The global hospitality landscape is evolving to adapt with new innovations as facial recognition technology takes on the new ‘face’ of on-site security.

NEC, global leaders in technology and pioneers of the most advanced facial recognition tech in the market will open the first ever TecSec Summit at The Hotel Show Dubai 2015 on September 28th.

Kees Van Donk, director of hospitality EMEA at NEC, said: “In the Middle East and Africa, the use of facial recognition technology has seen significant growth over the last two years particularly in Government sectors. We foresee this rise will continue with neighbouring industries in the region’s private sector including hospitality, airports, theme parks and other travel-related businesses. This will be used for white-listing, welcoming the VIP-guests, as well as black-listing, and keeping the ‘bad guys’ out.”

NEC is one of the world-wide leaders of facial recognition technology, where cameras are installed throughout a property and used within hotels to recognise the faces of guests, check registered guest information, identify guests and alert hotel staff of VIP or undesirable visitors.

“Hoteliers are now beginning to understand that although a safe environment for guests should be a basic and given element and condition, situations can arise which cannot be determined or pre-planned. The available face recognition technology has now reached a level of maturity and accuracy that it can be used for ‘real life’ situations of varying levels of security threat.”

“Terrorism, theft, violence and other security threats cannot be ignored and can now be monitored more closely and accurately. VIPs as well as undesirable guests including wanted criminals can be detected as soon as they arrive on a hotel property,” Van Donk said.

Further highlights of the TecSec 2015 programme include: on the security front, “How to minimise the risk of threats checking into your business” presented by Samer Abu Arisheh, regional security account manager at Cisco Security; On technology, Ali Hashmi, industry manager, Travel & Government at Google will speak on the topic of “Online behavioural traits of Mena millennials”; while Rayan Soumsom, technology manager - Middle East & Africa from TecSec sponsors for 2015, Crestron, will present on “Transforming an integrated hotel into a smart hotel”.

The new TecSec Summit will run for the three days of The Hotel Show Dubai, from September 28 to 30 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. – TradeArabia News Service