Given the UK is so advanced in many ways the quality of WiFi in public places is a continuous source of frustration for all who use it. As an event organiser I would like to use a stronger word than frustration but given this is a public blog it’s probably best I don’t.
The internet is such a major part of our every day life today that when attending events there is almost a look horror when you tell them that it is available but at a cost – this applies frequently to delegates as well as sponsors. The pressure on event organisers to provide free of charge WiFi for all is growing but unfortunately venues do not seem to appreciate this. In the current economic climate it would be refreshing for venues to provide WiFi for free but unfortunately (and sadly unsurprisingly) they don’t. Charges vary but are rarely cheap and put additional pressures on those responsible for the budget and financial viability of events – especially if the organiser chooses to provide free access for all (£550 per floor per day at the QEII for example).
If it was a world wide issue then I, along with other organiser’s, would not be as irritated by the charges faced by the event itself, sponsors and delegates. However it isn’t a world wide issue and through my travels it is becoming increasingly obvious that it is not even just a European issue but predominantly a UK one. If we were not as economically advanced as we were then it may be understandable that countries such as Estonia embarrass us with how advanced their WiFi provision – both on a professional and domestic basis – is. On a recent Connect Events site visit trip to Tallinn I enquired as to whether WiFi was available and what the charges were – the answer was yes and free (bet you are shocked with that outcome). However, the best part was when the venue event manager simply stated “in Estonia wireless is almost a human right.” A human right?!?! In the UK we’re lucky if we can get connected for less than £5 an hour! A further shock to the fact that it is a human right was that it’s available not just in buildings free of charge but also in parks, beaches and even buses! The mind boggles at how far behind we, the UK, are in the provision of this service.
I’m not saying it should be that widely available and in fairness t the UK countries such as Estonia have an advantage in that they are a fairly new country since their independence from the Soviet Union and as a result they can implement new technologies that impact infrastructure, etc much easier. However this sort of example, along with the fact that wireless is available free of charge in US hotels, just demonstrates that UK based hotels (and similar) continuing to charge is, to put it bluntly, mad! The common argument, especially with hotels, is that they need to cover capital charges, in other words the costs of installing and running the routers, etc, but if that were really the case wouldn’t they need to charge every time you flushed the toilet or took a shower, as I am sure the plumbing and so on was not free?! The reason hotels and other venues charge is simply that they can – they know organisers, sponsors, delegates need (rather than simply want) access to the Internet and therefore see it as an easy way of making additional revenue; basically the Ryanair ‘charge because we can’ approach. To add insult to injury the quality of wireless connection is often inadequate, especially when compared to the cost incurred.
Personally, I don’t have an issue with venues charging for a supported service, i.e. a WiFi connection that has technical support included on site if something should go wrong, and I am sure I’m not the only one. Perhaps a compromise is the best and most viable solution. Basic WiFi could be free to all – including large exhibitions in the venues that offer this space – but advanced WiFi, i.e. those that support VPN services and therefore may require technical help, can be charged at a fair rate to those who need it. Currently, at the majority of venues, any WiFi connection is charged for and it is this that we need to move away from. If high street vendors such as Starbucks can provide it for free I see no reason why hotels, conference centres and exhibition halls can’t do the same. Given the continued high room rates, accommodation costs and DDR figures across the event market it would provide a welcome break for all concerned.
www.connectevents.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment