SAN DIEGO (CelebrityAccess) — ASM Global announced that San Diego’s Pechanga Arena will be equipped with a facial verification network powered by technology developed by PopID.
The first use of the new technology will take place on April 20th as the AHL’s Gulls take the ice against the Abbotsford Canucks and follows a multi-year investment by ASM Global to provide enhanced security at events.
“The deployment of this technology in our venues represents the beginning of a revolutionary change in the entertainment world,” said ASM Global CEO and President Ron Bension. “The PopID platform will allow us to eliminate the dependence on cards and phones at our events and ensure that every guest interaction is secure, speedy and seamless.”
The opt-in system, which PopID bills as “always user controlled” will allow fans to verify payments and authenticate tickets via facial recognition software, allowing for secure, streamlined transactions at terminals and point of sale throughout the venue.
ASM Global says the program will be an industry first and will help them to create some of the most “frictionless experiences” at participating venues.
The technology has already been deployed at Pechanga Arena but will be rolled out to other ASM Global venues in the future, including Save Mart Center in Fresno (California), Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Toyota Arena in Ontario (Canada).
“We are excited to partner with ASM and take the initial steps to truly revolutionize the event experience of the future with highly secure, phoneless entry and digital payments,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID and chairman of Cali Group. “When customers opt to enroll in our platform, they’ll be able to enter the venue by requesting facial verification at the gate—instead of having to rely on a QR code on their phone. The seamless experience will continue at concession stands, where a guest can choose to ‘check in’ with facial verification at the point of sale, enabling them to instantly see personalized food and beverage recommendations and order and pay without the need for IDs, credit cards or phones.”
