I’ve continually complained about the cost of high-speed Internet at convention centers and hotels since the first day I saw the convention center order form back in 1998. The trouble is, back then I could somewhat see the justification because centers and hotels were spending a lot of money to build the infrastructure. It was expensive to offer so it was expensive to buy.

But the convention centers and hotels are still charging for the service like it was 1998. $1,200 for two or three days is absurd - beyond a rip-off - and it was costing us booth sales. How is it that I can get more reliable and faster upload/download speeds at home for about $40 a month and yet for two days it costs $1,200? Convention Centers and Hotels and Visitor Bureaus take note - you’re costing us business. You want us to continually increase our room block yet you don’t give us the tools to help us do that! How am I suppose to increase our room block when the reason an exhibitor won’t come to the show is because of a single service charge?
I’ve had enough.

I’ve negotiated one flat rate with the Ontario Convention Center for 2007 to blanket the entire convention center with high-speed wireless Internet so I could include Internet with every exhibit space at no extra charge. Now is not the time to raise booth space fees so I won’t be able to pass the cost on to exhibitors - that would defeat the purpose. But I refuse to lose a single exhibit space sale because of the ridiculous Internet charges.

It’s going to cost a fortune, but hopefully additional booth sales and perhaps a sponsor will off-set the cost. I just can’t let this be an objection anymore.