There are a lot of moving parts to keep track of when planning and running large-scale events. Just think about annual events like the Heritage Festival or ITU World Triathlon in Edmonton, or Winter PLAY in Fort McMurray. There are vendors, caterers, security staff, entertainers, volunteers, and a litany of other participants and activities to coordinate and support. And we haven’t even mentioned the guests.
Losing track of any aspect of the event can create problems for organizers – problems that can leave guests disappointed with the event as a whole.
Because no one person can handle everything, events rely heavily on coordination between and amongst teams to achieve success. And communication is key to that.
Using two-way radios is a big step towards achieving successful communication and coordination. And when it comes to events, a rental radio solution is probably your best bet.
Here’s why.
After the Event, You Just Send Them Back
Once the event is over, there’s the cleanup to take care of. Tents have to be taken down, sound equipment has to be packed up, garbage and recyclables need to be gathered and hauled away, and all of this has to happen in a relatively short period of time.
If you owned the radios outright, you would have to pack them away, too. But only after inspecting them, cleaning them and fixing what needed fixing. Then you could pack them away, assuming you had a place to store them.
But when you rent radios from Tridon, the radios are ours to deal with. Once your event is over, you just box up the rental radios and leave them with us. We’ll clean, repair and store them so they’re ready for your next event.
You Can Get Them Right Away
Tridon has (literally) thousands of radios in its rental inventory. We keep them cleaned and well maintained, so they can quickly be programmed and handed over to a client who needs them in a pinch. That means a shorter lead time between your request for rental radios and you actually getting the gear you need, even if you need a same-day turnaround.
You’ll Save Money
Every operation runs on limited resources, events included. But in the case of local events, the budget may be uncomfortably tight.
Simply put, it’s less expensive to rent a two-way radio than it is to buy it outright. Your rental package can also include accessories like spare batteries, charges. and earpieces or speaker mics to help your team communicate more easily, all for a fixed rate. That means your team gets the equipment they need to coordinate their responses to guests’ needs without you having to buy equipment you’re only likely to use a few days out of the year.
You’ll Always Be In Range
One of the most common questions we hear from customers is, “What’s the range of my radio?”, and with good reason. Even with the superior range of digital two-way radios, once radios get too far apart, they won’t be able to communicate with each other without a type of signal booster called a repeater.
That’s probably not something you’ll have to worry about if your event is confined to a single area, like the Edmonton Convention Centre. But, when events move outdoors, like Heritage Days in Hawrelak Park or the ITU World Triathlon in Edmonton, staying within range becomes a challenge. But that’s not the case when you pair your rental radios with Tridon Connect.
Tridon Connect is a private, two-way radio network that covers the Greater Edmonton Area, Fort McMurray and the Wood Buffalo region. When you’re signed on to our network, you’re always within range of your team. So, if your event covers a wide area, talk to us about pairing your rental radios with our network.
You’ll Avoid A LOT of Paperwork
ISED (also known as Industry Canada) regulates the frequencies that two-way radios depend on for communication. You need a license to use most of the frequencies on the RF spectrum and, more than money, getting those licenses costs time and requires patience. The application process is lengthy and complicated and could leave you scrambling if it ends up getting rejected.
Tridon Connect solves that problem, too. When you sign on to the network, you use our frequencies which have already been licensed. All the hassles of applying for frequencies are already taken care of.
You can use unlicensed frequencies, but so can anyone else. That means nearby radios users could listen in on the conversation your team is having, interrupt it with their own chatter, making coordinating event-related activities much harder than it needs to be.
We’ll Keep it Simple
Two-way radios have come a long way since their analog ‘walkie-talkie’ days. Now, they have just as rich a feature set as a smartphone and finding the right one can feel like a challenge. After all, you only want the features that will help make your job easier. Overload your team of volunteers with equipment that feels complicated to use, and they might get overwhelmed.
We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. We’ll rent you the radios that provide the level of connectivity you need. If you or your team have any questions on how to use them, we’ll provide training, so the user feels intuitive. It’s something we do for any client who needs some extra support.
Getting Started
A successful event is a huge accomplishment. It means teams worked together to execute plans and solve problems that arose unexpectedly. Communication is key to the coordination this requires, and two-way radios are the tool that fits the bill. If you organize multiple events every year, then it might be worth it to buy your equipment. But if you rent two-way radios, you get peace of mind. Your maintenance and storage costs are covered, you get the training support you need. And, best of all, when the event is done, taking care of the radios in our job, not yours.
Tridon has supported major events all over Alberta, and we can help make sure yours is just as successful as they were. If you have an event coming up, get ahead of the game and Contact Us. Our Account Managers and Rental Technicians are here to help build the rental radio solution that works for you.
Tridon is a full solution Telecom Systems Integrator with CSA certification and licensed by APEGA. Our Engineering, Service and Tower Divisions collaborate with customers to build engineered solutions including communications systems design, tower inspections, and co-location, wireless broadband, fiber optic cabling, site security, and two-way radio communication.
