Guaranteed and Free Broadband
Despite the strides made in venues’ internet capacity, connectivity issues still occur frequently. As a result, many meeting and event planners are spending more time evaluating that a venue can guarantee high quality internet. Some are even creating back-up plans in the event of internet issues mid-event. Our 2019 Meeting Room of the Future research found that 44% of meeting planners would not even consider a venue that does not provide that guarantee. An even larger majority (56%) indicated that affordable (or free) high speed wireless internet will be the most critical technology needed for meetings in the next five years. Venues are already investing more in their internet connectivity — 73% of operators report investing in their internet in the last two years and 44% are planning to increase their investment in internet bandwidth in the next 12 months. Almost all operators surveyed (98%) indicated that their venues provide free internet to meetings, indicating that this is the new norm. Although 82% of venue operators report that they feel they are offering sufficient bandwidth, it will be important to stay ahead with further improvements to connectivity in order to remain competitive in a market saturated with venues with free, high-quality internet. As the need for quality solutions increases, the investment in these areas also increases and may put pressure on the need for free internet-related services (for instance, free tech support). With hybrid having the potential to be a new addition to more live events, this may result in a second-tier service and pricing model for internet provision from venues.
Have you invested in your internet infrastructure and/or hardware in the last 2 years?
Are you planning to invest in your internet infrastructure and/or hardware in the next 12 months?
No; 27%
Yes; 44%
Yes; 73%
No; 56%
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IACConline.org & IACCmeetings.com
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