WiFi in Rail - What's the Value? | WiFi SPARK
When working through budgets or writing business cases for Transportation, services like WiFi may not be a priority on the to do list. Questions like “Is there...
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5 minute read | 08/05/2019
Whether it’s in the pub or on a train, the modern-day user expects free WiFi wherever they go. Events and conferences are no different. In fact, your attendees will expect to be able to gain quick and free access to your WiFi the second they pass through your doors. Providing them with a fast, reliable and consistent conference WiFi solution can see both your business and your attendees enjoy a plethora of benefits.
From keeping your attendees productive to gaining unbeatable insights and data by working with the right provider, five of the biggest benefits of conference WiFi include:
Your attendees will need and expect WiFi so that they can continue their business tasks and remain productive without the risk of falling behind because they are out of the office for the day.
They can be reliant on the internet for a number of things. They might need to send important emails, make phone calls, download slide decks and other resources from the cloud, or any of the other internet-based tasks.
If you’re able to offer a solution which allows them to work on their business tasks, then their productivity isn’t lost and you leave a much better impression. They’ll be thankful that you actually allowed them to make progress rather than slowing them down during the conference.
Whether it’s a personal device or a work one, there’s always the possibility of using mobile data to stay connected inside of an event or conference venue.
However, that’s all determined by the mobile phone provider and their signal. If it stays up and running, then great. Your attendees will be able to continue accessing their mobile data while they’re attending a conference at your venue.
But what happens if service is bad or even worse, the network goes down completely and users can’t access their own data? It’s possible; just cast your mind back to O2’s network outage in late 2018 after 25 million direct customers were unable to access 4G for an entire day.
This also included some high-profile business clients from all sectors including Retail and Healthcare.
No data and no access to a conference WiFi solution can lead to increased frustration from attendees, especially when they’d expect you to provide them with a fast and free solution. By having a solution in place, it means attendees can stay connected, even if there’s no signal.
Attendees are more likely to be thankful that you’ve provided them with a solution as they don’t need to sacrifice their personal mobile data.
It’s no secret that purchasing additional data isn’t cheap, especially a 4G solution to keep connectivity fast and seamless. Plus, if the conference isn’t short and users need to access the internet all day, then they’ll be using a chunk of their personal data at a much quicker rate. At which point, they might need to purchase more or risk being left without connectivity at all.
So, offering a free conference WiFi solution can shine your brand in a positive light. It allows attendees to save their mobile data for their own personal use and overall, it can heighten their visitor experience massively.
Don’t be surprised if this is something they shout about on social media or via word of mouth. This free, positive promotion can be extremely beneficial.
Although there are many benefits a conference WiFi solution brings to your end users, that doesn’t mean you can’t also benefit.
This benefit can depend on the WiFi provider you work with as it’s not something all of them provide. Still, a branded WiFi service can create a seamless and appealing service for conference attendees by enhancing their experience while they’re connected.
This can range from having a branded splash page to integrating feedback forms and surveys.
This page can also include important messaging or advertisements and have an optional marketing opt-in feature, allowing the collection of data and possibility of revenue generation.
With the SPARKⓇ Platform, for example, you can achieve device recognition and loyalty integration, which enables returning attendees to have access to the conference WiFi solution without having to register again.
This small addition goes a long way to increased user satisfaction and as all of this can be tailored to your brand when working with the right partner, you’ll improve brand awareness in the most subtle of ways.
Again, this depends on the WiFi provider you partner with as some - like WiFi SPARK - will allow you to own the data. Others could either charge you for it or perhaps sell the data elsewhere.
Although offering a conference WiFi solution brings many benefits to your end users, you could be missing out on valuable data and insights that could help in the long-run when making better business decisions.
Instead, owning the data can provide you with many more learning opportunities. This can include information about user demographics and using this information in future marketing strategies. Subject to your network capability, this data could include where your most popular or congested areas are and when and which was the most used exit, enabling you to enhance stand positions and subsequently increase revenues.
Don’t take the risk of not offering a conference WiFi solution, as a bad experience can end up as the main talking point of any conference. Rather than having attendees unable to highlight their experience and promote the conference online, implement a solution so you don’t miss out on engagement and positive feedback.
However, making the most of these benefits and actually getting there requires more than just installing cheap regular guest WiFi solutions. The next step is to think about what value you want from your solution and the right supplier will work for you.
You might have hundreds of people attending a conference in your venue at any given time. That’s a lot of users to cater to that will all be expecting a seamless conference WiFi solution from the moment they walk in.
To achieve those benefits, you need to think about more than just WiFi. To enhance the user experience, we’ve created a free and helpful guide on how you can find the right conference WiFi supplier.
By following the tips, you’ll be able to provide the best possible WiFi network to everyone attending future conferences. Get your copy now by clicking the link below.
Rebecca is the Marketing Director. She's worked for SPARK TSL since 2012. She is responsible for high level marketing strategy focusing on lead generation and aiding the vision of the business; to ensure that no patient has to pay for entertainment.
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