Business overview
Based near us in Hove, East Sussex, Babble is a brilliant sun-up to sun-down hospitality venue which opened as part of the landmark Hove Beach Park development. It’s a joint venture between a number of
businesses which are owned by Bison Beer, Vicarious Pubs and Everflyht.
Across the 3000 sqft, and further 3000 sqft outside, the venue can cater for around 400 covers –150 inside and 250 outside.
Babble are exactly the kind of business we love to support – local, ethical and likeminded. They came to us to set up their Wi-Fi infrastructure from scratch. We were delighted to oblige.
The challenge
As a new venture, Babble’s site was a bit of a blank slate with no internal infrastructure, walls, flooring or connectivity in place. We love a challenge though, and starting from scratch is sometimes a good thing – it meant we could build the entire network according to what was best for Babble.
This meant a complete network design, from mapping to cabling and hardware to installation and configuration. The name of the game here was long-term scalability and reliability. Like most modern hospitality businesses, they required a constant connection – not just for admin and back-office work but front of house and payment systems too. They would also need reliable and secure guest Wi-Fi. Our challenge was to deliver all this on time and on budget to every corner of their site.
Why Babble chose us?
For Babble, it was important to work with a local provider that had the ability to deliver on their technical needs. But it was just as important to find someone who aligned with their ethos.
After our first meeting, it was clear that we were a great fit for each other. We knew we would be the ideal partner to achieve the outcomes they needed, from planning and design, right through to implementation and ongoing support.
The solution
Now it was about delivering. From the very beginning, we worked in close consultation with the Babble team. This gave us a deep understanding of their unique requirements and the challenges that come with a brand-new building. After a detailed scoping exercise, we were able to design and deliver a fully managed, end-to-end solution and address all of the challenges the site presented.
Connectivity
Working to strict timelines, we carried out a complete cabling design, termination and rigorous testing of all Cat6 Ethernet cable runs early on. This is not glamorous work, but it’s fundamental. Proper cable design is the foundation of any networking project, and it also prevents costly fixes and delays later down the line. This groundwork enabled us to deliver the next phases of the project seamlessly.
Meanwhile, to support Babble’s operations during this building phase, we also deployed a high-speed 5G connection. This enabled their coffee hatch to open ahead of the main venue launch. The temporary connection also allowed the build team to share drawings, order materials, and stay connected online during the build phase.
When we decided to open our new venue on Hove Beach, a key aspect to the operational success of the venue was getting all the behind-the-scenes tech up and running such as the connectivity, Wi-Fi and CCTV.
Thankfully, Xoomtalk made the whole process feel effortless. From the off they were on the ball: planning the network, installing the infrastructure, managing the Wi-Fi and CCTV, and ensuring everything was stable and reliable…
A fully managed service
Communication matters for any project like this. So, from day one, Babble had a single point of contact in the form of our Project Manager, Tom Asquith-Peacock. He was on hand to oversee every step from on-site surveys to the fibre installation, coordination of equipment deliveries and engineer scheduling.
The benefits
Internet connectivity may seem straightforward, but every business has its own networking needs. These will differ according to everything from location to operational and security needs. Because we designed their network according to these principles, Babble are benefitting from:
– Uninterrupted operations from the dual fibre connections. These connections provide complete peace of mind that point of sales systems, music streams and guest services will be unaffected in the event of outages. This is fundamental to their core operational needs.
– Improved security and compliance through the AI-enabled CCTV system which helps them deter crime, assist in investigations and fulfil their licensing obligations.
– Enhanced customer experience from the guest Wi-Fi network. Customers gain easy access to digital menus and ordering, while Babble can run valuable data capture for marketing use.
– Future proof infrastructure with Wi-Fi 6 technology, enterprise-grade hardware and a carefully planned network. The infrastructure is built to scale and is ready to support future expansions and additional services as the business grows.
– A single point of accountability at Xoomtalk, providing support, proactive monitoring and a single contact for all connectivity, networking and security needs.
We had tight timelines and a lot of moving parts (terraces, indoor/outdoor spaces, a mix of public and private areas), but Xoomtalk handled it all seamlessly. The team were friendly, communicative and always approachable. They made sure we could open on time with no connectivity hiccups, and with everything fully monitored and supported.
What I appreciated most was how little we had to worry about that side of things so we could focus on the guest experience, the food, the drinks and the vibe, knowing that the tech side was safe, stable and fully managed. It’s given us peace of mind and allows us to get on with what we do best, welcoming people, good times, sunshine and sea breezes.
Nick Vardy,
Director, Babble