Hotel booking agency trade association the HBAA is partnering with Event Tech Live and the Event Tech Awards on a piece of research designed to examine the disparity in Wi-Fi cost and quality at event venues.
HBAA members will be asked to take a survey alongside the ETL/ETA network with the results worked up into a document about venues’ Wi-Fi policy and, the researchers hope, illuminating what buyers do to spec Wi-Fi for their events. Answers will hopefully be supplied to the question also of what help they need to that end, and whether there should be a suggested industry pricing standard.
Adam Parry, co-founder of Event Tech Live and the Event Tech Awards, says: “It’s a free market but venues looking for repeat event business should be absolutely clear about what they’re offering in terms of W-Fi provision. This research will produce a thorough analysis about what the industry needs and expects for its event dollar.”
Caleb Parker, HBAA tech & innovation chair adds: “Wi-Fi is like oxygen today. People attending events expect it to be there and work as if they’re sitting at home or in their office. But not all venues have the same offering or infrastructure, and frankly, it can be confusing for buyers planning events. The HBAA and our partners are looking into this area to learn how we, as an industry, can create more transparency and clarity so organisers can better deliver the experiences their participants expect.”
Survey results will be discussed at an HBAA event in September in advance of a roundtable discussion on the topic at Event Tech Live in November.
