The Truth About Live Event Venue Exclusives: Wi-Fi

When Internet Can Make or Break Your Budget

Have you decided that your company is ready to host an event? Some planners might think that putting on a conference or meeting is as simple as picking a topic of discussion, selecting a venue, and saving a date in their calendar. Any seasoned event planner would know that there’s a much longer road ahead of them. This isn’t to steer anyone away from the wild ride that is hosting and producing events, but the truth is that event planning is more nuanced than it might seem. When working on your event productions, most venues have specific exclusives in their contracts that they want you to sign off on to hold your event at that location. Internet/Wi-Fi is one of these exclusives that can severely make or break your budget, and we are here to tell you that you can save a lot of money if you have the proper knowledge and know-how in contract negotiations.

Venue Exclusives Explained

When hosting events, the location selection is usually one of the first logistics checked off the list, behind discovering the reason for the conference and the intended audience. Sometimes, the location of the event can be the most important thing to an event planner or organization. After a few sought-after locations are chosen, planners visit each site to determine the perfect spot that checks off all the needs of the event. However, oftentimes understanding the exclusives of a venue are not discussed and can lead to unexpected costs and headaches. 

Venue exclusives can come in many different shapes and sizes, but there are three main areas to look out for related to your production component of your event: power, rigging, and internet. While these are things most events require, venues create “exclusives” that can highly increase your costs as a planner. Some meeting planners might think this is just the status quo and nothing can be done about it, but we’re here to let you know that just isn’t true. With the proper understanding and leverage everyone can end up with a good outcome. We will dive into one of those exclusives, hotel internet, to give you the knowledge you need.

History of Hotel and Venue Wi-Fi

Let’s go back and understand why hotel/venue internet access is expensive. Before robust cellular networks, guests of hotels, attendees at conferences, etc. heavily relied on the venues to provide reliable and fast internet connections which typically included wifi in addition to hardline connections. Places such as hotels began to invest in significant network infrastructures to support the internet requirements for conferences and events. If reliable internet service was important to the success of your event there was a pretty significant cost associated with using that service within the venue. 

Twenty years or so later, the cellular network has greatly improved and in most cases conference attendees can have the speeds they need just through their smart phones. . It has changed the need for hotel internet. However, venues have not changed their internet pricing models in the modern era where cellular's reliability has risen significantly. Attendees don't necessarily need Wi-Fi anymore now that everyone has access to cellular connections. With more and more devices requiring access to the internet you may find that your conference is still dependent on the internet infrastructure. In most cases the needs are related to your show office, or content sharing, or streaming of your program rather than attendee wifi access. That changes what you pay for and why you are paying for it. If you find that in your discussions with potential venues the internet costs feel high or unreasonable there is an external solution.

The other solution is to bring in your network with a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) router. This innovative device connects to the major cellular network towers, functioning as a powerful hotspot. While reliability depends on the proximity of cell towers, Clarity has utilized this internet solution successfully on numerous occasions to provide alternative internet service for our clients. It creates freedom of choice for the planner and it creates leverage for the client when negotiating internet prices with the venue. While we enjoy working with most venues and it is typically more beneficial to use the hotel network infrastructure, it is all about having a reasonable cost for what internet needs are required.

Your Right to Wi-Fi: From the FCC

Various venues and hotels try to make you believe that they own the radio frequencies in the building and that there are no other solutions for a planner other than using the hotel for internet services. This isn’t exactly the case. They own the infrastructure, but it is your right to explore options for internet solutions, such as connecting to hotspots that tap into the major cellular networks. In 2015, the FCC released a public notice of enforcement stating, “Willful or malicious interference with Wi-Fi hotspots is illegal. Wi-Fi blocking violates Section 333 of the Communications Act, as amended. The Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment’s premises. As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference”(DA 15-113, 2015). If you're interested in learning more from this, you can read the entire document here: docs.fcc.gov

This is massive news and has been relatively well hidden for nearly a decade. This is partially due to venues not wanting you to know they can’t prevent you from using other options. Venues can’t physically stop you from going around their infrastructure to use your solution, but they can try to stop you by sneaking it into the contract beforehand; another reason why it is always important to read your contract before signing and involve your production partner in understanding the language before you find yourself in a situation you were not expecting.

Let’s explain: Our interpretation of this notice is that venues are barred from interfering with the internet that planners have chosen to bring but not from specifying in their exclusivity agreement that bringing an alternative internet solution is prohibited. This is why it is so important to tackle this issue during the negotiation phase; the advisory is a negotiating tool, not a get-out-of-jail-free card. If you sign that agreement, they still can’t legally stop you from using your own but can go after you for breach of contract. It should be understood that while the alternative solution is very reliable, there are instances where the venue’s exclusive Wi-Fi is stronger than the alternative option. However, knowing this information can give you the leverage you need when negotiating internet rates.

Negotiating Event Exclusives: Wi-Fi

When going on site visits, consider the cost of rigging, internet, and power, regardless of whether you are using in-house AV or not. Breaking the chain between the hotel and the provider allows planners to decide what is best for their event. You want to have the choice yourself to choose the best provider for your event. Our BEST ADVICE, no matter who you partner with, is to lock in your exclusives as soon as possible. If you find a quality AV provider for your event early in the planning process, they can help you save costs and maximize your ROI. An AV partner like Clarity can help you understand your internet requirements and determine what language and pricing to include in the agreement with your venue.

Learn About Wi-Fi Solutions in This Video

Find this all a little confusing? You can watch Gary and Adam discuss this topic in venue exclusives. There is no need to get hung up on the minute details of internet solutions, but it is nice to have a broad understanding of the subject so you don't get taken advantage of. Remember that Clarity can be your advocate during the negotiations and can hold your hand throughout the entire process because it’s our job to give planners and attendees the best event experience possible. You can watch the full video on our AV Insights & Advice page. 

Work With Clarity Experiences

At Clarity Experiences, we specialize in curating exceptional live events that leave a lasting impression on both our clients and attendees. As a full-service AV provider, we assist planners in negotiations, agenda coordination, AV production for the entire conference, and much more. With a team of skilled technicians boasting diverse AV backgrounds, we blend creativity and technical expertise seamlessly into every project. Collaborating with us opens up a world of possibilities for creating immersive and unforgettable events. To explore how we can partner together, reach out for a complimentary consultation and embark on a journey towards extraordinary live experiences.

If the ideas presented here have sparked your interest in collaborating with us, feel free to reach out for a complimentary quote!