If you travel on business or on trips where you need to be in meeting rooms or conference halls for discussions or training that runs throughout the day, probably free Wi-Fi has been one of your concerns to begin with.
I usually attend business conferences, motivational seminars and entrepreneurship events that run through the weekends. Usually we go in a group and we all have 3G devices, just in case Wi-Fi is not available at the venue.
However, one thing that frustrates me the most is – not having Wi-Fi access in the meeting rooms or conference halls. On the other hand, it feels so much better when a venue has it all set up before our arrival.
The Need For Wi-Fi Access Is Becoming Critical
Internet connection is absolutely critical to many business owners and especially for people like me who have strong online businesses, social media presence and who want to keep track of their Personal Branding activities online on a 24/7 basis, it is not acceptable to not be able to access the internet for long hours.
I need to respond to my clients, business associates at regular intervals and I also use Social Media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to find new business. I generally update this blog 3 to 4 times a week. Can you imagine me locked up in a conference hall for one complete weekend without internet access for a while weekend? It can cause me business loss very frequently.
This is not just my story. This is becoming inreasingly more known as an issue in today's society. More entrepreneurs are becoming serious about this need.
Some Facilities Provide Free Wi-Fi
There are facilities not just within US, but across many cities around the world who provide free Wi-Fi access to their customers and guests. There are airports where Wi-Fi services are free or available on a pre-paid basis at very reasonable rates.
Many restaurant chains, libraries and even meetup groups ensure to have Wi-Fi access ready for use. For places like Starbucks, Wi-Fi is one of the reasons why people stay for longer hours and give more business.
Free Wi-Fi Is Too Expensive For Many Hosts
However, there are giant hotel chains such as Marriot and Hilton who already charge premium amounts for their facilities. Yet on many occasions they do not provide a free Wi-Fi – neither to their guests in the rooms, nor in their conference halls or meeting rooms.
I think it’s unfair to charge something like $15 or a similar charge in other foreign currencies for a 24 hour Wi-Fi access especially when Wi-Fi technology is so cheap.
It is not fair to charge a customer an amount so extortionate for a 24-hour access today. In my humble opinion, it amounts to nothing more than an excuse to rip off clients.
Yet, if a business can’t afford to provide it for free, at least it should be charged reasonably with conscience.
Choose Conference Venue Wisely For Your Business Meetings
If you are considering a conference venue for your event and you want your attendees to stay in the room, free Wi-Fi should be your top priority.
I would highly recommend confirming and negotiating this with the host of the meeting rooms prior to confirming your booking. A successful event requires detailed planning and getting free Wi-Fi access to your participants should be part of your planning process.
For an interactive list of venues for corporate and social events, feel free to check out this site
Question: What are some of the best conference halls and meeting room hosts that you recommend? If you have experience with any international hosts, please share your experiences in the comments. Thank you kindly!