IF you haven’t noticed the new entrance security system at Canada Life Centre before Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose games, and concerts, then it’s working perfectly.
The downtown Winnipeg venue recently implemented new contactless scanners that enable event-goers to enter without breaking stride or having to empty their bag or pockets.
“This has been a game-changer for us,” says Dawn Haus, senior vice-president of culture and guest experience at True North Sports + Entertainment, which owns Canada Life Centre. “What’s allowed in hasn’t changed, it’s just how you get in that has changed. The process before wasn’t inviting.”
The new system is the brainchild of Evolv Technology, a Massachusetts-based specialist of non-invasive Artificial Intelligence solutions designed to make public spaces safer for people. True North tested out the new technology during a Jets game last spring and was sufficiently impressed to sign a four-year deal with Evolv. Its technology tracks the types of items that need to be flagged, such as a knives and guns, and learns how to check for different types items that cannot be brought in. If you’ve got something suspicious in your purse or pocket, a nearby camera will take a picture of you while simultaneously telling event staff where to look on you your back right pocket, for example for the offending item.
Evolv is able to differentiate between actual threats and many everyday kinds of metal that one might carry, such as cell phones and keys. The entrance at Canada Life Centre has been implemented with a new contactless entrance security system.
“This has been a game-changer for us. What’s allowed in hasn’t changed, it’s just how you get in that has changed. The process before wasn’t inviting.” Dawn Haus, senior vice-president of culture and guest experience at True North Sports + Entertainment
Previously, ticket holders had to take those items out of their pockets and put them in a tray, remove their hats and walk through a security walkway, similar to what’s required before boarding a plane. That process only took a few moments but if it’s the middle of January and thousands of people are trying to enter the building at the same time, it can make for a lot of grumpy people.
The Jets, like every other team in the NHL, are bound by league-wide security requirements. Evolv has similar agreements in place with more than 800 facilities, including arenas, stadiums, theme parks, schools, hospitals and casinos around the world. Its systems screen an average of one million people each day, tagging more than 1,000 security threats along the way. Some people have entered Canada Life Centre, not noticed that they passed through the new security system and told True North staff because they felt they had mistakenly bypassed part of the entry process. “People want to feel safe,” she says. “But they also don’t like to wait in line. It’s nice to be able to get to your seats faster. This is a much more welcoming experience,” she says.
