Technology

Tech Stack: Just Walk Out, self-serve kiosks and more

Featured image credit: Calgary Flames

Amazon has debuted its Just Walk Out technology in Canada with stores opening at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary and the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The Saddledome is home to the NHL’s Calgary Flames and will feature a Just Walk Out store on its main concourse. The store will eliminate checkout lines, with fans able to use their credit or debit card upon entry, grab what they need, and leave the store without checking out. The store will open tomorrow (Friday).

The Scotiabank Arena, home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, will also open a store on October 10.

Meanwhile, integrated payments and commerce company Shift4 has announced that it has implemented its VenueNext solution with Just Walk Out technology, with the service to be rolled out at Chicago’s United Center arena from today.

United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, is expanding from three stores powered by Just Walk Out technology to seven. When entering the stores, customers can scan the venue’s mobile wallet, which is powered by VenueNext.

Shift4 said that venues will also be able to enhance the transaction experience with its complete ecosystem of commerce solutions for stadiums and arenas, including mobile ordering, point-of-sale, guest loyalty, kiosk ordering and more.

English Championship club Huddersfield Town has announced that eBar kiosks will be trialled during this weekend’s match against Ipswich Town at John Smith’s Stadium.

The self-serve kiosks will be trialled in the Chadwick and Lawrence Stand. The kiosks will enable supporters to utilise contactless pay and are designed to enhance the matchday experience.

Fan experience specialist KOJO has been awarded a new multi-year contract with Perth’s Optus Stadium as its in-house production suite services team.

KOJO has been reappointed by stadium operator VenuesLive following a competitive market process. The renewal follows a successful five-year appointment.

Global technology consulting firm Nisum has partnered with Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, WNBA’s Washington Mystics and Capital One Arena.

The partnership is designed to leverage best-in-class technology to enhance the experience for fans, stakeholders and MSE partners. Nisum will support MSE’s strategic IT initiatives by providing expertise across digital engineering, custom software development, and data-led strategy and insights.

A-League football club Melbourne Victory has announced that AAMI Park will be implementing facial recognition technology as part of its security monitoring and surveillance system.

The technology will help prevent banned individuals from entering the venue. Upon detection, a banned person will be denied entry or ejected by an authorised officer or Victoria Police.

The technology has been rolled out after last year’s derby match between Victory and Melbourne City at AAMI Park saw home supporters invade the pitch, leading to a player and the referee being injured. A number of bans were handed out, while the club itself faced a series of strong sanctions.

MapsPeople, a leading indoor mapping provider, has partnered with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars to provide fans with digital maps of EverBank Stadium.

The deal will also include a wayfinding solution that will be available in the Jaguars’ FanReach app and on the team’s website. The partnership is designed to improve the fan experience by allowing spectators to easily navigate around the stadium, locate concessions, restrooms and merchandise along with access to real-time traffic information.

Bundesliga football club Bayern Munich has teamed up with software company Liquiditeam to offer fans new options in the field of Web3 infrastructure.

Bayern is working with platform builder Unyfy to develop new solutions. Bayern’s chief marketing officer, Andreas Jung, said the club will be taking “completely new” approaches to Web3 than others have done so far.