^{May 2003}

Hotspots: Where you want to be

Wireless Internet access leads the technology revolution in convention centers and hotels

By Cathy Chatfield-Taylor

Hotspots have heated up the competition among high-tech venues. Aside from the “Wow!” factor — it’s cool to get high-speed Internet access without plugging in — hotspots can save shows money on Internet service for registration and other support areas. And attendees and exhibitors alike appreciate the freedom to connect at speeds up to 200 times faster than a dial-up modem from anywhere in the facility.

Convention centers and hotels are clearly committed to providing hotspots with wireless Internet access for their customers and guests. Wireless Internet topped the list of most talked-about technology among managers of both large and small facilities.

“About six months ago, we crossed a threshold where no one asked for it, and now everyone is asking for it,” says Mike Sodergreen, President of Streamline Communications, in-house telecommunications provider for the San Jose (CA) Convention & Cultural Facilities.

Even facilities that don’t offer wireless service now hope to soon in response to growing demand.
“We’re definitely going to look into it and hope that our budget can support it,” says Lea Solis, Director of Finance for the Omaha Convention Center & Arena, which is opening with 194,000 square feet of exhibit space, 62,000 square feet of meeting space and a 17,000-seat arena in September 2003.

Without hotspots, the Omaha Convention Center’s fiber-optic backbone still puts wired connections within reach throughout the building, from the exhibit floor to arena concourses. To be sure, Internet accessibility — wired or wireless — is at the core of the latest high-tech features and services. From dense infrastructure to 24/7 network services, facilities are touting their ability to connect customers faster, cheaper and easier than ever before.

Five features you’ve gotta have

1 - A Hotspot
What it is: A hotspot is an access point connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN), which is connected to the Internet. Most WLANs use the IEEE 802.11b, known as WiFi (wireless fidelity), protocol to transmit data at speeds of up to 11 megabits per second. Anyone who has a laptop or PDA equipped with a network interface card can get high-speed Internet access within about 1,000 feet of a hotspot.

How it’s used: Shows like the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), held April 7–10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), are setting up WiFi hotspots to provide quick and easy access to email, file downloads and Internet browsing. Encompassing more than 8,000 square feet, NAB’s hotspot was purportedly the largest in the industry.

Why you want it: Hotspots take less time to set up than physically wiring a LAN, so labor and setup cost less. The cost of Internet service itself, while free to attendees and exhibitors, may be the same or less than a wired connection for show management. At Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, for example, a standard 802.11b connection costs $1,350, or just $750 if you use your own hardware and routers.

2 - “Mesh”
What it is: “Mesh” is the density of the fiber-optic and category cable infrastructure. It’s no longer enough to run a cable to a floor port and call it connected. Now you need multiple cables to support voice, data and video communications.

“We continue to up the density, so that within any 15-foot radius on the show floor, we have six fiber-optic cables and six Category 5 cables,” says Sodergreen of the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. “We never run out of cables.”

How it’s used: At the Omaha Convention Center, the infrastructure is dense enough to transmit live video throughout the facility. For example, attendees in the convention center can view an event going on in the arena. That capability landed the center a prime piece of business for next summer, when the popular PBS program, “Antiques Roadshow,” will broadcast live from Omaha.

Why you want it: Mesh means having enough oomph to do just about anything. “Whether it’s Voice over IP, video conferencing or Webcasting, there won’t be any bandwidth issues,” says Omaha’s IT Manager Kevin Raymond.

3 - Internet telephony
What it is: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows you to transmit telephone calls through the Internet.

How it’s used: Though not yet in widespread use, Internet telephony promises the illusion of being in your own office when you’re off site at the show. It can forward calls from your office phone through the Internet, and you can place calls to anywhere in the world.

Why you want it: If you have free or fixed-price Internet access, Internet telephony provides free local and long distance telephone service. For exhibitors, VoIP means a clear and crisp connection without the added expense of an analog phone line.

4 - Network services
What they are: From wireless Internet access to high-speed data transmission, networks serve multiple functions and come in many flavors. In addition to the WLANs that enable hotspots, there are virtual local area networks (VLANs), virtual private networks (VPNs) and wide area networks (WANs).

How they’re used: Network services provided by XpoNet for Lotusphere 2003, held Jan. 26–30 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, FL, ran exhibitors’ Web-based applications in real time and gave attendees wireless access to conference updates.

Why you want them: People want to be connected. If you set up registration in one area and an Internet café in another, VLANs segment the network so you can deliver different classes of service. If you’re hosting events at multiple properties, a WAN allows you to transmit voice and data to remote locations. If your exhibitors need to share files between their booths and home offices, a VPN gives them a dedicated, private and fully encrypted connection.

5 - 24/7 Support
What it is: Unless you bring in your own team, you’ll need technical support to monitor the networks that support your show. Some centers have in-house staff, others partner with a service provider, such as LVCC’s Smart City Networks, San Jose’s Streamline Communications, or Swan and Dolphin’s XpoNet.

How it’s used: A network glitch can bring communications to a standstill. With 24/7 monitoring, the tech support team detects and resolves problems before they get bigger.

“We know that there is an issue on the network before the customer even realizes it,” says Kathy Moran, Systems and Communications Manager for Swan and Dolphin. “These things are nipped in the bud.”

Why you want it: Like any service, some centers provide better support than others.

“When it comes down to it, technology is technology and everyone has technology,” says Moran. “We have the added value of our customer service. We’re going to make sure that the show is a good show, and we’re going to make sure you get what you need.”

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor covers meeting technology as a freelance writer/editor. She can be reached at cathy@cc-tunlimited.com.