Ostendaise 2025

Ostendaise — the annual food festival on the Belgian coast — brought a tasty mix of local gastronomy, sun, and sea to the Zeeheldenplein in Ostend this June. But behind the scenes, it was not just about oysters and wine: the success of such an event largely depends on what visitors do not see.

Astro Rent provided a solid network structure that allowed exhibitors to rely on dependable connectivity for their point-of-sale systems, including backup via satellite and mobile data.

The context: a fixed line, but no fixed guarantees

The Ostendaise organisation had a fixed internet line via Proximus as the primary connection, but relied on Astro Rent for a professional contingency plan:

• Satellite backup (in case of failure or overload of the fixed line);
• 4G support as a third layer for additional redundancy;
• WiFi network for the exhibitors, on which the EventPay point-of-sale system ran.

By combining multiple connection layers, we could guarantee that payments keep going, even during unexpected outages or peak loads.

The technical challenge: lots of open space, little infrastructure

Ostendaise took place on an open square without existing cabling. Astro Rent ran cables over longer distances and built a network with multiple access points, despite the limited physical anchor points on the terrain.

An AV partner also worked with their own network, including for digital signage and production control. We designed our infrastructure so that it could function alongside those systems without disruption or interference.

WiFi for all exhibitors — and rapid intervention where needed

Every exhibitor — each one a local culinary player — was given access to a dedicated WiFi network segment with high availability.

At the start of the festival, EventPay flagged that some locations had weaker coverage or blind spots. Thanks to our local support (a technician on stand-by in Ostend), we were able to quickly deploy additional access points on-site, ensuring that those last few tills also functioned smoothly.

Although we did not provide a permanent on-site crew, this local stand-by was crucial for quick action on startup issues.

The result: stable point-of-sale systems, a worry-free festival

During the festival, all payments proceeded without notable interruptions. The combination of our segmented network structure, redundant connections, and rapid local support ensured peace of mind for both the organisation and the partners.

For the visitor, everything seemed effortless. But under the hood, a network solution built with care and expertise was running — exactly where Astro Rent makes the difference.

Working with Astro Rent: smart, scalable, and rapidly deployable

Whether you are an organiser yourself or work with payment, ticketing, or AV systems:

Astro Rent delivers temporary networks with redundancy, segmentation, and monitoring, suitable for festivals, trade fairs, and temporary setups.

Email: verhuur@astrorent.eu or +32 456 71 78 25

Do you work with solutions like EventPay and are you looking for a network partner that keeps things running, regardless of terrain or crowd size? Astro Rent delivers the infrastructure that such systems can rely on.