Typical Audience Challenges in Large Scale Events
The typical audiences for large-scale events range from 500 to several thousands of people. These events take place in congress centers, sports palaces, zeniths, auditoriums, institutes, and conference halls where telecom infrastructures are sometimes still limited in bandwidth, as well as in the density of simultaneous connections, not to mention radio coverage and shadow zones on the auditorium's surface.
Common Potential Issues:
Bandwidth Saturation: All participants connect to the WiFi network simultaneously to download the app (usually between 80 & 120MB in size), saturating the bandwidth.
Uneven WiFi Coverage: The WiFi coverage is not uniform, poorly covering the back of the room.
Access Point Limitations: The existing access points in the room do not support enough simultaneous devices, leading to saturation in some areas while others are underutilized.
DHCP Server Performance: The DHCP server in the telecom rack doesn’t have enough performance to assign IP addresses to devices during connection sessions.
Captive Portal Demands: A captive portal heavily taxes the servers.
Rapid Succession of Questions: Questions follow one another without giving voters time to familiarize themselves with the app.
Short Voting Time: The voting time is only a few seconds, not allowing participants to make informed choices.
Bandwidth and Latency Issues: Insufficient bandwidth for the simultaneous audience leads to latency, resulting in lost votes.
Server Overload: The EventApp servers that receive the votes don’t have enough time to process them.
High Audience Interactivity (> 1000 PAX): Whether using a native app (downloaded onto a device) or a web app in connected mode, it’s crucial to communicate beforehand and encourage the app's download before the event, allowing participants time to familiarize themselves with the tool. This approach helps to avoid bandwidth cannibalization at the last minute, just seconds before voting.
Solutions and Best Practices:
Spaced Voting: Votes must be spaced out, with each vote marked by the presenter with a 15 to 20-second voting period.
Dedicated, Secure Network: Ensure a dedicated, secure network separate from the audience’s network and direct it to well-defined URLs for the management of the EventApp.
Bandwidth Calculation for Voting: An HTTPS vote from an EventApp requires 50 to 100kbps of bandwidth. It's essential to calculate the necessary throughput to size the bandwidth and avoid saturation.
WiFi Radio Planning: Ensure well-distributed WiFi radio planning throughout the auditorium.
High-Density WiFi Access Points: Use high-density WiFi access points (minimum 500 connections per access point) and size them at 60% of their load.
Homogeneous Distribution of Access Points: Ensure a homogeneous distribution of access points (either stations or hotspots) and use access points with dynamic load distribution for stable connections.
Avoiding Radio Meshing: Avoid repeating radio meshing between access points, which reduces bandwidth.
Dynamic WiFi Channel Allocation: Ensure dynamic allocation of WiFi channels and avoid saturating frequencies.
Continuous Monitoring: Ensure constant monitoring of CPU resources & servers.
Log and Session Traceability: Ensure traceability of logs and sessions of each device.
PEEBLE EVENTS:
Our services at PEEBLE EVENTS go beyond mere technical support. We offer end-to-end event management solutions, incorporating the latest in event technology to ensure a seamless and memorable experience for all attendees. From the initial planning stages to post-event analysis, our team works diligently to anticipate and address every aspect of event technology, guaranteeing a successful and impactful event.
Consult our team of WiFi experts and engineering professionals at PEEBLE EVENTS to conduct a comprehensive and detailed study for your next congress, convention, seminar, or conference. Our services are designed to offer you a tailor-made solution that caters to the unique needs of your event, ensuring seamless connectivity and an enhanced attendee experience.
Our Process Involves:
Initial Consultation: Our team begins with an in-depth consultation to understand your event's specific requirements, audience size, venue layout, and unique challenges. This stage is critical for tailoring our services to your specific needs.
Site Survey: We conduct a thorough site survey of your event location. This includes assessing existing network infrastructure, identifying potential problem areas, and understanding the physical layout to optimize access point placement.
Customized Network Design: Based on our findings, we design a customized network solution. This includes selecting the right equipment, determining optimal placement of access points for uniform coverage, and ensuring the network can handle the expected traffic.
Advanced Technology Integration: We integrate advanced technologies such as high-density WiFi access points, dynamic frequency selection, and MIMO technology to ensure robust and reliable connectivity.
Scalability and Flexibility: Our solutions are scalable and flexible, accommodating changes in audience size, venue layout alterations, or any last-minute adjustments.