Dundee’s message that the Caird Hall is a top conference venue struggled to overcome its first test of the year at the weekend the journalists covering the Scottish Labour Conference couldn’t get their reports out.
The venue’s wi-fi kept breaking down, meaning reporters and photographers couldn’t send their stories and pictures to the outside world.
Council leaders have promised to investigate the technology trouble, and insisted it had not been encountered before.
The problem was worst on Friday, the main day of the conference, when 20 journalists queued up to share their take on UK party leader Ed Milliband’s pledge to keep the British nation united.
In desperation to escape the wrath of their editors, they rushed outside with their laptops and took refuge in nearby shops and restaurants with wif-fi connections where they were able to send their reports.
The wi-fi problem continued on Saturday but not on Sunday, when communications were restored.
The chairman of Leisure and Culture Dundee, which operates the Caird Hall in partnership with the city council, said he was surprised to hear of the problem.
”This is a first as far as I am aware,” said Councillor Bob Duncan. ”I’ve been able to get a wi-fi link in the Caird Hall as I believe there is an installation in the building to make this happen. I’m not aware of there ever having been a complaint about this before.
”I wonder if there was a problem with the installation at the weekend or if there was a problem outwith the hall. Whatever the reason, we will investigate this as we definitely don’t want to have this type of thing happening at the Caird Hall.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: ”This is an unusual occurrence and we will look into this to see if there is a technical aspect that needs to be remedied.”
Last month Dundee Council announced the city’s economy is in line for a near £3 million boost through a number of high-profile conferences to be held in the Caird Hall this year.
Thousands of delegates are to travel to Dundee from across the country to attend events in the venue. This month also sees the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting convention, followed by the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles, and then The Order of the Eastern Star and the Jehovah Convention.
Later in the year there will be the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Church of Scotland Guild conferences.
Councillor Duncan declared at the time: ”The Caird Hall is a flexible venue that can meet the needs of many organisations for major events and meetings. We are working hard to attract even more gatherings to the Caird Hall as a part of a continuing promotional campaign.”