Cobo Center Completes $2 Million Wireless Technology Upgrade

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Cobo Center Completes $2 Million Wireless Technology Upgrade

12/8/2016
Claude Molinari, general manager of SMG/Cobo Center, announces the completion of a two million-dollar technology upgrade for Cobo Center. The work includes an upgraded Nortel core switch that distributes the WiFi signal and along with several new Nortel edge switches located throughout the center.

“For the visitors that use our WiFi network, these upgrades will be like moving from a one lane highway to a three lane super-speedway,” said Molinari.

System improvements also include upgrading WiFi access points to 802.11ac Aruba APs and increasing the number of APs to 400 throughout the facility. The network location of APs and configuration will be remapped based on events’ anticipated high use of WiFi in specific areas. This pre-planning creates design cost-effective networks that support uninterrupted digital services while minimizing cross-channel interference that can result from excessive and disorganized access points. The organic design smooths out the user’s experience and gives them “more on ramps” to the network.

These WiFi upgrades will allow 32,000 simultaneous users on the network. With device/client counts increasing every year for Cobo, the wireless continues to process ever increasing amounts of bandwidth per device/client and the upgrades will assure a fluid user experience. Some Cobo event WiFi traffic examples include:

2016 SEIU: 6,516 unique clients, 1.8TB of data traffic
2016 NAIAS Press Week: 14,640 unique clients, 3.06TB of data traffic
2015 NAIAS Press Week: 9000 unique clients, 1.3TB of data traffic

Discovery during pre-event planning for a show in Cobo Center may reveal estimated high usage, in which case, the Technology Services department is prepared to add more APs to smooth out the user’s experience and allow for a greater number of guests and their wireless devices to access the Internet at ever-increasing speeds. Visitor use of WiFi service has always been free throughout Cobo Center.

To create a more flexible WiFi network, the ClearPass Access Management System was installed to create an integrated platform, allow coherence of private networks and create a WiFi splash page for the facility-wide “CoboFree” WiFi network, that will require users to click through a splash page designed to highlight sponsors or include advertisers, thus generating event revenue.

Cobo Center

“We will be launching our WiFi splash page feature at this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) to allow the show to display their branding to more than 800,000 attendees when they use the Cobo Free WiFi throughout the facility,” said Molinari. “We expect this to be a huge asset to events wishing to extend their brand and their sponsor brands to every attendee.”

Along with upgrades to the full facility fiber infrastructure, Cobo Center contracted Rocket Fiber, Detroit’s newest bandwidth provider that just recently completed its downtown Detroit fiber network with a hub on Cobo Center property, to upgrade Internet bandwidth to10G.

About Cobo Center
With 723,000 square feet of exhibit space, Cobo Center boasts one of the largest contiguous exhibit floor spaces in North America and is the 17th largest convention center in the country. Visit online at www.cobocenter.com.

About SMG
Founded in 1977, SMG provides management services to 233 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theaters, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers and a variety of other venues. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 15 million square feet of exhibition space and more than 1.5 million sports and entertainment seats. SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and preopening service. . For more information visit www.smgworld.com.

About the DRCFA
On 9/15/09, operational control of Cobo Center transferred to the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, under a collaborative agreement by the Michigan State Legislature, the City of Detroit, and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Each of these entities has an appointed member on the DRCFA Board. Larry Alexander is Chairman the Board as the member appointed by the Governor of the State of Michigan. For more information visit www.drcfa.org.

Contact:
mklida@cobocenter.com