As anyone who’s ever thrown together a simple birthday party knows, planning an event can be as stressful as it is fun. Then there’s the event itself, which, depending on size, requires complex levels of orchestration and oversight to ensure a flawless experience. Now multiply this level of effort times a hundred when talking about a corporate event, fundraiser, wedding or other high-end hospitality engagement. If this sounds familiar to you as an event planner, HR professional or hospitality manager, you might want to take a look at the ways robotic automation can help make your next event a big success. 

Catering Assistance

Catering and its related staffing needs take up a considerable amount of budget space for large events. Many events require waitstaff to hand out drinks and hors d’oeuvres, serve plated meals and bus tables. But hiring and retaining catering staff is a constant headache given that foodservice and hospitality have one of the highest “quit rates” of any industry. One surefire way to augment serving staff while wowing guests is by taking advantage of robotic food service assistance. 

Interactive delivery robots like BellaBoT and KettyBoT can make wonderful additions to an event’s catering operations. BellaBoT excels at food running, equipped with four infrared detection trays and the ability to pair with table locator systems or just cruise around a space offering appetizers and drinks. A cute “kitty” face with multiple expressions, programmable spoken audio responses and music play make BellaBoT an ideal robotic server for nearly any type of event. KettyBoT is slightly smaller than Bella, but is still a whiz at food and drink delivery, plus the BoT comes equipped with a large front display screen that can be used to play videos, run ads or make announcements to guests.

Large events in particular will find value in the nimble, high-capacity SwiftBoT. With four large infrared detection trays and an ample interior secured by gullwing doors, this BoT really carries the goods. Advanced maneuverability and obstacle avoidance technology make SwiftBoT ideal for working through busy, crowded events. 

When it’s time to clean up, purpose-built dish bussing solution HolaBoT is sure to be the star of the show. With a waterproof interior, four large bus tub compartments and a carrying capacity of 120 lbs, heavy-duty HolaBoT can carry mountains of dishes, saving catering staff time and energy. And HolaBoT’s touchless-swipe technology ensures that its screen stays dry and clean, even if hands aren’t. 

Working the crowd

Most people attend events for a bit of fun and enjoyment, regardless of the context. What better way to add some novelty and delight to the attendee experience than with robotic hosts and guides? 

The aforementioned KettyBoT isn’t just an efficient catering helper; KettyBoT also excels as a host, guide and wayfinding assistant. In guiding mode, the BoT can sit at a designated location, waiting to guide guests to their tables or showing the way to other event locations. The robot can speak a variety of phrases to guests, which can be customized by the event host for different scenarios. KettyBoT can also play music while displaying information, announcements or ads on its large front video panel. And because of KettyBoT’s built-in carrying capacity, guests can be offered appetizers, drinks or promotional swag while following the BoT to a destination.

If ever-evolving versatility is what you’re looking for in a robotic host and guide, the AI-powered TemiBoT is sure to impress. With the ability to integrate into numerous IT systems and utilize an expansive range of software, TemiBoT can be fully customized to your venue or event planning business. Capable of facial and voice recognition, TemiBoT can be programmed to recognize and greet VIPs and provide custom guided tours and wayfinding assistance. When guiding, the BoT has the ability to turn around, so the user can see any information displayed on the screen. When used in “follow me” mode, TemiBoT will follow a guest for on-demand assistance until given a command to return to a start location. TemiBoT can also be used for Q&A, guest check-in and numerous other guest services. 

Cleaning Up

Once the party’s over, there’s still a lot of work to do. While some venues provide their own cleaning crews, having a bit of automated muscle will come as a welcome relief to everyone involved in the tear-down process. Floor cleaning robots like CC1 and CC3 take the effort out of floor clean-up on both large and small scales.

The CC1 is a multipurpose wet and dry floor cleaning robot that easily tackles several different flooring types. The BoT autonomously sweeps, vacuums, mops and scrubs on set schedules or in manual mode for spot cleaning, which comes in handy for settings where eating and drinking (and spills) occur. When paired with its state-of-the-art workstation, the CC1 can also self-empty dirty water and refuse, refill with clean water, and self-charge. It has a long battery life for repetitive cleaning and will never get in the way, thanks to advanced object avoidance technology. Its relatively compact size makes it a great choice for cleaning up in a variety of spaces.

The CC3 is an industrial-grade floor scrubbing robot for most types of hard flooring, perfect for cleaning both indoor and outdoor hard-surface venue spaces. Larger than the CC1, the CC3 can clean an impressive 20,000 square feet of flooring per hour, outpacing even the fastest human workers by at least 10 times. Its large-capacity 42L solution tank automatically recycles dirty water for longer cleaning time and less waste. And like the CC1, it automatically charges, empties and refills using an included workstation.

Robotic cleaning assistance doesn’t have to stop at ground level. In today’s more germ-aware environment, venue cleanliness can get an extra boost when autonomous disinfection robots are used to sanitize spaces both pre- and post-event. BoTs like Puductor 2 and BubbleFish can automatically sanitize indoor air and surfaces in ways that “spray and wipe” cleaning just can’t touch. Puductor 2 uses the same medical-grade UV-C and dry-mist disinfection technology employed by hospitals to eliminate 99.9% of pathogens on a large scale. BubbleFish is a more compact dry-mist only solution perfect for smaller spaces but powerful enough for large ones as well. The use of either type of disinfection BoT is sure to bring improved safety and peace of mind to event guests and staff.

Why Not Make It Easier?

Event planning can be an exciting, rewarding profession with high career satisfaction. But it can also be fast-paced, high-stress and demanding. With so many recent advances in robotic automation for the service and hospitality sectors, event professionals, wedding planners and venue managers should take a look at the tools that can make aspects of their jobs much easier. Not only can service robots relieve and supplement hard-to-find staff; they can also delight guests, do the heavy lifting and ensure that your events stand out from the crowd.