Event Wifi Hire - What You Need To Know

By Author: Beth Baxter
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You could be running a big outdoor sporting event or festival, or running a corporate promotion inside a building that is maxed out with people all wanting to use the internet at the same time, or a small intimate party in the bottom of a building with thick walls. Whatever the event it's important in this day and age to consider the connectivity requirements. Not just of your guests, but your production crew and your marketing team. If you want your event to be publicised on social media then this should be as up to the moment as possible. If you want it to be broadcast live then you're going to need connectivity, if you want to create a network for information gathering, payments, printing then you're going to need reliable connectivity for the event duration.

The good news is that this is available - and in such a simple way that event event managers (like myself) can get it working. And if you can't? Well there's always someone at the end of the phone. At least there is with the event WiFi company I use, called Fli-Fi.

Here's what I have learned about event wifi solutions:
1. You need a site survey to ...
... tell you exactly the scale of the WiFi solution that you need. Fli-Fi delivers small flight cases that simply require plugging in. Each box (PaW they are called) can cater for around 50 people and cover a certain radius. The bigger your event and the more your people, the more boxes you need, it's as simple as that. They will be able to advise you on this over a quick call though as they have access to clever technology that c carries out remote site surveys.
2. In some cases it's not as simple as choosing a 4G network to provide you with the WiFi. Think Henley Regatta where there are thousands of people all trying to connect at the same time. We found that all of the traders taking payments were struggling apart from us. The reason being? They were all reliant on one 4G provider. What the Fli-Fi solution does is uses multiple providers in the same solution and scans for the one which has available bandwidth, and then boosts it. It means that there is a dynamic internet connectivity which can cut through the crowds. Taking payments is an important part to mobile businesses and one that they should think about more carefully.
3. If you have a production crew that need to communicate for health and safety reasons, and in order to deliver the event then it's risky to rely on the 4G connection at site. What if there isn't a strong signal? You can't prioritise it to the people that need it the most. We've seen numerous technical aspects fail because of poor connectivity and it just doesn't need to happy.
4. Support - iff you do hire a solution and encounter a problem, it's worth understanding the support element. A lot of WiFi solutions don't come with support. Fli-Fi's does and I know that the most common support conversation is around configuring the network to make everything work together, not the WiFi solution itself. So it's all well and good having a WiFi solution but you may want someone who can be on hand to help get everything working, a bit like your local IT support man!
5. Contracts. For an event you don't want contracts, you just want to hire the WiFi for the duration of the event to cover the data required and then give it back. A fair deal. This is available, again, Fli-Fi does this very well and are very fair.

As a business owner and a mobile business that needs to take payments on the go, I have always been ahead of the race in the WiFi market. It's just brilliant to have one little worry lifted from my shoulders. You can see Fli-Fi's website at www.fli-fi.co.uk

How do they work? (This is a bit from Fli-Fi directly)
Fli-Fi's system utilise the already existing mobile data networks that cover over 98% of the UK mainland and once initiated locks onto a base station with the highest through put. Once the internet establishes a stable connection the system is ready to accept users onto the open Wi-Fi network. Users can select the appropriate wireless network and upon entering the relevant mandatory details on a splash page, they are authenticated to the network. Simple.

The Fli-Fi Solution is a wireless network that can be deployed at any location following a site survey.

The plug n play solution is completely scalable to suit the amount of end users and connection speeds required.

It’s commercial grade internet gateway ensures that the greatest data throughput connection is established, ensuring minimal contention issues with other event goers.

Certainly worth a look.

I co-own Camper Cafe, a mobile and event coffee business based in Oxfordshire. I have been working in IT Marketing for the past 6 years and released myself to focus on my business now. I love the fact I can support myself without the need for employment!