Case Study – Lighthouse Festival Theatre

Introductions: Who is the Lighthouse Festival Theatre?

The Lighthouse Festival Theatre is located in beautiful downtown Port Dover, Ontario. It is dedicated to fostering and promoting live professional theatre in southern Ontario; for Canadians by Canadians. The theatre has put on 170 productions since its inception in 1980. It uses Internet in a variety of ways to keep staff and patrons connected in the box office, during private events, live shows, and presentations.

The Challenge

The Lighthouse Festival Theatre struggled with Internet service reliability for several years, ultimately leading up to its decision to switch its services to Execulink. Prior to switching, unreliable Wi-Fi prevented the theatre from modernizing patron experiences. At times, staff would be disconnected for hours. With those struggles top of mind, there were several key requirements that needed to be addressed when switching to Execulink’s Fibre Internet.

The theatre needed better Wi-Fi coverage to scan tickets faster and improved connectivity for presentations to enhance special events. When the theatre made the decision to upgrade its ticketing software, it knew the Internet connection issues also needed to be solved. Execulink resolved these issues and the Fibre Internet connection continues to exceed expectations.

The Solution

The Execulink Sales team and Technicians understood the challenges the Lighthouse Festival Theatre faced with its previous provider. They also considered the requirements for the new cloud-based ticketing software the theatre would be on-boarding later that year. When developing the Fibre Internet solution, Execulink worked closely with theatre staff to identify the right service for everyone’s needs. The theatre building is old and large which can hinder connectivity. The required Internet speed was 90 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. The introduction of a fully managed Wi-Fi network with several access points set up throughout the building allowed for enhanced Wi-Fi coverage. Previously, there was only one router installed in the auditorium booth. The Lighthouse Festival Theatre also required internal and external (patron/client) services. Execulink was flexible in the installation process and was able to have the theatre connected before the start of its 2019 season. The transition was smooth and the theatre felt confident during the entire process.

The expected outcomes were:

  • Better Wi-Fi coverage in the box office, lounge, and theatre
  • Improved connectivity for presentations at special events
  • Speeds to support a cloud-based ticketing software

“Working with Execulink to set up Fibre Internet was very smooth!”

Nicole Campbell

Executive Director, Lighthouse Festival Theatre

The Results

Having Execulink Fibre Internet made moving to the new ticketing software easy. This software was key to growing the theatre’s business opportunities. Fibre allowed private and third party entertainment groups access to reliable Internet when renting the theatre and lounge spaces in the off-season. Their presentations and performances would not be hampered by connectivity issues. Making the switch to Fibre had set the theatre up for success.

When the global pandemic hit, the theatre had to cancel its season and move its staff to working from home. Staff needed to be able to remotely connect to the theatre’s secure network. Knowing that the Internet in the theatre building was reliable was incredibly valuable and relieved some stress in a tumultuous time. In the year that the Lighthouse Festival Theatre team has been working from home, connecting to the files and systems in the theatre has never been a concern.

Whenever the theatre requires customer support from Execulink, “it’s wonderful,” says Nicole Campbell, Executive Director at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre. “The Customer Care team is easy to get a hold of, quick to help identify issues and provide the necessary solutions. This is unlike any other provider the theatre has ever used. Execulink treats the theatre and its staff with care.”

The Lighthouse Festival Theatre looks forward to continuing its partnership with Execulink Telecom and staying connected with lightning-fast Fibre Internet.