Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/408997
36 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2014 RINKMAGAZINE.COM by CORY PORTNER, CIRM, RPOT H ave you taken the time to pause and look around your rink? Everyone from parents, coaches, patrons, skaters and their siblings are plugged into some sort of device and scouring the web. From the moment we wake up, the draw to social media, email or gaming apps competes for large amounts of our time on a daily basis. We have become a society that is constantly updating a status or sharing an experience with our friends and family. The advent of Wi-Fi connections makes this possible with each stop along our daily route. So the question of the hour is this: Should we as ice rink facilities provide Wi-Fi to our customers? Should we enable parents, family and friends to visit the facility and bury their face into an electronic device in lieu of watching their children skate? Here are the facts. User groups within our facilities look at Wi-Fi as a necessity, not a novelty — just like a coffee shop. We don't pay for Wi-Fi. We purchase coffee and expect our devices to auto-connect before we smell the roasting beans. Our customers definitely appreciate the opportunity to connect to Wi-Fi. Whether you offer that service for free or charge for it is completely up to your business model. There are plenty of upsides for your facility. People "check in," send photos and share videos on their social feeds with their family and "Excuse Me, Do You Have Wi-Fi?" 6 Things to Consider When Offering Wireless Internet Access THERE ARE PLENTY OF UPSIDES FOR YOUR FACILITY. PEOPLE "CHECK IN," SEND PHOTOS AND SHARE VIDEOS ON THEIR SOCIAL FEEDS WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. RINK ISSUES Wi-Fi