The challenges faced by the organisers
Reliable connectivity: Providing stable and fit for purpose connectivity over a wide geographical area. Ensuring critical systems such as CCTV are constantly operational.
Stakeholder connectivity demands: Ensuring all stakeholders have the connectivity needed for their role at the festival (vendors, production, front of house, security, etc.).
Bandwidth demands: Ensuring sufficient bandwidth and internet backhaul to handle increasing demands.
Network congestion: High concentration of people and network users in one area had led to network congestion.
Temporary nature: Temporary networking infrastructure that can be quickly installed and removed that is reliable, secure, and capable of supporting high traffic volumes.
Security concerns: Large gatherings are susceptible to cybersecurity threats. Implementing robust security measures to protect the network and users’ data is a priority.
Weather conditions: Outdoor events are exposed to weather conditions which can affect networking equipment.
Monitoring and support: Active monitoring to avoid and pre-empt network outages and easy fault identification and resolution in this shortest possible time frames.
Wireless interference: With crowded environments, there’s a higher chance of wireless interference which needed to be avoided.
The journey
Over the past 12 years we are proud to have been part of Clockenflap’s ever evolving story, and have relished the challenge of adapting to the changing requirements and locations.
These have ranged from widespread fields with zero existing infrastructure, to repurposed old airport buildings as well as the current Central Harbour event space. We have consistently delivered reliable solutions by using our
expertise and experience to ensure flawless critical system operations.
Our solutions have facilitated essential festival functions such as CCTV for crowd monitoring and security, live streams for artists to fulfil contractual arrangements, networks to enable BOH/operational communications and entry systems, as well as wifi to fully support payment systems for vendors.
We recognise that a festival is only ever as good as the team powering it; over the years we have been honoured to build great relationships with the key stakeholders including Festival Directors, Security Teams, Stage Management, Operations, and the Clockenflap Crew.
Our commitment has not only helped ensure the festival’s success, but solidified our role as invaluable partners in Clockenflap’s evolution.
How Xoomtalk helped
Each year we have collaborated with event organisers to assess stakeholder connectivity needs and attendee numbers, conducting a series of desk based planning sessions and site surveys to identify optimal equipment locations, and estimating required bandwidth.
We selected appropriate technologies, such as fibre optic cabling for high-speed connections and point-to-point wireless for flexibility. Redundancy planning, network topology design, and implementation of security measures were also considered throughout.
Additionally, careful consideration of power supply and environmental factors was taken, followed by the full installation of all cabling and hardware, thoroughly testing, and optimising before the festival.
During the event, an on-site support team ensured real-time issue resolution and continuous network monitoring. The tear-down phase involved the systematic dismantling of infrastructure, and documentation, including a post-event analysis for future reference and improvement.
As co-founder and festival director of Clockenflap, I can confidently say that Xoomtalk has been an indispensable partner in ensuring seamless connectivity across our festival site. Their innovative solutions, from robust fibre optic infrastructure to strategic placement of networking hardware, have not only met but exceeded our expectations.
Xoomtalk’s commitment to reliability and their proactive approach to on-site support during the event has played a pivotal role in the success of Clockenflap. With Xoomtalk, we’ve not just connected people; we’ve created an immersive and unforgettable experience for our festival-goers. Their expertise has supported us in making the festival what it is today, making them an integral part of the Clockenflap story.
Mike Hill,
Festival Director and Co-Founder, Clockenflap
Key areas of assistance from Xoomtalk
- Solution Consultation
- Project ManagementInternet
- Backhaul Provision
- Network Topology Design
- Networking Security Planning
- Redundancy Planning
- Documentation
- Network Cabling (Fibre and Copper)
- Networking Hardware
- Installation
- Network Testing
- CCTV Installation
- On-site Support
- Network Monitoring
- Post-Show Tear Down
As the Commercial Director of Xoomtalk, I am proud to witness the evolution of our partnership over the last 12 years. Our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional connectivity solutions has not only met the challenges of each festival, but has grown to anticipate and exceed the ever-expanding expectations of both organisers and attendees.
Through years of collaboration, we’ve not just provided support; we’ve become an integral part of the festival’s success story. Xoomtalk remains dedicated to elevating the connectivity experience, ensuring that Clockenflap continues to set new standards in the intersection of technology and entertainment for years to come.
Chris Brownings,
Commercial Director, Xoomtalk