Facial recognition will certainly continue to grow, and people will come to see it as a routine part of daily life. However, some people still feel uncomfortable about the technology. Some feel that having their facial images captured at an event, or having their movements tracked there, infringes on their personal right to privacy. They forget, of course, that they are being captured every day by cameras in lifts, offices, hotel lobbies, transportation systems and in city streets. Thus it is important for organisers to create ‘opt in’ opportunities that give guests a sense of control. It will be a challenge for event organizations to clearly communicate what data they are capturing, what they are going to do with it, and what will happen to the data after the event. It is important to make guest feel comfortable. If their data is used responsibly and this is communicated well, most guests understand the advantages.
**An edited version of this insight appeared in PCMA website on 17 May 2018.
