Companies who have delivered event IT and event wifi for many years have recently noticed a sudden growth in demand for IT related services at events. In earlier times, event wifi was unusual unless an item and also campaign with particular internet requirements was being exhibited. Nonetheless nowadays, event wifi is a vital component for occasions such as conferences, sport events, festivals, road shows and also experiential marketing events. 

Why is event wifi required? 

 For many companies, the sudden increase in demand for event wifi has proven difficult. Venue providers often think they’ve got sufficient broadband to supply an event - yet normally, this is incorrect. 

The majority of venues don’t have sufficient bandwidth and for that reason require event wifi so as to manage the heavy utilization of data (e.g. numerous web site presentations at IT functions, increased usage of smart phones and portable web products). Also, events planners as well have been caught off guard, yet through no fault of their own. Event wifi is frequently an after-thought and something which we do take for granted.

When can event wifi be used?

- Festivals - event wifi at festivals provides site wide wireless networks to enable mechanisms such as ticket devices.

- Indoor as well as outdoor networks - event wifi can be employed at a giant marquee or across several rooms at a conference.

- Temporary Cloud - event wifi employed for data capture or as a thank you to your patrons.

- Server access - make use of terminals to access your main server with event wifi.

- Press rooms - support the bandwidth hungry reporters going to your occasion with either a hardwired or wi-fi system.

- Production offices: internet in a porta cabin or a fully networked extension of your office with VOIP and server access with event wifi.

In addition, with this growth of event wifi has come a whole new raft of innovative marketing and data acquisition ideas. A few of these include:

1.    Blog spots - event wifi companies have had request for blog spots so team members can report on the event as it is taking place. These devices are triggered by RFID devices worn by each of the attendees which means no log in is required.

2.    Data exchange - no cost internet access at events (such as festivals) is generally provided via temporary clouds or wifi hotspots. Businesses use event wifi to supply individuals with no cost internet access to acquire some of their basic data. 

3. Website promotion - Public website demonstration is enabled through event wifi at events and exhibitions. 

4. Promotional stands - event wifi gives the marketer a wider variety of promotional tools to utilize. If wifi is being utilized at their promotional stand, it can keep potential customers looking for a longer period, and give that particular marketer an advantage over its other competitors.

What are the numerous event wifi options?

There’s a wide range of event wifi possibilities:

-    Quick and effective 3G bonded routers up to 7mbs.

-    Satellite up to 10Mbs (per sat). 

-    Point to Point where onsite broadband is not possible. This also provides exceptional bandwidth with hardly any contention ratio. 

-    Temporary ADSL/ADSL2 Broadband. Up to 20Mbs 2:1 contention ratio. This is economical and generally possible anywhere with an address. 

-    Temporary wifi, clouds and site wide transmission with a range of data capture and monetisation solutions.

With the ongoing progression of technology, it is almost certain that the demand for IT at an event, in particular event wifi, will continue to increase. With the increase of smart phones, portable computers, server based ticketing systems (not to mention the move towards a cashless society) event coordinators and venue providers must make event wifi more of a priority than it is at present. Event wifi is not only a basic requirement to manage the numerous modern day internet- using devices, but it is also a powerful marketing tool, used for processes such as data acquisition or finding new ways to interact with potential customers.