That’s a Wrap! A Look Back at FindBiometrics’ Travel and Hospitality Summit

FindBiometrics has wrapped up another successful online event. The Travel and Hospitality Summit took place on May 18, and brought together an incredible lineup of guests to talk about some of the many ways in which biometric technology is transforming the way people travel.

Much of that conversation focused on the air travel industry, which is finally starting to recover during the down years of the pandemic. The Online Summit kicked off with a Keynote presentation from Nick van Straten, the Biometrics Program Director for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Van Straten explained how KLM is using biometrics to process passengers more efficiently, and to deliver a better travel experience as people return to the skies.

Several other guests expanded on that theme throughout the day. Both Thales’ Head of Airport and Airline Biometric Solutions Philippe Faure and NEC Chief Product Officer Micah Willbrand explained how biometrics can be used to make airport operations more efficient in two individual presentations. In another panel, IDEMIA SVP of Travel and Transport Lisa Sullivan joined Communications Branch Chief Carlo Cortina Jr. of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to talk about the impact that biometric screening is having at the border. Iris ID VP Tim Meyerhoff would similarly discuss border law enforcement with Gary Stroupe, the Acting Deputy Section Chief of Biometric Services for the FBI, later in the day.

Of course, airplanes are not the only way to travel, nor is every application of biometrics passenger-facing in nature. One of the other highlights of the day was a conversation with Brightwell CPO Audrey Hall, who showed how Royal Caribbean is using biometrics to improve financial security for crew members on its ships. In the past, poor payment security has led to high rates of identity fraud, and biometrics has mitigated that threat in international waters.

Some of the most entertaining sessions of the day moved away from the airport and toward sports and entertainment. Wicket CEO Sanjay Manandhar and Debbie Reynolds of Debbie Reynolds Consulting looked at stadium biometrics in a panel presented in collaboration with IIFX, our sports and entertainment industry partner. Troy Brown, the VP of Stadium Operations for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, then took the stage to show how his team is using Wicket’s technology to get 65,000 fans from the gate to their seats as quickly and painlessly as possible.

The day also featured conversations about broader, more general identity trends in the travel industry. Jay Meier of FaceTec looked at the potential benefits (and pitfalls) of mobile IDs and digital driver’s licenses, while Maxine Most of Acuity Market Intelligence put forward a new paradigm for thinking about digital identity. Frost & Sullivan’s Danielle VanZandt, meanwhile, discussed how the travel and hospitality industry has responded to COVID-19.

The day closed with a roundtable discussion featuring members of the International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA). The panelists wrapped the festivities with a high-level conversation about the past, present, and future of biometrics in air travel.

The FindBiometrics virtual event series will continue on September 28 with our Financial Biometrics Online Summit. Be sure to join us to learn more about some of the financial applications of new biometric and identity technologies!

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May 20, 2022 – by Doug OGorden