St. Martin Entrepreneur Presents a Solution to Events and Nightlife during Pandemic
Kband app is a local mobile app in development for 10 years. According to Telisma Skelet, the app’s founder, Kband represents the Caribbean and the whole idea of it is to be part of people’s daily life. That entails being able to transfer funds and a digital marketplace. This was Skelet’s fintech (financial technology) solution to life in St. Maarten and the region. Skelet even obtained a Mastercard license for the app but its role changed during the pandemic. Besides finances, the app functions as a ticketing administrator which took off during the pandemic. The app's “health department” which was developed during its early stage also took center stage.
Presently, Kband has almost 4000 local users and roughly 5000 in Guadeloupe. Skelet stated that the ticketing features led to the app’s growth because it allows any event planner or institution to sell tickets via the app which then provides a QR code and receipt. It’s been used locally and provides data for promoters at a low cost. To use the app for an event an email has to be sent to info@kband.sx with posters, dates, etc. Skelet’s next plan is to feature vendors on the application which can allow local stores and businesses to sell their products or services. App subscribers will also receive a 20% to 30% discount. An announcement of the feature rollout is expected in the coming months.
Kband also has a partnership with local labs which allows persons to book appointments with the lab for testing and can receive test results on the app as well. Users can also pay via the app. This assists users in being able to digitally prove their covid status and vaccination cards can also be uploaded to the app. This feature was in existence quite sometime before the current European Digital Covid Certificate was adopted by the Government of St. Maarten.
The prior idea for Kband’s health feature was to allow users to book appointments with their doctors and save time on waiting and returning for results or prescriptions.
A few months ago Skelet did a pilot with the app’s health feature during an event where attendees were tested prior to entry and their data were collected and forwarded to Collective Preventative Services (CPS). That data included their names, contact information, and address. He hopes that this can serve as a model for events island-wide and the nightlife on the island. He expressed his wish that the app was adopted earlier in the pandemic. According to Skelet, several bars and club owners expressed their favor of Kband.
Regarding the data protection for users, Skelet stated that they’re in possession of a data protection license and also, personal health data uploaded to the app will be deleted after two (2) days. He also mentioned that due to regulations, updates to the app and his licenses are constantly updated for user protection. The app is available on both Apple and Android operating systems.
