Business View Magazine | June 2019

66 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JUNE 2019 “Then we market their feedback about us,” he adds. “Long gone are the days of ‘you can market yourself however you want.’ The reality in today’s world is your attendees and your planners (via social media, TripAdvisor, etc.) communicate what and who you really are, and that’s far more important than what you’re trying to present yourself as. So whatever you do, just make sure you’re really, really good at it, because when people are searching for your venue online, they’re going to see what kind of ratings people are giving you before they even think of picking up the phone.” “We’ve had great success taking care of people using the philosophy of ‘we want to be easy,’” Mitchell maintains. “We’re not the cheapest, but we try to have the best value. You may pay a little more, but you’re going to get better food, you’re going to get a cleaner building, you’re going to get better service that yields a great value. And that’s why we have such great ratings on Google, Trip Advisor, and other social sites.” Regarding today’s demands for up-to-date technical amenities, Mitchell believes the most important thing a venue should have is a robust technical backbone, specifically Wi-Fi. “We have invested, and we continue to invest every few years, into our Wi-Fi network,” he states. “We built our infrastructure out for the future – it’s all 10 gigabyte. A good Wi-Fi system, these days, only lasts for about three or four years. Technology is increasing at an exponential rate and we decided, a long time ago, that we were going to invest and advance with it. Many venues still try to monetize their Wi-Fi and use it for future capital, or use it as a funding source to offset its operational costs. We just viewed it as a utility, no different than the lights, electric, gas, or water that you need. We don’t monetize it. It’s all free. The only time there’s a fee is if you want a hard line hooked up. But wireless throughout the venue – whether you’re in the pre-function, in the exhibit hall, in a meeting room, in a ballroom – it’s all free and we’ve been that way for quite a while.” The Center even installed dual-feeds coming into the venue for redundancy, so if one of the carriers for broadband At Schneider Electric, we strive to make your entertainment and convention center spaces as efficient as possible while providing a world-class venue that boosts community favorability. Guaranteed energy savings of over $170,000 annually, the Overland Park Convention Center is a cornerstone project that allows the City to continue to reinvest into other capital and operational needs that benefit future patrons. http://processes.energy/local Invite opportunity to drive your community further