To say last year was complicated for the event industry and the rest of the world could be this century’s understatement. But what has transpired in this age of no-touch policies is that robots have really come to our rescue when we needed sterile helpers. And given last year’s proliferation of robot deliveries, robotic cooks and, now, robots in the event industry, they may be here to stay.
“The pandemic just accelerated a growing trend: using robots in different situations, like waitressing, catering, sending deliveries,” Juan Higueros, COO of California-based Bear Robotics, told BizBash.
Servi bot, Bear Robotics' flagship bot, was mainly designed for the restaurant industry, but can now be seen zigzagging across the NBA’s Houston Rocket’s Heinecken Lounge, serving drinks and bussing tables. Soon, attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center will be able to spot Servi bot moving about, helping guests with drinks. “We’ve had increased interest this year about our bots from the events industry, and we are expecting to have higher demand as things return to normal,” Higueros said.
As we inch closer to a prepandemic world, venues are revving up for summer events and conventions; however, one big hurdle to return to normalcy may be the lack of human staffers. “It’s dire right now; we’ve had venues ask about our bots because only one-third of their staff returned,” Higueros explained, “but I don’t expect that bots will replace people, they’re only there to help staff.”
The sentiment is also shared by Knightscope, a robot security company that deploys bots in malls and buildings and at events. “They are only a complement; they can’t replace human security guards,” said Stacy Stevens, VP of marketing at Knightscope. “But right now, we are seeing higher demand due to the virus and the temporary lack of workers,” he said.
Knightscope's armless security robots can be seen patrolling casinos and airports, sounding an alarm wherever there is suspicious activity. According to Stevens, there has been growing interest in renting their bots to handle security during events and conferences—but since they need about two weeks to install the system, they can’t accommodate all the demand. “As our tech advances and evolves, we’ll be able to be more flexible and deploy our bots in a matter of hours, at pop-up events or trade shows, for example."
Knightscope's robots are able to be branded and can help patrol events, hotels and more to ensure guests' safety.Photo: Courtesy of Knightscope
Blue Ocean Robotics is another example of how robots are helping us cope with the pandemic in large events. Their recognizable shape, a base with wheels holding an enormous UV light lamp, made headlines last year after they successfully disinfected hospitals and nursing homes worldwide. The Denmark-based company showed the world that their technology can be applied to massive events like the Super Bowl after their bots disinfected parts of the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa during halftime. “Some of the hotels that have deployed our bots are also using them in their conference rooms, too,” said Camilla Almind Knudsen, head of public relations at Blue Ocean Robotics. According to the company, they have seen a sharp rise in the demand, both in the U.S. and worldwide, due to the return to normalcy coupled with the need for heightened hygiene expectations.
Robots may become a familiar sight from now on at events and convention centers, instead of an oddity or a gimmick like they were before. They have a huge potential to help humans by alleviating them from heavy or dull tasks, like taking objects across a convention center, bussing plates, guiding or welcoming guests.
