Network technology is directly tied to the success and profitability of today’s live events, whether they be music festivals, corporate conferences, trade shows, or esports tournaments. Whatever your industry, there is likely significant competition. Experts predict the music festival industry to grow to 6.5 times its current size by 2032 because of demand as well as new events entering the market, making that sector more competitive. With any event, there’s a lot at stake, so you cannot afford to scrimp on your network. It is key to profitability and a positive event experience.

But hiring a WiFi and internet provider isn’t enough, as they do not all provide the same level of quality and reliability. If you choose a cheaper option and it fails, you’re out for the cost of the network, plus the revenue that depended on it, as well as loss of credibility and revenue from future events.

What can go wrong in a network failure

There are many ways WiFi and the internet can fail, and the longer a disruption lasts, the more you have to lose. The network is critical to:

  • Vendor point of sales
  • Ticket sales and entry
  • Security cameras and communication
  • Organizer communication
  • Artist and keynote production
  • Livestreams and influencer partnerships

Anything done over the network can come to a halt. For example, at an event where staff could not scan tickets, thousands of guests lined the streets for entry. That posed a safety hazard, so organizers had to let those in line enter, causing an unknown amount of revenue to be lost in the process.

The true cost of using the wrong service

When your network goes down during an event, you can suffer both hard and indirect costs, in addition to the fact that you paid for a service you didn’t receive in part or full. Depending on the size of the event, your food, beverage, and merchandise vendors could miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars on point-of-sale (POS) transactions. You also risk losing money on ticket refunds, sponsorships, partnerships, prize money, additional staff wages due to event delays, and damage to your reputation which can impact future events.

When choosing a network provider, it’s important to consider more than the numbers they quote. Consider whether the quote includes features or services that others don’t, like monitoring, expertise, or on-site support. It’s also important to compare track records.

How to choose a reliable provider

Look for a company with experience and expertise in temporary live events. Ask how long they have been providing the service and which events they have supported that are similar in scope and scale to yours. You can also ask for testimonials that attest to competency and positive customer experiences.

Once you’ve found a qualified provider, ask about specifics around exhibitor WiFi, phone service, temporary internet/bandwidth, and video contribution and distribution. If you’re using a venue with an existing network, ask if the provider offers a network that can replace or overlay that.

Whatever the event you’re organizing, put network connectivity at the top of your priority list. If you want to learn more about fast, reliable options and pricing, talk to one of our event experts.