Skift Take
A facial recognition startup has developed a new way to protect attendee data, but many people are still wary of the technology. It's hard to blame them, considering that data breaches within the travel industry seem to be happening left and right.
One of the most important goals for event planners is creating a truly personalized experience for the attendee. This often means tracking attendee engagement, a task that is notoriously hard to do.
Facial recognition and facial analysis can help, and more and more companies are starting to use it. This is not just true in the events space, but in other industries as well, including airlines and hotels. It has gone from a new, somewhat dystopian technology, to something that is now on planners’ radar. The technology can automatically check attendees in, and give them personalized updates about the event itself.
Despite the potential information the tech can provide, however, many planners still have valid privacy concerns about it, and are reluctant to use it. As facial recognition becomes more common, privacy concerns are rising.
“Facial recognition will become the norm as we travel to events, helping cut down the long lines we’ve all stood in traveling to and during an event,” predicted Jason Askew, product marketing manager for onsite solutions at Cvent, in a recent EventMB report.
