to have another backup option. This is not necessarily about giving everyone unlimited internet access to everyone that attends. To ensure that the services that enable the event to function are available during the event if the primary network fails.
