metroConnections Offers Tech-savvy Contact Tracing Solutions for Your Next In-Person Event

November 16, 2021 // Educational Series

While there are no silver linings when it comes to COVID-19, the incredible proliferation of technology that has risen in response to the pandemic has been impressive to behold. Beyond the great strides that we’ve helped our clients make with fully digital and hybrid events, metroConnections has also seen huge advancements in safety technology for in-person events. Our trusted vendors have developed state-of-the-art contact tracing solutions that can provide lasting peace of mind for your attendees with a simple, non-invasive user-experience.

“In our experience, Bluetooth contract tracing technology provides the perfect balance of reliable data, and ease of use for the attendee,” says metroConnections Vice President, Attendee Services, Erin Thompson, “With devices about the size of a credit card, we’re able to keep track of info that could really help if an attendee were to get sick.”

The Bluetooth contact tracing device that Thompson is referring to is a small transmitter and receiver that fits within an ID badge and communicates constantly with identical devices worn by other attendees. Through this network of communication, the badges and their accompanying software can identify the amount of time that a group of attendees spent in close contact with one another–information that is crucial for thorough contact tracing.

“If an attendee were to report that they were feeling sick, this system could quickly identify which other attendees that the sick person came into close contact with, and for how long,” explains Thompson, “With that information, a client could inform their specific attendees that might be affected without causing unnecessary anxiety for others.”

Attendees with privacy concerns will appreciate the discrete nature of this type of reporting about health-related information, as well as the limited scope of the data that these devices track. Additionally, metroConnections’ robust digital security will ensure that the client is the only party that has access to this sensitive data.

“These badges don’t track where an attendee is going, or what they’re doing, only their proximity to other attendees,” says Thompson, “metroConnections doesn’t view any of this data either, back-end access is exclusive to the client themselves.”

The check-in process for these Bluetooth badges is simple and relatively quick for attendees. , and badges can be wiped of data and re-used for future events, making this a cost-effective technology for clients looking to add contact tracing to multiple events. Clients also have the option to add Bluetooth nodes to an event to track attendee engagement with specific features of their event.

Ultimately, metroConnections recommends that our clients think of contract tracing technology as an insurance policy that they’ll hopefully never have to use, but will be grateful to have in the event of a worst-case scenario. By utilizing simple, wearable tech, we can create a sturdy backstop that will give your next event an added layer of security.

“The last time that we used these Bluetooth badges for a client, their attendees told us that they were really appreciative of the technology,” says Thompson, “They said that it made them feel safer to know that they would be informed if they had been in close contact with a sick person.” To learn more about our experience with contract tracing technology or to hear how we have collected vaccination cards for our clients attendees, contact us at info@metroconnections.com.