I’m trying to collect thoughts on Wi-Fi pricing at conference hotels. While many US motels and lower star hotels provide free internet access of some kind (wired in room or Wi-Fi throughout), most higher star hotels and conference centers still charge for Wi-Fi access.
Conference attendees seem like prime targets for gouging. History shows that they are usually attending on their company’s dime, and such can expense much of their stay. However, with the economic change we’re experiencing, most companies are hesitant to expense anything more than food, and many times at a capped limit (let alone limiting the number of people they send to conferences, if at all). Any additional costs need to be covered by the attendee. At some of the rates, attendees really have to weigh connectivity vs. economy.
I’m trying to get a feel from conference attendees and conference planners just how much the Wi-Fi pricing model affects the overall conference experience. I know many conference goers are not pleased at all with having to pay for internet access, and though some conferences purchase center-wider access for their attendees, I’m sure this cuts deeply into their bottom line.
If you would, please summarize your experiences in the comments. I’d like to see just how well this pricing model works and how it affects overall conference satisfaction.
- If you are an attendee and paid for access, where were you, how much did you pay, and what did you think of it.
- If you didn’t pay, what did you do to get access and how did that affect your conference experience?
- If you are a planner, if you paid for all your attendees to have access, how much did you pay and how did that affect your conference pricing and/or bottom line?
- If you didn’t pay, how did that affect your attendees’ experience, and did you hear about it via in-person feedback from attendees, comments on Twitter, blogs, or in post-event surveys?
Finally, do you think fee-based Wi-Fi is justified?
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