Maximizing Events with RFID Technology: Enhancing Attendee Experience - Essay Sample

Introduction

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems have been previously implemented in major events such as the Australian musical festival to conduct various essential operations like connecting with brands on-site, paying vendors and validating tickets (Token Team, 2018). The RFID system is primarily a platform that utilizes radio waves to monitor tags comprising electronic data through a cloud-based function. As such, they could be easily connected to the event attendees’ wristbands containing the RFID tokens which are useful for conducting those activities. This report is intended to offer a comprehensive analysis of implementing the RFID-based system by the Entertainment Team (ET) of the RO (Resort Operations) at Padgett-Beale, Inc. In particular, the M&M (Marketing & Media) executive has already approved the system’s implementation citing the significance of its data gathering and analysis capacities, which are crucial for the unit’s marketing strategy.

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Additionally, the resort operations (RO) unit supports the platform’s implementation as it could be used to offer additional functions for managing children programs and events supported by Padgett-Beale, Inc. the RO further supports the implementation of the RFID technology as it would enable tracking of the event’s attendees including their admittance and whereabouts, along with its function of enabling the visitors to make souvenirs, beverages, as well as food purchases. Finally, the Corporate IT unit has supported the implementation of the technology citing its significance attributed to leveraging cloud-computing capabilities. However it is crucial to mention that the implementation of the RFID system could be potentially impacted by compliance, privacy, and security issues, along with different laws governing its implementation; thus necessitating a comprehensive analysis with the objective of defining crucial recommendations for its implementation.

Analysis

Identified Use Case

This section of the paper will mainly emphasize on the evaluation of implementing the RFID system based on the tracking adults attending trade shows use case. As such, this section of the report will offer a comprehensive discussion about the data pool, processing, transmission, as well as storage competences of the RFID technology, along with an evaluation of the compliance, privacy along with security issues, in addition to the laws and regulations that could potentially impact the system’s implementation.

Data

One of the information gathered by the RFID technology while tracking adults at trade shows includes booth traffic. For instance, according to Metalcraft (n.d.), the booth data indicates the number and whereabouts of attendees within the exhibitions at any given moment during the event. The attendance reporting information is transmitted and stored at the booth entrances with precision using the RFID technology (Metalcraft, n.d.). The other type of information gathered by the RFID system while tracking adult attendees at trade events involves attendees’ behaviors. This information is captured unobtrusively and accurately thereby offering the event managers an unprecedented insight into the activities occurring during the event on a real time basis (Metalcraft, n.d.).

The other types of data gathered by the RFID technology include information concerning the type of products consumed by the attendees, information where to put additional required resources, as well as the kind of interactions occurring at the event. Such information is crucial for determining individuals best suited to become sponsors or advertisers for the planner\s organization as well as the areas that require additional resources for the overall advancement of the organization (Bowler, 2016). However, the implementation of the RFID system at the trade shows may present challenges associated with compliance, along with privacy and security issues.

Compliance Issues

Most fundamentally, it is crucial to further note that the RFID technology can be implemented to create, as well as track mobile purchases through wrist bands within the context of adult trade shows. As such, the implementation of the RFID bands may be potentially attributed to different compliance concerns. One of those issues involves compliance with Padgett-Beale, Inc.’s PCI (Payment card Industry). PCI compliance can be described as the operational as well as technical standards that a business should adhere to for protecting and securing credit card information offered by cardholders, and which is often transmitted via card processing transactions such as purchases of beverages and other products offered at adult events. The issue associated with PCI compliance includes data breaches especially the stored information of the attendees that may be compromised by the readers.

The other compliance issue involves the challenge of abiding by different laws of the nation or state from which the RFID bands were sold as as they are constantly changing. The other compliance concern associated with the implementation of the RFID bands at adult trade shows would involve the RO unit particularly compliance with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) rules and regulation that do not permit marketing of certain products like intentional radiation due to FCC compliance testing as well as trade show exhibitions. However, this concern is associated with temporary certification exceptions for the RFID system. The other issue that must be considered is that the FCC regulations limit the distance which provides reliable readings of the bands which poses a challenge for tracking attendees moving longer distances than the required limit. Finally, the other issue involves costs attributed to a substantial investment both in resources and time necessary for complying with mandates such as tagging each person as opposed to a group of people (Hedefine, 2006). As such, they require training several persons to perform the task of tagging along with the application of licenses for the personnel which will incur additional costs.

Privacy and Security Issues

The potential security and privacy concerns related to implementing the RFID system for use in adult trade shows are mainly attributed to the privacy consequences of tracking the attendees’ movement, along with their purchasing behavior. As such, one of the issues would include invisibility of the collected information, where the RFID could potentially reveal information concerning the objects carried by the attendees without their knowledge. The other issue includes profiling where the RFID could facilitate inferences enabling links to additional information about the adult attendees: for instance, inferences created from several tags carried by a person or from sensitive information like biometrics associated with an unsecure RFID passport. The other concern involves pervasive RFID that takes advantage of ubiquitous Internet

Connectivity and interoperability associated with thee multiplication of processing and collecting multiple personal data. Additionally, the individual possession of operational tags presents a privacy risk as it could potentially allow tracking of the individuals holding the tagged items. Finally, a security challenge would involve loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability particularly when considering personal property like vehicle ignition or access and identity documents like social security numbers, as well as passports (OECD, 2008).

Laws and Regulations

One of the laws that may wave the application of the RFID technology includes part 15 of the FCC regulations that classifies the RFID technologies as intentional radiators due to their capabilities of transmitting radio waves. As such, the regulation restricts emissions of the devices in addition to restricting its power. This regulation may pose a challenge for tracking individuals maintaining long distances from the readers. The other law includes the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC, specifically article 8 of this legislation that prohibits information processing associated with philosophical beliefs, health or sex life: thus implicating the processing of individual that is central to the use of RFID system. The other law includes the 2002/58/EC legislation including the EU (European Union) directive concerning privacy and electronic communications. This legislation necessitates that consumers must be offered information concerning how the RFID may impede reading of tags; however, does not provide information about the removal or destruction of the compromised tags.

Recommendations

Based on the analysis conducted above, firstly, this report recommends that Padgett-Beale, Inc. should obtain consent from the attendees before implementing the RFID system for the event. The consent should outline clear details about the kind of personal information it intends to gather and process along with any potential risks of using their data. Secondly, the company should block the general public from conducting catalogue searches though any unique identifier used on the RFID tags. Thirdly, the RO should train RFID operators not to release data concerning an item’s distinctive identifier, especially in response to causal or blind inquiries. Fourthly, the protect data concerning RFID tags using context-aware defenses or encryption to avert any RFID eavesdropping. Finally the RO should inform users about review procedures and policies when they encounter new information.

Conclusion

This paper has identified various issues associated with the implementation of an RFID band technology for the upcoming trade show event including PCI compliance, abiding by different laws of the nation or state, costs attributed to a substantial investment both in resources and time, invisibility, profiling, pervasive RFID, as well as loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability. As such, this report has offered different recommendations for addressing such issues including obtaining consent from the attendees, blocking the general public from conducting catalogue searches, train RFID operators not to release data about distinctive identifiers, protecting data related with RFID tags using context-aware defenses or encryption, and inform users about review procedures and policies.

References

Bowler, J. (2016, December 30). RFID wristbands – the good, the bad and the ugly. Retrieved June 28, 2020, from https://blog.printsome.com/rfid-wristbands-good-bad/

Hedefine, E. K. (2006). Personal Privacy Protection within Pervasive RFID Environments.

Metalcraft., (n.d.). RFID at trade shows. Retrieved June 28, 2020, from https://www.universalrfid.com/rfid-trade-shows

OECD, R. (2008, June). Radio Frequency Identification. OECD Policy Guidance, OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy, Seoul, Korea.

Token Team., (2018, January 4). The beginner's guide to RFID technology for events | Token blog. Retrieved June 28, 2020, from https://www.gettoken.com/beginners-guide-rfid-technology-events/