As internet becomes essential to the new ways professional events are run, it's your responsibility as an organizer to make sure the connection you use is appropriate! Whether for managing attendees or offering your guests more interactivity, the success of your event will depend largely on the quality of your connection. To avoid disaster, here are 7 practical tips to follow:
Assess the bandwidth your event needs
Even before choosing a venue for your event, it's important to have a rough estimate of your needs. The number of attendees expected, along with the type of interaction planned during the event, will help you estimate the number of connected devices and your bandwidth needs in Megabits per second (Mbps). Refer to the reference table at the end of this article to estimate your needs.
Test the connection on site
Once you've estimated your usage, go on site to test the actual speed of the internet network. Just connect and use one of the many existing services (such as speedtest.net). This tool will let you quickly assess the bandwidth available on site.
Ask the technician the right questions
While you're on site, take the opportunity to ask a few questions to the person in charge of the internet setup. They can tell you how the access points (Wifi hotspots) are distributed across the room, as well as the number of simultaneous connections they can support. To avoid any saturation, we recommend not exceeding 75% of the stated capacity (keep in mind that the technician often works for the venue!). It's also important to make sure someone from technical support is on site and available on the day. Make friends with the technician: if anything goes wrong, they'll be your best ally, so it's worth keeping them happy.
Set up a dedicated connection for your staff and key devices
As a precaution, ask for a separate network for your team and key devices. Along the same lines, don't share your wifi credentials if it's not needed for the event. This way you'll have fewer distracted attendees, and more importantly you'll optimize the stability of the network dedicated to your staff and to running your event.
Avoid internet portals
Many hotels and venues offer a connection that requires signing in. While that's usually enough for a dozen people to check their email in the lobby, these systems are rarely stable enough to provide a good connection to hundreds of people working in a room. What's more, the portal is often set to cut the connection after a given time (1 hour, at midnight, etc.). This is a risk factor to avoid if possible!
Plan a 3G/4G backup solution
A wireless 3G/4G router (mobile hotspot) can save the day. Switched on and connected in an instant, it can broadcast a Wifi network to a small number of nearby devices (particularly useful for check-in, which can take place in an area far from the wifi access points). This way, even if the venue has no internet setup, you can still offer your guests a quality welcome. Just be sure to check that the carrier you choose has coverage at that venue.
The heavy-duty approach: deploy a satellite network
If your event takes place out in the countryside, or if you need a very high-speed connection, why not deploy a satellite network? There are several highly effective providers who can help you (such as our partner Eric from ParisWebCube).
The Wifi connection is something to plan for ahead of time, not leave until the last minute. With a good network, your guests will naturally tend to tweet or share photos live from your event. Your brand image is at stake, and attendees won't hesitate to speak up if their working conditions are affected!
