Today, it is possible to benefit
from 30-minute Wi-Fi spot per day in European cities like Berlin. But, contrary
to what people think, free Wi-Fi access is not a requirement. Previously, it
was a luxury tool for the customer in hospitality. But, it has become one of
standard customers’ expectations even in venue management. In 2015 Extreme
Networks, a American firm specialized in telecommunications networks, published
an article on event management optimization thank to Wi-Fi. Hotel or facility owners
and business event organizers should use it as it brings additional value both
to them and their customers. It highlighted several assets of investing in
these free of charge service to the client.
Wi-Fi
plays a big role for operational efficiency and reduces its costs with regard
to time management, stock supports or flux management. The most effective Wi-Fi
solution is to empower wired and wireless technologies controlled in the same
platform. This may lead to decrease overhead costs and maintenance costs. That
is why for substantial size events like Olympic games, organizers hire on a
short time a specific team to manage it. They always take care of the critical
event when a problem occurs during the events.
Streamlined Point of Sale (POS)
is also essential by reducing customers’ transaction and improving their
experiences. Participants can easily checkout by the help of POS function. To
reach this goal, POS devices should be set up in a different ways according to
customer’s needs. For example if the venue welcomes many events, participants should
be able to access their tickets on their electronic devices for entering an
event. Selling tickets might be more effective with Wi-Fi accessibility. Wi-Fi
system is based on allotting needed according to traffic flow of the events. This
selling ticket system leads to decrease costs of printing. In this way,
participants can quickly scan their tickets with a barcode validation.
The
last benefit is that this tool strengthens network and physical security. Secure personal data protection and Wi-Fi
network during the event is the main challenge of organizers. To solve it, a
private security network should be set up. As far as substantial size business
and sport events are concerned, distinct networks for the public, media or the
organization team are usually proposed.
However
should all business events and hospitality professionals invest in it? The
answer is probably “no”. It will depend on the host facility needs and targets.
Wi-Fi access requires a certain investment in terms of maintenance. It is not
the same thing to cover a 40 –room hotel or to a fair with thousands of
visitors like at ITB Berlin. Even those
important business, should be sure to be efficient on large public Wi-Fi access
on the D-Day to avoid bugs. Furthermore,
the article does not precise exactly the best practice for free access to a
large public like during international fair e.g. ITB Berlin. Indeed, do main
concerned stakeholders propose a limitless Wi-Fi offer? Should the organizer
block the access to competitors’ websites according to the client or the event
theme?
To
conclude, Wi-Fi area is one of key elements of hospitality or venue management
to be efficient and propose a unique experience. A study on Wi-Fi experiences
both organizers and customers would be interesting to extract best practices
though case studies, key data as well as key figures.
Written
by Kenan CETIN& Aurélie HONORE
Sources: Extreme Networks, 2015, Wi-Fi enabled optimization of Event Management, extremenetworks.com, USA
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