Wearable technology for tourism and events – is there real added value?

Wearable computing has experienced increased attention in the media lately thanks to the recent news concerning the official launch of Google Glass in mid-April. There are several innovative ways how the tourism and events industry can also benefit from this concept in order to increase customer satisfaction and make events more memorable.

The UK airline Virgin Atlantic, for example, tested various wearable devices such as Google Glass and Sony’s Smartwatch technology in order to personalize service touch points and thus improve passengers’ travel experience (Digital Tourism Think Tank, 2014; Briden, 2014). These tools allowed staff to provide travellers with real-time information concerning the flight status, weather, and local events taking place at the destination as well as enable on-the-spot translation. Future goals lie in using the technology to keep track of “passengers’ personal preferences, such as dietary requirement, refreshment preferences or anything else that could provide a more personal service experience” (Briden, 2014).

Events can also be improved by adopting wearable computing into the creation of experiences. Pepsi, for example, used digital wristbands at a sponsored music event in order to measure crowd reaction and act accordingly. These wristbands provided events staff with real-time information on audience movement, sound levels, and body and ambient temperature, which was then used to adjust lightning, room temperature, and sound selection in order to create a more memorable and exciting attendee experience. According to Rana June, the founder and C.E.O. of Lightwave (the technology used at the event), “the underlying goal is to provide deeper, more meaningful insights about what’s happening beyond someone with a clicker saying 1,000 people walked in” (Sorrells, 2014). The information can also give valuable demographic information if guests agree to provide it.

Business events and trade shows can also make use of such wearable technologies. Information transmitted by the gadgets at trade shows can be used “to tell you how people are feeling during a keynote or what talking points are resonating [by measuring applause levels], or what booths people are spending time at” (Sorrells, 2014).

As technology progresses, so will the tools available in the future and the innovative ways they can be used in tourism and events. The question that is often raised is whether these technologies provide real and relevant innovation or if they are just nice “toys” that distinguish companies from their competitors. At what point do they contribute real added value that noticeably improves customer satisfaction?

Today many of the wearable computer devices are still being tested for various uses across different industries, but it is imaginable that in the not-so-far future they will provide real improvements and become a standard for enhancing customer experiences, especially in the tourism and events industry. As this industry places a particular emphasis on customer satisfaction, which can be difficult to measure, the insight provided by wearable technological devices could end up revolutionizing how service is provided.

Aline Biber & Caitlin Richardson

Sources:

Briden, P. (2014, April 24). Google Glass Release Date, Features And Price: Too Creepy To Succeed? Knowyourmobile.com. Retrieved from http://www.knowyourmobile.com/google/google-glass/21388/google-glass-release-date-features-and-price-too-creepy-succeed

Digital Tourism Think Tank. (2014, February 21). Wearable technology and personalization. Digital Tourism Think Tank. Retrieved from http://thinkdigital.travel/knowledgestream/wearable-technology-and-personalisation/

Sorrells, M. (2014, April 1). New Digital Wristband Measures Crowd Reaction at Events. Bizbash. Retrieved from http://www.bizbash.com/new-digital-wristband-measures-crowd-reaction-at-events/new-york/story/28197#.U1zGHhaGhd1

Image: Freedigitalphotos.net, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net