Over the last 15 years, internet access at events has gone from being an unexpected luxury to an outright expectation. In fact, the majority of companies that take part in expos and shows simply could not have done so without an internet connection to prop up their operation.
Whether you’re planning to offer a space as a pop-up opportunity for one or a handful of business – or you’re looking at putting on an event that’ll bring hundreds of businesses together in one place; the companies you talk to won’t just need to know that you’re providing a connection, they’ll need to know what that connection will bring to them.
Not all temporary event WiFi solutions are created equal, so putting the right one in place gives you an excellent series of benefits that’ll help you bring the right organizations into the room.
With cybercrime revenues topping $1.5 trillion last year, people are becoming more and more keen to understand how to stay safe on public WiFi – a notoriously frequent access point for fraudsters to capture user data.
In reality, there’s plenty that a good WiFi provider can do that’ll protect business’s users – but the protection for businesses doesn’t stop there. As well as making sure the WiFi is configured with security in mind, the right operator can put terms and conditions in place that must be acknowledged and accepted before internet access is granted to attendees.
For the businesses in the room, this limits their legal exposure – and, given ever-tightening privacy laws around the world; could very well prevent lawsuits – which is exactly the type of protection that businesses like to have.
Planning for success
No two events are exactly the same. Even if you’ve got two shows with the same businesses and the same delegates, something seemingly as unimportant as a location change could radically alter your ability to get the right WiFi solution for your exhibitors and guests to use.
An outstanding WiFi provider will make planning a big part of their service. By understanding the intricacies of the venue and the needs of the users, there will be no delays or delivery issues – just a team that arrives with the right equipment, ready to get you connected.
From a business’s point of view, the importance of knowing they will be able to put their systems into place is absolutely invaluable. Without access to their payment systems, customer management tools, marketing materials or stock control, they stand the chance of looking ill-prepared when they’re in front of customers. Removing this possibility puts a big feather in the cap of any event organizer.
Captive portals
The concept of a captive portal is simple – in fact, you’ve probably experienced one yourself when you’ve tried to access a WiFi network in a hotel or on a flight. Rather than connecting directly to the site or service you were aiming to use, you’re redirected to a first-step ‘landing page’ – where you’re introduced to the company, given instructions on how to use their internet access, and sometimes prompted to create an account.
The thing is, this isn’t the enormous undertaking it might appear to be. A good temporary event WiFi provider can help you put this kind of infrastructure into place – and it comes with its own set of enormous benefits.
Do you want to contact details for everyone who accessed WiFi at your show? Would this represent outstanding marketing reach for the companies you’re bringing on board? Would adding sponsors to your WiFi system bring another stream of revenue to your event?
Of course, these are just a few of the potential benefits you can reap – but there are also benefits for the people using your WiFi too. A quick guide to your event can be accessed at any time – along with links to participant’s social media, websites, and other useful information. It’s also another peace of mind step for attendees – if they see official branded information before they connect, they’ll be confident their own data is safe.
Temporary event WiFi network management
There’s much more to temporary event WiFi than simply setting up and giving every attendee access. In fact, the right company can help you and the businesses you’re working with to deliver a different WiFi experience to different audiences – depending on what will best serve them.
For instance, the average attendee may require guest WiFi access to allow for a ‘normal’ level of event interaction – sharing photos, checking-in through social media, etc. While that’s likely to be adequate for most guests, there’s a chance that some guests will need more from their connection – especially if they’re broadcasting or streaming their experience to be the benefit of the companies involved.
For the companies coming to your show, pop-up space, or expo, there’s an enormous marketing benefit to be seen if the right influencers and press outlets have the means to do what they do best. This is often overlooked by event producers – so it’s likely to represent a unique selling point for you if it’s something that will help drive business for the organizations you’re talking to.
A ‘hands off’ experience
Let’s be completely honest, if you’re an event producer and you’re trying to bring together show and expo exhibitors – or you’re curating a pop-up retail space – the last thing you need to do is to be constantly dealing with a technical team who are putting WiFi in place.
Finding the right temporary WiFi partner doesn’t just make your life easier – it frees you up to do what you do best; working to make sure the businesses and individuals in the room are having the best possible experience.
While this might not immediately seem like a benefit to the businesses that are attending – you’d be surprised at quite how much value they put on the fact that you’re there, you’re contactable, and you’re ready to help them – which is a lot more than can be said if you’re desperately trying to make sure the WiFi is up and running in time.