By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Community Initiatives Grant means better Wi-Fi access, online sales for Exhibition Park

May 25, 2018 | 11:58 AM

LETHBRIDGE –  It’s been a long time coming, but vendors and patrons alike will soon be able to get better Wi-Fi access at Exhibition Park, and make purchases directly through their website – thanks to $49,592 grant from the province’s Community Initiatives Program.

Exhibition Park CEO Rudy Friesen says they’re appreciative of the encouragement from local MLAs like Maria Fitzpatrick who have been “incredibly supportive” of their activities.

“We had decided some time ago, as an order of business it was time to upgrade our computers and the hardware equipment that we use for our day to day business.”

The biggest portion of the upgrade, Friesen explains, includes the server network that they need to manage all the activity that comes in and out of Exhibition Park.  

It includes not only their corporate activity, but the e-commerce interface with their clients and customers as well.

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“One of the things that’s been included with this upgrade is strengthening of our Wi-Fi systems throughout the complex. We’re finding more and more that our exhibitors expect that ability to do business and conduct business right from the trade show, in terms of downloading, and printing and signing contracts for example. So, we want to make it easier for them to do that.”

Point of Sale (P.O.S.) machines for debit and credit transactions also require a strong bandwidth with Wi-Fi.

“That’s probably the bare minimum with respect to e-commerce,” Friesen explains. “We also want to move into the opportunity for people to purchase concert tickets and event tickets online, as well as purchase exhibit space online when they visit our website.”

Patrons will also be able to access an improved guest Wi-Fi system to use while they’re at events, shows or markets.

There will also be upgrades for 30 to 40 employee terminals.

Exhibition Park staff are currently in the process of upgrading their hardware that will allow them the improve their systems. It will continue as they move into the software and e-commerce technological upgrades as well.

The plan is to have it all completed by this fall.