The show must go on!

“We simply could not have operated without Wessex Internet.” James – Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Society

Business Profile

The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Society is the organiser of the annual Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show, as well as running the event venue Turnpike Showground. The Dorset based show has been established for 160 years and has been held on the Turnpike Showground over the past 25 years. In March 2020 the Showground became the permanent home of the Show and Showground Offices. The team has 2 staff members (1 full time and 1 part time) which dramatically increases leading up to the annual show.

Business Challenge

The event office requires acceptable fast internet with all applications and files now, like most, being cloud based. During the busy annual Agricultural Show which sees 20,000 visitors and over 500 trader stands, it is vital the connection remains stable, previously the phone signals would drop due to the numbers onsite. WiFi is also required for the ticketing systems and all of the traders during the show. The office must stay online for emergency reasons to control the whole site. Prior to the Wessex Internet broadband connection, there were phone lines onto the site but nothing capable of running the showground internet, apart from a mobile dongle. This alone was not sufficient to provide full internet access to the busy show build and would not run during the event itself.

The Solution & Process

The installation process only took a matter of weeks despite Covid-19 restrictions. The installation team were able to deliver the satellite and cable connection quickly and efficiently, with no challenges arising. The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show is subscribed to the Wessex Internet Business Unlimited broadband subscription, allowing for superfast download speeds and unlimited usage.

The Results

Despite being located in the middle of a field, the internet speed is extraordinarily fast. It has the ability to run all of the cloud based systems, as well as supporting other online tasks. It has enabled the team to market the show much faster than in their previous office, which was located in the centre of town. Wessex Internet is always on hand to help with any queries and respond to messages quickly. The site now has access to Wessex Telephone as well as wireless internet and overall, the society is paying less than they did with their previous supplier.

The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show returns Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th August 2021, tickets are available to buy now.