Featured image credit: Chris6d/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
Major League Baseball has launched a pilot of Go-Ahead Entry, a new free-flow ballpark entry experience that is initially being tested in collaboration with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The system allows fans who opt in the ability to enter the stadium at dedicated gates at full walking speed without stopping. Fans aged 18 and over can opt in on the MLB Ballpark app by taking a selfie.
The selfie is then converted into a unique numerical code, and the image itself is deleted. The numerical code, known as a token, is associated with the fan’s account, and when supporters walk through the dedicated lane a facial authentication camera will scan their face to match with the enrolled tokens in the system.
Go-Ahead Entry launched yesterday (Monday) ahead of the Phillies’ home game against the San Francisco Giants. The system operates on a combination of free-flow security screening technology and facial authentication-based gate management.
Any tickets tied to fans’ MLB Ballpark app account will be automatically enrolled for Go-Ahead Entry, which will be available at the First Base Gate of Citizens Bank Park for the remainder of the 2023 regular season.
Chris Marinak, MLB’s chief operations and strategy officer, said: “Entering an MLB ballpark is a special experience for fans of all ages and a moment that we want our fans to always remember.
“That ballpark experience starts on arrival and we think that Go-Ahead Entry is an opportunity for fans to experience an easier and more welcoming first impression when coming to a game. This system gives our fans a seamless, secure entry option that they’ve been asking for and we’re excited to start getting their feedback in Philadelphia.”
Karri Zaremba, MLB’s senior vice-president of product for ballpark experience and ticketing, added: “It’s designed to be a free-flow, hands-free entry experience, and it’s really centred around families walking in together.
“When they get to Citizens Bank Park, they go to the Go-Ahead Entry lane and just walk straight through. You don’t have to stop. You don’t have to get your phone out. You don’t stop to scan a ticket. You literally just walk straight in.”
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