Wifi Access and Other First Impressions of the Venue

So, I’ve checked in to the Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers Sunday, the venue for AdTech. First, as to wifi, the good news is it’s free. The bad news is that it is available reportedly only in the lobby level. I say reportedly because it is presently 9:30pm Sunday and I haven’t yet been to the levels of the hotel where the sessions are taking place.

It’s a breeze to access in the lobby: no passwords or other hassles. You just have to fill out a quick survey that basically wants to know your demand for wifi as a business traveler. I used the opportunity to complain that it wasn’t also available on all conference levels and in the rooms. I suggest you do the same.

Also, an important note if you haven’t checked in yet: rooms with high-speed Internet are already sold out. Be sure to ask at the reservation desk whether they can accommodate you with such a room. Odds are no, but the only way you’ll get one is if you ask.

So far, I’ve spotted only a few other AdTechers, but that’s not to say it’s quiet. Thousands of teenagers and their families have completely taken over the hotel for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) conference. Some 6,000 of them are apparently divvied up among three hotels for the week. As teenagers do, they seem to do everything very loudly and in large packs, which is rather annoying so far (as I type this in the hotel lobby, a card game is emitting loud jeers and cheers). Let’s hope we’re not tripping over them when we get down to schmoozing.