Working with venues can be challenging; there is a lot to arrange in a short amount of time. Services like catering and staffing are critical; but have you asked the right questions about the IT services to avoid issues on the day?
Our top 5 things to check with venues prior to signing or live
Bandwidth – it’s always a good idea to ask what the bandwidth is when you’re trying to decide on a venue but you could go one step further and test the bandwidth during a site visit. Sites like www.speedtest.net are easy to use and give a quick indication. Try and be clear about how much bandwidth you’ll need for your event or meeting, if you’re likely to be streaming or downloading you may need a higher bandwidth capability. Ask if the bandwidth you have access to during the site visit is dedicated to your event or shared (perhaps with rooms? Or the corporate side of the hotel)
Support – to be effective for your event, bandwidth should be managed so that everyone gets a similar experience. It’s also useful to know who will be on hand to support your Wi-Fi on the day and in the run up to the event.
Dedicated Wi-Fi – does the venue have dedicated Wi-Fi for meetings and events which will fit your requirements? Some venues may share the incoming internet with guest rooms, public you need to ensure the service for your event will not be impacted by their demands.
Security – this is an increasingly important issue when considering a venue for an event. Wi-Fi networks should be password protected, ideally with a strong password. Always check this beforehand.
Consistent coverage – depending on your event or venue, you may have a number of break out rooms or separate rooms which all need the same Wi-Fi capabilities. Make sure you check if the coverage is consistent over all these areas to suit your requirements.