Minimizing These Barriers to Convention Center Internet Installation Using Conference WiFi Solutions
Convention centers are steadily growing more connected — from hybrid conference events to full event webcasting, diverse new convention center trends require reliable, high-bandwidth internet solutions.
With such rapidly expanding technology, it’s essential for convention centers to install conference WiFi solutions that can hold up to today’s evolving standards. Unfortunately, convention centers may run into one of several barriers to installation. Here are a few common pain points of conference WiFi, alongside key insights on how Hospitality Network addresses them from Glenn Tudor, our Senior Manager of ACS Sales.
1. Overlapping Signal Traffic & Dropping Coverage
Arguably the largest issue affecting connection for convention centers is overlapping signal traffic. Massive convention centers, such as the Las Vegas Convention Center, are filled with hundreds of exhibitors at a time. A few individual networks in proximity to each other won’t typically cause problems; when hundreds are in proximity, however, networks begin to interfere.
“WiFi operates on a couple of levels of signal,” explains Tudor. “The problem is if you put a couple of wireless routers that are operating on a different SSID within nearby proximity to each other, they do what we call stepping on each other. When you place a hundred of them, they’re competing for your signals going in and out, and you’re dropping WiFi coverage.”
This problem becomes especially accentuated in a convection center space. Unlike users in other spaces that may contain multiple signals at once (such as a shopping mall), convention center exhibitors need to use the internet at an especially high volume.
“During the convention, you only have eight hours to make an impression with people coming to that convention,” explains Tudor. “Everyone’s got their best products on full blast — they need full WiFi, and that is a problem when (networks) are all interfering with each other.”
The Hospitality Network Solution
Unlike other options for convention center internet, Hospitality Network is a facilities-based provider. In Glenn’s own words, “we’re able to balance our networks and we’re able to spread people out enough so that we don’t have as much congestion.”
Tudor further elaborates that “when people come in and where they’re buying a wired connection, we find out, why are they buying it? If they want to set up some WiFi, we can segment the wireless network that we have built and give them a specific SSID on our wireless network so that there’s not a competing wireless network within the building.”
With holistic facilities-based wireless connections, Hospitality Network minimizes instances of overlapping coverage — spreading out signals and reducing instances of dropped coverage for convention center exhibitors and attendees.
2. High Installation Costs & Uncertain Needs
Another issue facing exhibitors is a lack of budget, alongside a lack of understanding of how that budget actually needs to be spent. According to Tudor, “a lot of times, we will have people that do have heavy needs but their budget won’t accommodate that.” Just as often, however, groups don’t realize their needs are far smaller than they expected.
“Most people come in and think that they need way more bandwidth than they actually need,” elaborates Tudor. “They may be doing a presentation [thinking they need] 50 megabytes to stream this and they don’t need that…people are a lot of times surprised that, HD video for example, doesn’t require that much.”
The Hospitality Network Solution
As leading experts in conference center WiFi design, Hospitality Network listens directly to convention centers and exhibitors to pinpoint specific bandwidth needs for a venue or booth. In turn, we make every effort to help keep budgets within a reasonable range, and ensure you’re maximizing your internet investment.
For users that do have heavier duty needs, however, Hospitality Network has flexible high-capacity WiFi solutions to ensure we meet your expectations within your budget. One such option is shared bandwidth.
“We have a shared product where they’re actually sharing bandwidth with maybe another exhibitor or another couple of exhibitors,” explains Tudor. “Generally, people don’t need a constant drag on the bandwidth there, it’s up and down. And so depending on if that could work for them, we try to fit them into a more affordable product that they’re sharing.”
Whatever the needs & budget, Hospitality Network will work with your team and do our best to ensure you receive the internet access needed for a convention center, booth, or attendee.
3. Complicated Check-In Processes
Across sprawling conferences, attendees may find it hard to take in everything they’d like to see; even small interruptions can cause massive issues for attendees with busy schedules.
Unfortunately, accessing essential internet services can cause avoidable headaches. Complicated log-in portals, multiple devices, and confusing passwords may all present substantial barriers to internet access for attendees. These growing frustrations can detract from the convention center experience and provide an unnecessary hurdle to gaining the most out of a conference.
The Hospitality Network Solution
Hospitality Network conference WiFi solutions gives convention centers the option to offer pre-event registration for attendees.
“If you register your device ahead of time, when you get into the building, the network knows who you are — you don’t have to register for anything,” Tudor explains. “You can walk around, you can get into areas that you’re supposed to have access to because your device knows who you are and is registered on the network.”
Whether logging in from home or a hotel room, this early registration can maximize productive time spent on the event floor, and alleviate problems for attendees before they become detractors from the event experience.
Gain Industry-Leading Conference WiFi Solutions With Hospitality Network
As convention centers look to bolster conference WiFi solutions for exhibitors and attendees alike, they’re bound to run into common issues of implementation for this technology. With the help of an experienced provider of convention center internet such as Hospitality Network, convention centers can futureproof themselves for new technology both now and in the future.
Looking to minimize overlapping signal traffic, high installation costs, complicated check-in, and more within your venue? Request a consultation today to talk to our expert team.
Conference WiFi Pain Points Infographic (Free Download)
