Event professionals know all too well how the hotel Wi-Fi can make or break an attendee experience. Hotels are offering more technology services and amping up their networking capabilities as the demand from events continues to increase.
Prior planning helps prevent poor performance
Those six words were taught to me early on in my career. A former boss had them hanging in one of those inspirational frames on one of his office walls. It was part of his lexicon of lessons he taught everyone on his team.
No surprise then that these six words have stuck with me all these years and are now being used as the number one tip on how to prevent technology failures in hotel meeting spaces.
Start with a detailed conversation with your client and all their stakeholders to understand their expectations and needs. Everything from power needs and number of computers driving presentation content to Wi-Fi bandwidth needs. Document it all and share it with your client, so everyone is on the same page.
Next, sit down with the hotel — be sure to include your convention services manager, AV contact, and the power and internet service provider. Go over all the needs that were outlined in the planning meeting. Make sure everyone understands what is needed, where it is needed and when it is needed.
Some common questions that should be addressed:
- How much bandwidth is needed?
- Are you providing Wi-Fi access to all event attendees?
- Are the attendees downloading specific event files or a mobile app once they are onsite?
- Are you streaming any part of the event?
- Will attendees be online during the presentation portion of the event?
- How many demos are being shown? Are they live demos or canned?
Understanding all of the technology requirements early in the planning process will enable the hotel to put together an accurate proposal for the associated costs and help avoid any onsite performance issues.
Testing 1-2-3
Once you are onsite, set up a time when you can test all the technology components provided by the hotel. All the pre-event preparation is important, but testing the systems before you go live is key to making sure it all works.
Be sure to test microphones, computer systems, projectors, internet bandwidth and anything else provided by the hotel. Schedule enough time for the pre-event testing and get all the right stakeholders involved in the test.
Don’t forget to test ...
- Internet bandwidth — especially if you are streaming anything live.
- Microphones used for Q&A and panel discussions to avoid interference issues.
- Projectors and computers used for the presentations.
Always have a Plan B
Make sure you have a Plan B outlined for every technology component of the program. This should be part of your planning meeting with the hotel and their service providers.
What is their backup plan if the Wi-Fi experiences an outage? How do they handle a projector not working? Are they providing A/V staff in each of the session rooms to monitor the equipment?
It is important to talk through the Plan B scenario planning — even if you never have to use it. Having a Plan B in place before the event will also increase your client's comfort level with the the overall technology plan for the show. They'll see the thought and work you have put into an important element of the event.
No matter how simple you think your event is, be sure to set aside some time to talk through all of the needs with the hotel. Having an outline of all the technology needs and a backup plan before the event will help you (and your client) avoid unnecessary stress.
Word to the wise: Bring along extra batteries — in a variety of sizes. They are cheap to buy and are a great addition to your personal production kit.
