Between 16 -20 June we took part in London Technology Week where we ran a breakfast seminar: ‘Mind the technology gap’ at One Great George Street. The morning focused on what to consider about technology at events. Gareth Dimelow from George P. Johnson was the guest speaker and offered attendees best practice advice on ensuring their Wi-Fi networks work as well as how much internet might be needed on an event biases. Some of his top tips from the day included:
- Knowing your venue: It’s absolutely essential that you have a comprehensive understanding of the space that is being used. Whether a greenfield site or permanent exhibition centre, all venues have their positive and negative points. To avoid disappointment on the day, think in advance about how much connectivity is already in place and if they can increase it or augment it if required.
- Manage customer expectations: Budgeting for connectivity and event IT related services are often overlooked when organising an event. Ensure that you appraise the client or the exact cost of set-up and implementation (usually 10% of the overall budget).
- Ensure all requirements have been collected and validated: Think about all potential guests who will be using the network and what they will be using it for. It would be disastrous if attendees found themselves trying to send vital emails or communicate with CRM systems which don’t work due to limited bandwidth or poor Wifi reception.
Always have a ‘Plan B’: A contingency plan should always be discussed, tested and on stand-by should the main technology fail. When looking at wireless logistics for events, organisers should think about back-up connectivity and on-site engineering support.