Event organisers with large-scale events have an extremely complicated arithmetic equation to solve as they have an incredibly large number of people entering through a very limited number of doors and limited time to process these guests into a venue.
Physical security can not be compromised.
Failure of your calculations creates catastrophic results. Panic is an exponentially faster spread than a person's ability to move, that is why the large stadiums, concert arenas, and convention centers have transitioned from traditional venues to highly connected digital ecosystems.
The integration of technology in security infrastructure includes hardening perimeter security, removing the bottleneck of visitors entering a venue, and enabling the steady flow of guests throughout the Venue, thereby allowing for a larger safe venue without a heavy physical presence.
Summary: The roadmap for safe stadiums
If you're putting this together in a report/presentation, having the tech separated into lists will make it a lot easier to scan through all the information!
A detailed study has shown that the focus of both our industry and the methods of service delivery has evolved from traditional crowd control to now being predicted crowd control.
While traditional systems only provided static images of security cameras, etc. and relied on physical tickets and radio to communicate with each other the new infrastructures of today use edge computing to assess all threat vectors in real-time along with capacity limits.
The following 3 technologies will greatly enhance the future of the industry by removing access-control choke points:
- Predictive foot traffic analytics: This prevents bottlenecks from forming.
- Frictionless entry hardware: This maximizes attendee throughput at the entrance gates.
- Unified digital ecosystems: This links crisis communication with access control databases.
The primary aim is "invisible security".
This means that attendees can move freely throughout the venue without disruption, while at the same time the venue is kept completely secure from unauthorized individuals.
Eliminating chokepoints at access control
Any facility must address the significant logistical issue of moving thousands of attendees through entry points in a very short period of time while simultaneously maintaining the maximum capability for high-level threat detection.
When large crowds are tightly packed outside of a venue, this situation creates an exposed soft target for people with malicious intent.
A critical element in any facility's overall security strategy is to expedite the entire process for entering the venue.
To meet this security mandate, facilities are removing older-style turnstiles, installing newer and more advanced screening technologies, incorporating automated verification terminals and implementing higher speed ticketing lanes.
While an excess of congestion at facility entry points clearly represents a hassle for persons trying to gain entry into the venue, it also represents a serious challenge to today’s facility security as it can become a critical vulnerability which can be exploited via the use of current hardware technology.
Next generation hardware integration
All security teams must utilize new equipment that is capable of detecting metallic weapons and contraband without subjecting their patrons to the intrusive and uncomfortably slow manual process of checking every patron’s bag.
By utilizing modern, state-of-the-art detection arrays to help pinpoint the location of any threat items, while automatically disregarding non-threatening items such as cell phones, keys, watches, etc., teams can achieve incredibly high throughput rates as patrons do not have to empty their pockets to access the venue.
Event organizers are more frequently leveraging advanced detection arrays within the perimeter of the venue as the starting point for enhancing the safety and security of their patrons and attendees.
Physical security enhancements often first take the form of high-throughput walk through metal detectors to process large groups of attendees efficiently and rapidly.
Evidence gathered by GXC Inc. supports the claim that utilizing both of these forms of technology significantly reduces the likelihood of risk within a facility; including schools, stadiums, airports, and major event venues.
Further, they help push the crowd through a secured perimeter.
Constant mapping of potential threats
You have no control over something you cannot measure.
Today's monitoring systems are more advanced and sophisticated than the video cameras of the past.
With the advancement of computerized camera technology using: Smart Cameras, Lidar, and computer vision models, today's technology can constantly monitor crowd density by tracking directional flow of the crowd.
When a specific concourse or the exit ramp is filled to 85% capacity, that system does not have to wait for a security officer to find out about the situation.
That system will automatically create an automated, information-driven way of dealing with the crowd. As part of this process, Digital Signage will provide alternative traffic patterns for the crowd.
Concession Stands and other promotional products below in the less congested areas will pull the crowd away from that area of congestion. By using this type of preventative strategy, hazards to visitors are being eliminated long before there is the opportunity to physically crush people.
National Institute of Standards and Technology safe step protocol
In the technology world, a great deal of innovation is taking place with technology related to Emergency Evacuation Routing.
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed the Safe Step AI Model to completely change the way that buildings are evacuated.
Through this model, it will gather data from all building sensor data in real-time to quickly and effectively identify the safest possible exit routes through a building.
During an emergency fire incident, a Safe Step will monitor temperature spikes and air quality degradation from floor to floor.
It will provide venues with the safest exit routes in real-time.
If a primary staircase is blocked due to smoke, the system will immediately be able to calculate and identify which exit routes to leave.
Venue operators will receive this data through their Command Centers, with information about live saving methods they can use and take.
Frictionless ticketing and biometric scanners
Guests simply tap their smartphones on a reader or walk past a biometric camera. The key to enhancing the guest experience is reducing transaction time at the gate.
With only three seconds eliminated from every ticket transaction, stadium attendees will spend many less hours collectively waiting in a line.
This process eliminates long lines at the gates, helps alleviate some level of congestion in the stadium, and significantly enhances the overall guest experience.
The financial impact of using face-scan entry
Biometric entry systems represent the latest state-of-the-art technology in stadium admission.
The research conducted by PYMNTS demonstrated that electronic credentialing systems and barcoded ticket systems use electronic credentials to reduce the time fans spend waiting in line at the gate by an astounding 68%.
Major League Baseball is leading the charge in changing how stadiums manage crowds.
Fans upload a secure photo of themselves to an MLB Ballpark App before arriving at the ballpark.
That secure image is converted to a secure digital token by the app on the fan’s phone, so they are able to walk directly into the ballpark without stopping to scan their tickets or using their phones.
There is no longer any friction when entering the ballpark.
Predictive analysis beats operational inefficiencies
Operating a secure and profitable event based solely on data from previous years or just your gut is no longer practical.
The use of data-learning predictive analytics products allows an operator to make better use of operational resources before the gates ever open for the event.
Predictive analytics algorithms can analyse historical attendance patterns, local weather conditions, local public transportation schedules, and social media sentiment for the venue at its location to provide the operator with information as to when exactly the influx of fans will occur, and at which gate the bulk of the attendance will occur.
Venue operators can allocate the necessary resources based on data-driven probability rather than guessing.
This allows venue operators to build upon the advantages of this pre-emptive approach to maximize efficiency and minimize the friction associated with large crowds.
Application of algorithms to resource allocation
Industry specialists say/indicate, like Senior Enterprise Account Executive Jess Johnson, predicted foot-traffic fluctuations with AI; therefore allowing a manager to proactively assign personnel to areas of greatest risk prior to the event occurring.
Systems that utilize the number of people in place to operate systems will lower the energy consumption of those systems in empty areas, hence saving the business money.
Industries also utilize the time spent engaging with a product at a location to identify trends in purchases.
By utilizing intelligent cameras, spatial analytics, etc., venues can ensure the best deployment of their work force, increase space efficiency, and thus create a better event experience for everyone.
Orchestration of crisis communication & rapid response
The outcome of critical incidents is determined by the first five minutes of their occurrence.
The rate of human error in the use of legacy communication devices is high because communication is occurring in an isolated manner, requiring longer response times.
By using an integrated communication ecosystem to respond to emergency situations, the communications of the emergency response system can be centralized.
Mobile alerts (push), digital signage, as well as videos that have been recorded through a security platform will alert the public quickly of the emergency.
Through the use of synchronized audio and visual cues, event staff can coordinate their response with 100 percent accuracy as to the location of the safe areas, etc., thereby more closely improving the overall safety and security of an event.
Speeding up operations/response to emergencies
MDPI, a leading peer-reviewed publication, recently published the results of an extensive analysis that documents the advantages of a mobile emergency notification system combined with a Geographic Information System (GIS).
The findings of this study showed that the mobile emergency alert system reduced response times by 53 percent over traditional notification systems.
The location of the incident and the reported incident report were sent to security operations centres immediately.
The alerts were sent directly to the security operation's grid of the campus or the city.
By utilizing these systems when seconds count, there is no better solution for delivering superior streaming speed, synchronous coordination and overall operational readiness between all elements of an event.
The final conclusion: Unified event management ecosystem
Smart venues are completely reinventing the traditional physical security and crowd control paradigm.
Individual stand-alone cameras and isolated ticket scanner devices have become outdated; modern venues function as a fully integrated technology platform.
Every component of hardware within a smart venue is able to communicate with one another, including ticketing APIs directly communicating with electronic access control barriers.
Crowd Management teams can be alerted automatically via surveillance algorithms of increased density thresholds.
This means there are seamless communications between the different elements of the venue's event management systems.
A continuous flow of data enables the venue operator to make real-time, rapid response decisions based upon live situational intelligence instead of reacting out of pure instinct.
In addition to reducing the corporate liability associated with providing safe environments for event attendees, investing in predictive analytics and contactless entry processes and intelligent screening technologies provides a vastly increased level of attendee experience.
Global demand for guaranteed security and no waiting in long lines at stadiums creates tremendous advantage to all venues utilizing connected technology solutions to address both issues simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does a smart venue protect the visitor’s privacy?
Smart venues create privacy for patrons using an encrypted data architecture with anonymised identification.
When biometric access systems capture the facial image of a visitor, the face is immediately converted into an encrypted alphanumeric token, while the raw facial image is not saved.
Strictly controlled access and strict compliance with established corporate policies ensure that visitor data remains private.
Are smart venue technologies able to reduce operational costs?
Yes, absolutely.
By automating entry screening, there will be a significant reduction in labor costs for the venue’s employee on security details, as well as eliminating the need for unnecessary manual labour.
Additionally, predictive analytics help venue managers optimize their staffing models such that they are never paying for labour that is not working.
Likewise, occupancy-based IoT sensors will reduce the electricity costs of unused concourse areas, thus allowing for greater opportunities for ongoing operational efficiencies to offset the initial capital expenditures associated with smart venue technology solutions.
What is the significance of 5G to smart venue operations?
The 5G network serves as the central nervous system of the smart venue.
In order to operate all the various components of a smart venue, such as HD security cameras, thousands of mobile ticket scanners and thousands of attendee smartphones, there is a need for large amounts of uninterrupted bandwidth.
5G provides that fast data transfer capability with ultra-low latency, which guarantees that there will be no interruptions to the transmission of emergency alerts, biometric access validation and real-time surveillance video feeds, even when the network is being utilized at peak utilization.
