Will Provide Digital Infrastructure at GCCC Events Through 2023
Smart City Networks, the nation’s largest provider of event technology services for the convention industry, has been awarded a new contract to remain the Greater Columbus Convention Center’s (GCCC) telecommunications and internet technology provider through SMG, the GCCC’s management company.
The 7½-year deal will extend the partnership through 2023, and calls for Smart City to provide a variety of digital infrastructure enhancements within the 1.7 million-square-foot venue:
- High-speed internet access in the exhibit halls and meeting rooms
- A Wi-Fi deployment over 200 access points
- Upgraded network fiber and cabling
- Turnkey data networking, including local area, wide area, and private networks
- High-density network that can handle high-capacity demands of large events at increased speeds
- One gigabit capability internet backbone to be increased to 10-gigabit bandwidth.
As the new contract takes effect, Smart City’s network upgrades will be folded into the convention center’s current renovation and expansion project, which is scheduled for completion in July 2017. Smart City has committed to making additional infrastructure upgrades throughout the term of the agreement.
“Smart City Networks has partnered with the Greater Columbus Convention Center since 2000, delivering comprehensive and reliable network services to convention exhibitors, attendees, and vendors,” noted Smart City President Mark Haley. “This new agreement means we can leverage those investments in technology and people to expand our telecommunications and internet support at Columbus well into the next decade.”
The contract renewal and upgrades will ensure guests continue to receive uninterrupted, integrated services for conventions and shows hosted by GCCC, including the Arnold Sports Festival, the world’s largest multi-sport fitness weekend; Cultivate, a Top 200 trade show produced by AmericanHort; the popular Ohio Education Technology Conference; and the Thirty-One Gifts conference for the 14th largest direct-selling company in North America. Demand for WiFi and cellular telephone coverage at these and other events continues to grow with increased use of live streaming, video conferencing, mobile data access and back-channel communications on social media.
