Why is Conference WiFi So Challenging?
Reliable Internet can make or break an event. Unfortunately, it seems to break more often than not – many events and facilities fail to fully invest in their WiFi networks or rely on network infrastructure that was never intended to support the crowds that conventions, trade shows and corporate events attract.
Since reliable, secure Internet connections have become such an integral part of our daily lives, it’s no wonder so many people ask, “Why is conference WiFi so challenging?”
The Three Elements of High-Density Wireless Networks
The best conference WiFi experience is one you barely think about – the one you only realize is great because you finally realize it hasn’t dropped your connection 10 times in a day. While that may seem like a pipedream for most conference attendees, there is a better way to deliver WiFi. It comes down to three major elements.
Planning
For some providers, a network plan entails integrating a certain number access points for a given number of attendees. While that works on paper, it fails in the real world. A true plan requires understanding how attendees will move through an event space, how and when they’ll use technology, and even accounting for how the water in our bodies blocks WiFi signals.
showNets begins planning for shows like Dreamforce more than six months in advance, working with event planners and exhibitors to tailor a custom solution that fits their exact needs. We plan for the unexpected – like a CEO giving away new smartphones to his entire staff, all suddenly connecting to the network – by adding full redundancies, with at least two of every critical component to guarantee 100 percent uptime throughout your event.
Technology
Great event networks are built on a massive stack of technology. Deploying that technology intelligently allows event planners and facility managers to deploy networks that can scale from 500 users to 100,000 attendees without missing a beat.
Building the right technology goes beyond choosing 5GHz or 2.4GHz frequencies, it requires a team of people who understand how that technology should be designed, configured and deployed to meet the needs of an event.
People
While technology makes a WiFi network happen, skilled people make it work. At showNets, our network engineers and technicians start with a client’s goals and work backwards to a solution. With an average of 33 years experience, our staff can tailor a custom network solution that accounts for every imaginable variable at an event.
When our event and facility partners engage our teams, we unleash the creativity and problem-solving of our professionals to custom build a solution tailored to your event. Backed by the top technology in the business, our professionals deliver an exemplary customer experience, every time.