Case Study: and Eldorado Resorts Inc.

At A Glance Stats • Properties: Eldorado Resort and Casino

• 814 guest rooms at El Dorado

• 1,711 at Silver Legacy. Circus Circus will be 1,573 rooms • 500-2000 users concurrently connected • 486 APs in hotel rooms • 90 Additional APs around property, including valet and sidewalks

Challenges • Slow wireless connections and limited bandwidth • Ensuring guest and employee information was secured on the network • Satisfying guests wireless needs • Ability to leverage location-based insights over Wi-Fi to understand how guests are engaging with the property, take the contextual analytics and then better service the guest with this data • Multiple guest authentications required when moving about the property Eldorado Resort Casino Products Utilized • ExtremeWirelessTM WiNG Differentiates Itself with • TS-524 (T-5 System) • TW-522 Wall Plate APs Personalized Guest Wireless • SONIFI Interactive TV Featuring: • Customized Branded Interactive Experience • Custom Hotel Messaging Introduction • Hotel Directory The Eldorado Resort Casino in Reno, is recognizable for its modern • In Room Dining neon lights on the strip and well-known for its phenomenal service, friendly • Mobile TV controls with Interactive Branded Experience staff, and festivals. However, Eldorado struggled to overcome constant • Account Review and Check out guest wireless complaints. The property was not able to meet their guests’ • On-Demand & Streaming Content wireless expectations. They needed a personalized wireless experience that Results also took full advantage of today’s technology for branding, communication, • 25% decrease of guest Wi-Fi complaints guest insights, and contextual analytics. The resort casino’s parent company, post deployment Eldorado Resorts Inc., understood the need to eliminate wireless complaints • Increased overall network capacity and over 90% and utilize technology to fully meet the goals of their business. They coverage across property determined a new wireless network was necessary not only at the Eldorado • Increased number of average devices connected to the Wi-Fi network Resort Casino, but also at their other two Reno properties: Circus Circus • Ability to send guests unique offerings based on Hotel and Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino. their location and their interests • Secure network connections for guests Eliminate Wireless Complaints and and employees • Beaconing technology enables Eldorado to Gain Insights monitor foot traffic around the property Eldorado Resort Casino needed a wireless network that better supported • Ability for guests to authenticate once and the mobile habits of their guests and kept the future goals of the remain connected for 48 hours property and brand in mind. Eldorado guests anticipate a high-quality • Future-proofed network to support critical digital initiatives of the business Wi-Fi experience. They expect excellent access whether they are inside the hotel, exploring the resort, or entering the casino. As a popular

WWW.EXTREMENETWORKS.COM 1 entertainment destination, Eldorado sees a large volume Providing Personalized Seamless of guests per day and about half a billion guests annually. This population of visitors presents a huge opportunity Guest Wi-Fi Access for the brand to strengthen their guest relationships by Eldorado Resort Casino partnered with Extreme Networks using the wireless network as a unique touch point and and SONIFI to deliver its wireless goals. Extreme’s another channel of communication. Creating long-lasting purpose-built technologies delivered quality and pervasive memories and value-added experiences resonates with network solutions, while SONIFI offered industry-leading guests when they are considering where to stay on their expertise in network design, network installation and next visit to Reno or recommending to others. specialized interactive content including OTT options Eldorado Resort Casino wanted the ability to engage and backed with quality service and support. interact with their guest population over Wi-Fi once they Together, Extreme and SONIFI designed and deployed connect to the onsite network. Utilizing the technology as a a wireless network to exceed guest expectations. The strategic asset, the property could leverage location-based network design enables guests to seamlessly and easily insights over the Wi-Fi network. They could observe guest connect to the network. It also provides adequate engagement with the property and examine the contextual bandwidth to support their mobile usage behaviors analytics and ultimately better service the guest. including the option to connect multiple devices per guest. The additional goal of simple, extended connectivity across multiple properties factored in to the network design and deployment as well. “By completing effective site surveys, we The right solution for Eldorado Resort Casino was were able to ensure the network was fully Extreme Wireless and Extreme Management Center. covered from a design perspective. When it SONIFI installed 486 access points (APs) across their was time to test it live, the property was well- 814-guest room resort and an additional 90 access points prepared.” in locations throughout the property. The AP installation and the resulting Wi-Fi coverage ensured guests have a Kara Heermans seamless Wi-Fi experience that simply always works. “We Vice President of User Experience and don’t limit the number of devices a guest can have. There Product Solutions, SONIFI Solutions is no rule or fee for guests to authenticate multiple devices like other resorts may charge. We are providing a truly personalized ‘at-home’ wireless experience for our guests,” emphasizes Audio Visual Director Phillip Karam. Eldorado Resorts Inc. set the goal of maximizing the system’s functionality. They sought to create a positive, As part of the process, SONIFI and Extreme worked with welcoming, value-added experience for the entirety of a the Eldorado IT team to develop a heat map to inform guest’s stay at any of their Reno properties. They decided the network architecture and initial network design. By to deploy a new wireless solution from Extreme Networks forming Wi-Fi zones, the network delivers outstanding at each location. This investment would allow the Eldorado coverage and meets bandwidth requirements across the Resort Casino, Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, and Silver property; Estimates show over 90% Wi-Fi coverage with Legacy Resort Casino to satisfy the connectivity needs of the new implementation guests. Additionally, it provides a platform for Eldorado to Using the Extreme T5 wireless system leveraged the pursue future digital goals and build a strategy to increase property’s existing telephone wires (or VDSL/Cat 3). their investment returns. Because no cable needed to be pulled, the APs were Another important requirement for these three properties installed in rooms in a matter of minutes. The overall was a central authentication of the network across each deployment was virtually seamless and completed within location. With this feature, a guest could sign onto the a couple months. The entire process limited disruption to wireless network at one hotel and travel to all three guests and provided significant cost savings for the resort properties without losing authentication. The Eldorado casino as well. Resort Casino determined the average stay of their guests to be 2 nights. The authentication window needed to be programmed for 48 hours so guests would not need to re- authenticate multiple times.

WWW.EXTREMENETWORKS.COM 2 Results Establishing safe and secure connections ensures network protection against being hacked or disrupted. Plus, the Before working with Extreme and SONIFI, Eldorado personal information of guests is not compromised. received guest Wi-Fi complaints multiple times a day The new network provided by Extreme and SONIFI gives leaving the IT staff overloaded. Since deploying the new Eldorado Resort and Casino capabilities for meeting future Wi-Fi network, the Eldorado Resort Casino observed customer expectations and network usage goals. a significant drop in guest complaints. What had been dozens of calls per day troubleshooting usage is now zero! There’s been a 53% decrease in negative guest complaints Future year over year. The Wi-Fi usage also increased from an Future plans for Eldorado Resorts Inc. are to maximize average of 200-300 connected users to an average of its improved network. With Silver Legacy Resort Casino 700-2,000 connected users, and it’s expected that 3,800- recently completed, Circus Circus Hotel network upgrade 6,000 users will be connected once the Wi-Fi network is and refresh will begin in 2018. Once completed, over live across all three properties. 4,000 total rooms across the three properties will be part of the centralized network. Guests will be able to

authenticate when they arrive at any of the Eldorado properties and will not need to re-authenticate when “We don’t limit the number of devices a guest they travel to one of the other Eldorado properties. This can have. There is no rule or fee for guests will greatly reduce the level of effort needed from the to authenticate multiple devices like other Eldorado Properties IT staff to manage wireless demands. resorts may charge. We are providing a truly Eldorado Resorts Inc. also looks to expand guest OTT personalized ‘at-home’ wireless experience options, such as guest device streaming, with its improved for our guests,” network. SONIFI’s STAYCAST streaming solution is currently implemented in limited rooms with great success. Phillip Karam Combined with connectivity speeds of up to 100Mbps, Audio Visual Director guests have no problems streaming 1000+ apps, including SONIFI Solutions their favorite content from apps like Netflix and Hulu on the in-room TV. A powerful and reliable Wi-Fi network makes a wide scope This reliability and increased usage presents Eldorado of future options possible for Eldorado and sets them as Resort Casino a great opportunity to send guests unique an industry-leader in new technology use. offerings based on their location and their interests. SONIFI integrated new beaconing technology to work “Experiences like this are something we strive to provide to in tandem with Extreme Wireless. This allows Eldorado all guests across twenty US properties.” Shawn Rorick, VP Resort Casino to monitor customer foot traffic and of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce, Eldorado Resorts Inc. instantly communicate with guests in certain areas.

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