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Key Takeaways from 2025 US Wireless LAN Professionals Conference

The US 2025 Wireless LAN Professionals Conference (WLPC) brought together Wi-Fi experts to explore cutting-edge technologies like Passpoint, OpenRoaming and WPA3. With hands-on boot camps, deep-dive sessions and invaluable networking opportunities, WLPC remains the premier event for wireless professionals. Learn about the conference and catch up on the latest advancements.

In this blog

  1. Mike's thoughts
  2. Jennifer's thoughts
  3. Sam's thoughts

The US 2025 Wireless LAN Professionals Conference (WLPC) concluded earlier this month. The WLPC conference is a gathering of Wi-Fi professionals, from enterprise admins to manufacturers and partners - all attending and learning from each other. As a truly global event (EU, Mexico and the US), getting experience and exposure to the people that build, install and operate solutions from the top tier infrastructure manufacturers. Here are some of our perspectives on the event, what you missed and how you can catch up!

 Mike's thoughts

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Wireless LAN Professionals Conference in Phoenix, AZ, marking my second time at this event. The conference is divided into two main parts. The first part consists of boot camp sessions, which begin on Saturday morning and run for three days from 8:30 AM to 6 PM each day. The boot camps are undoubtedly my favorite aspect of the conference. This year, I focused on Passpoint and OpenRoaming, technologies I have been following these technologies closely for several years due to their potential use cases and impact on guest networks, DAS systems and location analytics.

The labs, lectures and equipment provided were nothing short of exceptional. I can only imagine the hundreds, if not thousands, of hours invested in developing these sessions. As we transitioned from traditional authentication and authorization methods to Hotspot 2.0, Passpoint and OpenRoaming, there were plenty of enlightening moments. Many customers, and even some wireless professionals, may not fully grasp the nuances and complexities of these technologies. 

The lab sessions allowed us to configure various OEMs, compare their differences, and conduct over-the-air captures to analyze the processes at a packet level. Additionally, I picked up around 100 new acronyms that I'm still trying to digest! I'm excited to share more insights on the WWT platform as I collaborate with our go-to-market OEMs.

The second part of the conference featured deep-dive sessions on a wide range of topics. My session focused on the Wlan-Pi, and each morning included 10—to 30-minute talks from some of the industry's leading experts. These sessions covered a spectrum of subjects, including Wi-Fi 7, protocol and spectrum analysis, wireless clients, large public venues, and even soft skills that enhance the overall quality of life.

In conclusion, this conference is one of the best in the wireless industry. It brings together over 400 like-minded individuals who are eager to discuss the daily challenges we face. A particularly wonderful aspect of this event is the absence of OEM alignments or customer biases; everyone collaborates, regardless of affiliations, to address common issues.

 Jennifer's thoughts

Over the years, I've had the privilege of attending multiple Wireless LAN Professionals Conferences (WLPC). What began in 2014 as an intimate gathering of Wi-Fi enthusiasts at the Hilton Austin Airport has since evolved into the premier event for professionals in the wireless networking space. I wasn't able to attend that first conference — I was traveling back from a customer meeting in Dallas — but I followed along in real time via Twitter (now X). Back then, the conference was small enough that even after official sessions ended, attendees lingered in the hotel lobby, continuing conversations well into the night. When I finally arrived, I met people I had only interacted with online, turning virtual connections into real-life friendships.

Much has changed since those early days. Communication platforms have shifted, and the community has expanded exponentially. What was once a gathering of around 40 people has grown into a conference that, in 2025, welcomed nearly 400 attendees. The majority are hands-on technical professionals managing the daily operations of wireless infrastructures, while others represent OEM vendors and various roles within the Wi-Fi ecosystem. Despite this growth, WLPC has maintained its focus: fostering technical excellence and strengthening the professional bonds within the Wi-Fi community.

This year's recurring theme centered on the migration from WPA2 to WPA3 — why it's essential, the challenges involved and the benefits of adopting a Wi-Fi 7 infrastructure. The conference featured a dynamic mix of presentations, from short-form "Ten Talks" to more in-depth technical sessions spanning twenty to thirty minutes. Throughout the week, attendees also engaged in deep-dive workshops, exploring critical advancements in wireless networking. A significant number of participants arrived as early as Friday to gear up for intensive weekend-long boot camps, where they immersed themselves in hands-on learning experiences.

Yet, beyond the technical content and structured sessions, my biggest takeaway remains the same: WLPC is about the people. There is no substitute for in-person connection and community building. While online interactions help maintain relationships, nothing compares to the value of face-to-face discussions, shared experiences, and spontaneous problem-solving over coffee or dinner. Unlike broader IT conferences, where Wi-Fi professionals can easily get lost in the crowd, WLPC is a rare space where wireless specialists take center stage.

For anyone working in the Wi-Fi industry, there is simply nothing else like it.

 Sam's thoughts

Of course, the main event of the conference is the daytime talks that are presented. Unlike other conferences that invite vendors up to give their pitch de jour, all presentations are voted on by the attendees in advance. The more votes your topic gets, the longer a window you are given to share what you want to say. This creates a very engaging set of topics that can come at you all at once in an hour-long talk, a quick-hit 10-talk (styled after TED talks) and a few longer sessions in between. These are recorded and posted online, so here's my list of videos you can stream now to get caught up!

Designing Wi-Fi for High Client Density | Jim Florwick

Wi-Fi 7 in 2025 and Some Other Good Stuff | Nicholas Swiatecki

Build Enterprise Wi-Fi APs from Concept to Connectivity? | Rosalie Bibona

Year 2 Walk Through of Wi-Fi 7 - Now With AFC! | Chris Clements

Securing Wi-Fi with WPA3 | Jonathan Davis

Why is My Client Throughput Garbage? | Eva Santos

And, of course, the full list of all 55 videos is up for your perusal right here.
 

Of course, it wouldn't be a conference worth attending if everything was just posted online! One of my favorite ways to engage here is in the after-hours sessions where vendors can try and entice you to come listen to them while they ply you with tchotchkes and sustenance. This year I attended a standing room session hosted by Stephen Orr (Cisco, Distinguished Engineer) where we got a very intimate look at how and why some of the security pieces in the industry are the way they are. There was no shortage of WPA3 deep-dive content for those who love speaking in frames (and who doesn't?!) and extremely valuable clarity on some of the more complex Wi-Fi security topics.

While you digest all this delicious content, remember that WWT has also developed Wi-Fi 7, positioning, OEM comparison material and much more. 

Explore some of these other great resources and engage us in your opportunities!

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