Tag: Ticketed Venue

Hersheypark Delivers Secure, Guest-friendly Entrance Experience with Evolv Technology’s Touchless Screening System

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WALTHAM, MA, September 8, 2020 – Evolv Technology today announced that Hersheypark® is using Evolv’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based, touchless security screening system as part of the much-loved theme park’s robust COVID-19 safety measures.

Hersheypark was originally created by legendary businessman and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey more than 110 years ago as leisure grounds for employees of Hershey’s Chocolate Factory. Embodying the passion of its namesake, the park is dedicated to its global reputation as a safe, fun family destination offering something entertaining for everyone, regardless of age. Hersheypark welcomes millions of guests annually and was recently honored by the 2020 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.

Evolv is leading the digital transformation of physical security, one that is touchless and addresses the ‘new normal’ threat of pandemic viruses as well as concealed weapons. Using AI software and powerful sensors, Evolv Express® can screen up to 3,600 people per hour – 10 times faster than legacy approaches such as metal detectors, hand wands and manual inspections. The system enables Hersheypark to facilitate social distancing at its security checkpoints while minimizing person-to-person interaction—requiring no stopping, no emptying of pockets or removing bags. Park guests simply walk through naturally, alleviating potential long lines at their entrances while greatly reducing contact between guests, employees and security staff. By using Evolv Express, organizations have been able to optimize the performance of their security teams while reducing screening expenses by as much as 70%.

Following state mandates related to the pandemic and an abundance of caution, Hersheypark’s opening was delayed until July 3, which marked the debut of the park’s completely renovated main entrance designed to provide a stress-free, welcoming experience for guests. A component of a 50 million, 23-acre “Hershey’s Chocolatetown” development and park expansion, the Evolv Express systems are located at Hersheypark’s new main entrance.

“Hersheypark prides itself on providing family fun in a clean, green and safe environment where our guests can relax and enjoy the day together,” said Garrett Gallia, vice president of communications and corporate relations at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. “The health and safety of our guests, team members and our community are core to our brand and our most important commitment to all those who choose to honor us with a visit or work as a member of our team. Using Evolv’s touchless security screening platform is a perfect example of Hersheypark’s forward-thinking application of digital technology. Evolv Express is designed to grow with us to meet the current and future safety needs of our guests and employees, which we view as a significant benefit over traditional solutions.”

Response to Evolv Express at Hersheypark has been uniformly positive. Guests welcome how rapid and unobtrusive the process is while making them feel even safer. The park’s security professionals emphasize how easy it is to learn and use the system while optimizing their staff resources. With metal detectors, it typically takes the park four to five seconds per person for screening, regularly followed by hand searching of bags or other personal items. With Evolv Express, most guests now stroll through at their normal pace not even realizing the screening process is occurring and then begin their day of fun and relaxation. The park’s security team estimates a four-to-five times improvement in the number of guests screened per hour using the system when compared to metal detectors or other dated approaches. The frictionless experience that precludes unnecessary physical contact registers high on the list for everyone.

“We knew our former security screening process would provide challenges in the pandemic environment,” said Jason White, managing director of corporate safety and security at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. “We’d already been evaluating how we could improve on our guest screening process and had piloted Evolv Express last fall because the system could accommodate thousands of people an hour in a frictionless, no-stop flow. As we began formulating the security screening aspect of our pandemic reopening strategy, it was clear that Evolv Express was the best solution that could meet our requirements. Our guests and security staff have been pleasantly surprised at the speed of the touchless screening experience that largely eliminates manual bag checks. The responsive customer support and working relationship we have with the Evolv team is just as phenomenal as their product.”

Deployed worldwide, Evolv’s touchless security screening systems have been used to screen more than 50 million individuals in an expedient, respectful manner. In addition to Hersheypark, customers include Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, L.L. Bean, Wynn Las Vegas, Georgia Aquarium, Set Jet, Oakland International Airport, two South Carolina school districts, the Biltmore Estate and hundreds of others.

“Navigating the path to reopening requires an employee-and-customer-first commitment to safety, combined with the vision to embrace new policies, procedures and technologies,” said Evolv Technology Chief Executive Officer Peter George. “Hersheypark embodies that approach and it has been wonderful to see their security leaders like Jason White helping peers at other venues understand what’s required in this new normal. We’re thrilled to be working with such a visionary team.”

 

About Evolv Technology  

Evolv Technology provides touchless security screening systems that ensure safety without sacrificing the visitor experience. The company’s latest product, coupled with a thermal imaging package, spots concealed weapons and potential virus infection threats using advanced digital sensors and artificial intelligence that is incredibly accurate, discreet and delivers significantly more throughput than older technologies. Evolv Express® has earned industry accolades such as the 2020 Edison Awards™ and Campus Security & Life Safety magazine’s Secure Campus 2020 Awards. A member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Evolv’s customers include hundreds of outdoor entertainment venues, corporations, airports, cultural landmarks, hospitals, schools, stadiums and large-scale events around the globe. Led by a team of security industry thought leaders with a track record for delivering first-to-market products, the company holds more than 100 patents. Evolv’s investors include Bill Gates, Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s firm, Finback Investment Partners, DCVC (Data Collective), General Catalyst Partners, Lux Capital, SineWave Ventures and STANLEY Ventures. The company’s partners include STANLEY Security and Johnson Controls. For more information, visit https://evolvtechnology.com.

 

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PR Contacts:
Evolv Technology
Jeff Whatcott
media@evolvtechnology.com
(617) 209-9926

CHEN PR for Evolv
Jennifer Torode
jtorode@chenpr.com
(781) 672-3119

A Look at Touchless Security Screening

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New security screening requirements in a post-pandemic world

Pre-pandemic, venue screening procedures relied on metal detectors, hand wands, and invasive bag inspections. While it was evident those methods were inefficient, frustrating and intrusive, in the pandemic-sensitive world, they are far too slow and manual and will result in unsafe crowding and dangerous physical contact.

The days of putting our phones and bags in containers handled by security guards are over

At Evolv, we are solving the security screening problems of today with the most innovative technology and thinking, making it possible for venues of all kinds to keep visitors and employees safe from concealed weapons and pandemic health threats.

In the wake of COVID-19, a fundamentally new approach to security screening is necessary for venues to safely reopen. To help people visualize what this screening looks like, we’ve produced a new video highlighting Evolv Express® in action at several customer locations.

It’s security screening that is touchless, respectful and efficient.

Click here to read more about Evolv Express, or fill out this form to schedule a meeting and be on your way to creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

Touchless Security Solutions to Make Venues Safe and the Process Easy

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Anil Chitkara discusses touchless security solutions for today’s entertainment venues.

Anil Chitkara, Co-Founder and Head of Corporate Development for Evolv Technology, started his company with one goal: to keep people safe from harm at events or other venues and locations where threats could exist.

For most of Evolv’s existence, those threats were violent, either from potential terrorist attacks or an active shooter situation. But COVID-19 shined a light on a different risk to the health of the public at large. When considering entertainment spaces, security checkpoints now have a new consideration: how to make the venue safe from a deadly disease.

Chitkara discussed these scenarios and how Evolv’s touchless security solutions can help.

“We’ve all been through airports. We know what airport screening is like,” Chitkara said. “We looked at all these other places where people are and [asked], ‘How can we help the security professionals in those areas maintain a safe venue or environment?’”

Theaters, performing arts centers, concert arenas, sports venues, theme parks and amphitheaters are all focuses of Evolv’s technology solutions. The company’s goal is to take a slow and manual security process and make it faster and more comfortable for the guest to enter the venue.

The security process for many entertainment venues today is not a friendly experience, and Chitkara wants to change that.

“Not only is it not what the customer entering into the venue wants, but it also is not what the band and the concert venue want,” Chitkara said. “They want their customer to be excited from the day they purchase their ticket up to the moment they walk up to the arena. The biggest pain point of the guest experience is that security screening. There hasn’t been a great solution up to now.”

Rethinking the whole approach to security through technology and doing it in a fan-friendly way is Chitkara’s mission. Evolv’s touchless security approach makes entry easier for the patron.

And, during this time of healthcare concerns, the less security needs to come into physical contact with someone entering the venue, the lower the risk of spreading viruses.

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Demand Surges for Evolv Technology’s Touchless Security Screening System as World Reopens from Pandemic

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WALTHAM, MA – July 9, 2020 – Evolv Technology, the pioneer in human security, today announced unprecedented demand for its touchless security screening system, Evolv Express®,  as the global economy reemerges following shutdowns caused by the Coronavirus.

The company also unveiled the Thermal Imaging Package for Evolv Express. Available immediately, the new optional capability allows venues to screen each visitor or employee for elevated skin temperature followed by touchless weapons screening. This integrated health and weapons screening concept of operation (conop) is an industry first that optimizes use of facility space and resources.

COVID-19 has forever redefined security screening. Pre-pandemic procedures relied predominantly on metal detectors, hand wands and invasive bag inspections. This approach has quickly become obsolete. It is far too slow and overly reliant on manual effort, which results in unsafe crowding at entrances and risky physical contact. Adding a separate, standalone step for temperature screening slows the process even more. In short, a fundamentally new approach is required.

Evolv is leading the digital transformation to touchless security screening, one that addresses the ‘new normal’ threat of pandemic disease as well as concealed weapons. Using artificial intelligence software and powerful sensors, the company’s products facilitate social distancing while minimizing person-to-person interaction – requiring no stopping, no emptying of pockets or removing bags. People simply walk through naturally, alleviating long lines at entrances while greatly reducing interaction between visitors and security staff. To date, Evolv’s systems have been used to screen more than 50 million individuals in an expedient, respectful manner.

“I’ve had dozens of conversations recently with leaders responsible for security screening at many kinds of venues and facilities. All of these professionals agree on one thing – there’s no going back to the old invasive, analog approach,” said Evolv Technology Chief Executive Officer Peter George. “The future is touchless and digital. It’s a post-pandemic re-imagining of security screening that leverages modern technologies to deal with the realities of today’s threats and health and safety concerns, while being able to quickly address the threats of tomorrow. Evolv is proud to be leading the way by partnering with multiple major outdoor recreation venues as they reopen.”

As part of its phased reopening efforts now underway, Six Flags is using Evolv Express to screen park guests and employees upon their arrival to eliminate invasive bag checks and crowded entrance lines. This represents a cornerstone of the world’s largest theme park operator’s extensive new safety measures. With 26 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada and more than 50,000 employees, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling waterparks and unique attractions for 58 years.

Evolv Express can screen up to 3,600 people per hour – 10 times more than legacy approaches such as metal detectors. As a result, in addition to enhancing visitor experience, organizations can improve the performance of their security teams while reducing labor costs.

New Thermal Imaging Package for Evolv Express

With COVID-19 being the most pressing global safety concern, the Evolv Thermal Imaging Package for Evolv Express is now available to help organizations identify potential carriers of the virus. Optimizing use of space by being physically integrated with Evolv Express, the package comprises a thermal sensor and the Evolv TempCheck™ application. This adds the elevated skin temperature detection capability to Evolv’s Cortex AI™ software platform, which allows visitors to be screened for potential signs of health risk.

As the industry’s only integrated touchless health and weapons screening solution, individual visitors and employees are screened first for elevated skin temperature, followed immediately by weapons screening. Enhancing conop procedures, venue personnel can direct those with elevated readings to secondary screening. As a result, venues reduce the risk that their guards, visitors and employees are exposed to individuals presenting signs of virus infection. With this optional add-on package, venues can screen 800-1,300 people per dual-lane Evolv Express.

The Evolv Thermal Imaging Package for Evolv Express is manufactured in the U.S., complies with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and meets Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Additional information is available here.

About Evolv Technology  

Evolv Technology is the leader in human security – providing touchless security screening that ensures safety without sacrificing the visitor experience. The company’s products spot concealed weapons and potential virus infection threats using advanced digital sensors and modern artificial intelligence that is incredibly accurate, discrete and delivers three to five times more throughput than older technologies. Evolv Express® has earned such industry accolades as the 2020 Edison Awards™ and Campus Security & Life Safety magazine’s Secure Campus 2020 Awards. A member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Evolv’s customers include hundreds of top entertainment venues, stadiums, large-scale events, cultural landmarks, corporations, hospitals, schools and airports around the globe. Led by a team of security industry thought leaders with a track record for delivering first-to-market products, the company holds more than 100 patents. Evolv’s investors include Bill Gates, Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s firm, Finback Investment Partners, DCVC (Data Collective), General Catalyst Partners, Lux Capital and SineWave Ventures. For more information, visit https://evolvtech.wpengine.com.

 

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PR Contacts:

Evolv Technology
Julie Zomar
media@evolvtech.wpengine.com
(781) 374-8100

 

CHEN PR for Evolv
Jennifer Torode
jtorode@chenpr.com
(781) 672-3119

Taking the Temperature on Thermal Imaging

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Let’s take a moment and ponder several numbers…. 15,300, 775 and 2,581,230.

Bold enough to imagine the next number in the sequence?

Careful – these are not prime numbers; not the number of stars in some distant galaxy; they have no higher order relation to each other, nor a discernable pattern. Given the lack of information, venturing a guess at a fourth number in the sequence is a fool’s errand.

In fact, what they do represent are the number of 2019 non-suicide gun-related deaths in the United States; the number of 2003 SARS global deaths, and the YTD number of COVID-19 cases in the United States. All unpredictable, crossing time/global /threat boundaries, and somewhat random. Even with the daily non-stop drum-beat coverage of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, the “experts” are no closer to estimating what the final tally will be for 2020 US cases or the economic impact it will impart. (Data from July 2020)

The broader observation is that we live in a world of uncertainty with a variety of threat vectors. Some are known, while others are lurking behind a future unsuspecting corner.

The Coronavirus caught the world off-guard and it continues to affect every part of our lives. After months of the most substantially reduced business, education and social activities we’ve ever seen, we’re reemerging into a ‘new normal’, or quite possibly, the ‘now normal’.

Against this backdrop, safety is the top focus. For individuals and organizations alike, risk of exposure to the virus and defending against its spread are paramount. We’re all trying to come up with game plans and calling line of scrimmage audibles as we go. Recently, we hosted Evolv Advisor and Crisis Response Expert, Juliette Kayyem, in our “Adaptive Recovery” Webinar, where she provided guidance and insight as she walked through her Adaptive Recovery Framework to discuss reimagining recreation, education and the workplace.

Evolv has always been about keeping people safe as they live, work, learn and play. Our touchless security screening systems have redefined what’s required in modern physical security and have protected more than 50M people from guns, knives and bombs.

Today, COVID-19 is the biggest threat on virtually everyone’s mind. It “weaponizes” people. By doing so, it’s changing the very fabric of our society and challenging our social norms.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a surge of interest for thermal imaging as a front line of defense. Screening people for elevated temperature to identify potential carriers of the virus seems like one of several logical steps. There is a range of technologies and products available from multiple providers. In fact, I recently heard a reference to more than 150. Suffice to say, there is no shortage from which to pick.

Given the proliferation of options and “entrepreneurs”, it is critical to understand what thermal imaging can provide…and what it can’t. It can be a valuable component to a multi-layer security screening approach, but it’s not a silver bullet. Here are some insights to help your organization as you consider deploying thermal imaging.

  • Almost all solutions are as a proxy for the person’s body temperature. It is a preliminary screening and should be paired with a more comprehensive health screening station (venue defined) for “alerted” individuals.
  • It is important to vet the claims about accuracy and detection capability.

Later this month, Evolv TempCheck™, part of our new optional thermal imaging package for Evolv Express®, will become generally available. You might ask “Why Evolv?”

This optional package represents another proof point for our ability to quickly and easily provide customers with new capabilities to address the threats we face today and to move quickly to address those we’ll face in the future. It creates an enduring product, one that is flexible enough to grow with you over time, instead of becoming obsolete, where you tuck it away in a corner or closet.

Here is a sneak peak of what you can expect…a physically integrated capability that’s a powerful add-on option to the Evolv Express touchless security screening system. One that’s mindfully integrated into the Evolv Express concept-of-operations (conop) to enhance the touchless visitor experience while optimizing venue footprint requirements and security staff resources.

Each visitor can be screened for elevated skin temperature in an average of 2-3 seconds, followed by immediate, frictionless, and touchless weapons screening. With this optional add-on package, venues are now provided an integrated health and weapons screening touchless conop, and the ability to screen 800-1300 people per hour per dual-lane Express, optimizing facility space and resources.

As noted earlier in this blog, the threat vectors are varied, complex and unpredictable. Evolv’s unique multi-sensor, software-centric platform allows us to add additional sensors and AI-driven applications to respond to this expanding threat landscape and assist our customers as their world and operational requirements change.

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Reimagining Recreation

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In late May, Evolv hosted the “Adaptive Recovery” Webinar with Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. Juliette spoke about crisis management using her Adaptive Recovery Framework for managing an organization’s reopening and recovery across a variety of different sectors of the economy. At that time, planning was underway for schools to eventually reopen and for workplaces and recreation entities to reopen. This blog post has been excerpted from Juliette’s discussion on the webinar and expanded on.

Click here or on the image below to download the full webinar.

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A month has now gone by, and while many organizations have put their plans into action, others continue to prepare for their reopening in the coming weeks and months. Many states have begun to lighten their restrictions, allowing restaurants, businesses and stores to reopen. And, even some theme parks and aquariums are opening their doors. Regardless of where you are on your reopening timeline, Juliette’s sage advice is worthy of embrace:

Here’s What We Learned for the Recreation Sector.

The bad news is while the virus is new, crisis management isn’t. The good news is we have expertise and experience in crisis management. This pandemic is nothing if not a crisis. 

First things first …. don’t think about opening up as a moment in time or a threshold to cross; think of it as an organic process. Here’s why. In times of crises, like hurricanes or tornadoes, there is a moment of “boom” and the enemy is gone, response and recovery begin – a specific moment or crossing a threshold if you will. In this crisis, the enemy isn’t gone and in fact and unfortunately, will be around for a while – – this is a “rolling boom” hence the need to continually adapt.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself.

As security, operations and guest experience managers, the reality is we’ll have to continue to adapt to the virus in real-time and over time. That means planning, re-planning, embracing new governmental requirements, responding to new outbreaks and eventually, hopefully, administering a vaccine.

But the common thread through the multitude of plans is risk reduction, a balancing act based on three elements:

Where Does this Leave Us?

Two things we know for certain:  social distancing and touchless security/venue features will allow you to come back more quickly and ensure patron safety.

Specifically, for entertainment and recreation entities, here are a number of areas you can focus on as you plan your reopening, or continue to adjust over time. We’ve outlined changes based on your customer’s journey, from the time the individual approaches your venue or facility until they are inside and enjoying themselves!

Communication & Planning Prior to Arrival

Planning their Visit

One of the best ways to provide peace of mind, entice visitors to your venue and ensure they are well informed is by providing clear communication to them in advance. Use your website, create a video, use social media accounts, e-newsletters and email reminders to communicate the importance you have put on the cleanliness of the venue and the care around staff interaction with guests, as well as the considerations you ask of your guests to adhere to guidelines for the safety of all.  And, don’t forget your employees. Consider implementing an employee health survey they take before arrival to work.

Paperless Ticketing

Go Mobile. When possible, implement paperless ticketing utilizing an app or email to provide patrons/guests with a scannable QR code or barcode for entry. A significant reduction in the use of paper tickets will eliminate surfaces from which germs can be spread. Don’t forget, additional benefits to implementing paperless ticketing is guests will no longer forget their tickets at home or have to stand in will-call lines. And, there is less fear of stolen tickets.

Stagger Arrival Times

If possible, a great way to help avoid crowds in the parking lot, on the trams or buses to the park entrances and at the park or venue front gates is to stagger arrival times. Just like the airlines provide boarding zones, and golf courses are now staggering tee times, you could implement entrance times or zones in advance to help keep the flow moving at a steady pace instead of bottlenecking anywhere on premise.

Contactless Guest Screening at Arrival

Ensuring the safety and health of guests and staff has required a number of measures to be put in place.  These include asking patrons and guests to assess the risk they have coronavirus and could infect others, screening for elevated body temperature, and screening to detect and prevent weapons from entering.

Temperature Screening

How might you institute temperature screening to mitigate risk of allowing someone with a high fever with potential contagions into your venue? Will you use handheld temperature reading devices or larger touchless ones? Who will be overseeing the thermal read-outs and making the judgement calls on whether the numbers are accurate? Do you need to hire dedicated medical staff to manage this function?

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What will you do when someone is found with an elevated temperature? It will be extremely important to have a policy and procedure in place and have properly trained your staff on how to react. You’ll also want to consider including language in your Venue Guidelines document or website that addresses what happens if a person is found with an elevated temperature, especially as it pertains to refunds and what to do with the rest of their party.

Touchless Weapons Screening

Many of you already had weapons screening in place to safeguard your venue, but prior to COVID-19 did they create long lines and force contact between guards and fans or guests? We have now entered a new phase of venue security where both weapons and health screening is important, meaning the systems used “yesterday” such as traditional metal detectors, pat downs and manual bag checks will no longer be the systems capable of screening for threats of “today” or “tomorrow”.

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Consider a touchless security screening solution that can screen people and their belongings in real-time as they walk through your doors without long lines, and without invasive search procedures. You should look to technology that will grow with you over time, adapting to new threats and allowing you to add-on additional features and sensors for cost savings and increased security in the future.

Spaced Seating

Being able to boast that you sold out every seat will be a thing of the past for a while. It’s time to get creative. What can you do to change your seating structure to reduce the intensity of interaction and limit number of interactions? Can you sell every other or every third ticket? Do you have sections for parties of 6 to make it easier for groups to stick together without having to readjust your entire new seating chart? There are plenty of diagrams you can consider and put in place depending on attendance levels and venue layout.

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If you’re an outdoor venue with “lawn seating”, you might want to put up ropes or mark off seats with tape or chalk to help enforce distancing.

For theme parks and attractions, it will be easy to manage seating positions of park guests on rides by training staff to control the seating placement, and the IAAPA has identified some guidelines to help you think about capacities that allow for physical distancing.

Touchless Concessions

Across the country restaurants have had to reinvent themselves. In many states, eating in a restaurant is still prohibited, so restaurants have had to think outside the box on how to serve customers and keep revenue flowing. Some have opened up outdoor dining sections taking over parking lots, lawns, city streets and sidewalks, and many now offer take-out or delivery to ensure people can have their favorite gourmet food but eat in the comfort of their own home. For some restaurants, that means they are now accepting credit cards, PayPal or Venmo for the first time ever; some are offering a contactless self-ordering system and table service; others are having patrons scan a QR code for their food or drinks menu, make reservations or even connect to a restaurants payment tool. And, once self-serve, salad bars in restaurants and grocery stores are now open again with one distinct change, employees are now dishing out the patrons’ selections.

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You can use some or all of these lessons learned from restaurants across the country to update your concession stands. Start with how to limit or erase lines. Do you allow certain sections to go to certain concession stands? Do you add more pop-up food stations to create more places to purchase food? Or better yet, do you launch/create an app for virtual queuing where the fan or guest selects the concession stand they’d like to purchase from and add themselves to that line, when it’s their turn, they are signaled to walk over to the concession? Or best of all, why not use an app in combination with waiters/waitresses; the fan or park guest downloads the app, orders their food and pays online, a waiter/waitress brings the food right to their seat.

Next, make sure you go touchless. Bring those condiment carts behind the counter and have your staff serve them. And, don’t forget about menus. If you usually hand out laminated menus reused with each guest, it’s time to throw them out unless you plan to sanitize them after every use. Although some venues have opted to print one-time-use paper menus, the cost to you and the environment will add up.  Think about implementing an app or QR codes for ordering.

Hygiene Stations & Touchless Amenities

Keeping areas clean is paramount to stopping the spread of germs. Have you asked yourself how often railings, door handles, counters and bathrooms should be cleaned? Do you need to hire additional janitorial staff to ensure these areas are maintained? Do you have pop-up handwashing and/or hand-sanitizing stations throughout your venue or park? Do you remove all drinking fountains and install water bottle refill stations that are managed by staff and sanitized between each use?

What about your faucets, toilets and paper towel dispensers…are they automatic, or do they involve the turning of a handle? While some of these would be costly renovations after already losing revenue these last few months, you can choose a variety of ways to make your venue or facility cleaner and keep the presence and spread of germs to a bare minimum.

The Moral of this Story…

No matter how much you prepare in advance of reopening, one thing is for certain – you will need to watch, measure, evaluate and be ready to make adjustments as necessary.

Adhere to your local government guidelines and embrace the physical and technical adaptations you can make, to build confidence among your returning visitors, patrons and fans and ensure a safe and fun time for all.

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Six Flags Selects Evolv Technology for Touchless, Rapid Park Guest and Employee Entrance Screening

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World’s Largest Regional Theme Park Company Using AI-based Evolv Express® to Enhance Social Distancing and Optimize Safety as Much-loved Entertainment Venues Reopen

WALTHAM, MA – June 3, 2020 – Evolv Technology, the human security pioneer, today announced that Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, is including Evolv’s AI-based, touchless threat detection system as a key part of the theme park operator’s extensive new safety measures for reopening its parks.

Evolv’s mission is to make the world a safer place to live, work, learn and play. With Bill Gates among its earliest investors, Evolv’s award-winning threat detection systems work at the pace of life to accommodate thousands of people per hour – screening 50 million individuals to date in an expedient, respectful manner while facilitating social distancing. With customers including some of the world’s most iconic brands, Evolv’s systems have prevented more than 5,000 weapons from entering a range of public and private facilities.

 

Six Flags operates 26 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The company employs more than 50,000 employees throughout North America and has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling waterparks, and unique attractions for 58 years.

Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, will be the first Six Flags park to reopen. The park will operate from June 5-7 at reduced attendance levels in preview mode for Members and Season Pass Holders only. After a short initial reopening phase, Frontier City will gradually increase attendance levels throughout the month and expand to all guests. As part of the reopening process, Six Flags is implementing extensive new safety measures and hygiene protocols. These include several new advanced technology systems to protect park guests and employees.

Evolv Express® is featured among those new systems and will be used to screen all park guests and employees upon their arrival. Facilitating social distancing while reducing person-to-person interaction through its touchless screening, Evolv Express requires no stopping, no emptying of pockets or removing bags. People simply walk through naturally, alleviating congestion and long lines at the entrances.

Evolv’s Cortex AI™ software platform automatically detects threats and enables real-time image-aided alarms showing guards exactly where the potential threat is on a person or in his or her bag. Doing so greatly reduces the amount of physical contact required between guards/personnel, those being screened and their belongings. Especially important with the COVID-19 health threat, this allows venues to implement a “no-touch” policy, where guards direct people to open their own bags and remove certain items for closer inspection.

“Evolv understands how critical it is for people to feel safe as they go about their daily lives,” said Chief Executive Officer Peter George at Evolv Technology. “In the past, screening has been slow, intrusive, uncomfortable and, all too often, ineffective. It’s time for the days of long lines and archaic, high-touch bag checks to become things of the past. By pairing our vision for how threat detection really should work with our cutting-edge, advanced technology, we are thrilled to help Six Flags provide an even safer, more friendly screening experience for all their guests and employees.”

Notably, because Evolv Express can screen up to 3,600 people per hour – 10 times more than legacy approaches such as metal detectors – organizations can improve the performance of their security teams while reducing labor costs.

About Evolv Technology  

Evolv Technology is the leader in human security. The company is dedicated to making the world safer to live, work, learn and play by helping to protect innocent people from mass shootings, terrorist attacks and similar violent acts. The company’s Evolv Express® has earned industry accolades that include the 2020 Edison Awards™ and Campus Security & Life Safety magazine’s Secure Campus 2020 Awards. A member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Evolv’s customers include hundreds of top entertainment venues, stadiums, large-scale events, cultural landmarks, corporations, hospitals, schools and airports around the globe. Led by a team of security industry thought leaders with a track record for delivering first-to-market products, the company holds more than 100 patents. Evolv’s investors include Bill Gates, Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s firm, Finback Investment Partners, DCVC (Data Collective), General Catalyst Partners, Lux Capital and SineWave Ventures. For more information, visit evolvtechnology.com.

 

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PR Contacts:

Evolv Technology
Julie Zomar
media@evolvtechnology.com
(781) 374-8100

CHEN PR for Evolv
Jennifer Torode
jtorode@chenpr.com
(781) 672-3119

 

Interview: Evolv powers Six Flags’ new touch-less way to go through theme park security

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Imagine going through theme park security without having to open all your bags and allowing a security guard to look through your things, or not even having to put your bags into an x-ray machine. That may be the case soon at some Six Flags parks.

As attractions begin reopening after their coronavirus closures, theme parks are reevaluating the security screenings their guests go through in light of social distancing measures, and Anil Chitkara’s company, Evolv Technology, has introduced an innovative touch-free system Six Flags recently featured in a video highlighting their parks’ new safety procedures.

Ever since 9/11, theme parks have implemented various types of security screenings to ensure that guests don’t enter with weapons or other prohibited items. The Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts use a combination of manual bag inspections and walk-through metal detectors, while Universal resorts employ automated bag-screening machines and walk-through metal detectors. However, in announcing their reopening plans, Six Flags has released the following video depicting the use of the Evolv Express® security system in their parks, which permits guests and their belongings to be inspected while walking through without removing or opening their bags at all:

The new bag screening system depicted in Six Flags’ video comes from Evolv Technology, which was co-founded by Anil Chitkara. Six Flags will only confirm that the chain has ordered 37 Evolv Express units, but is not sharing publicly at this time at which parks (in addition to Frontier City) they’ll be used at, or how many units per park. Chitkara himself was unable to confirm or provide any specific details about his company’s involvement with Six Flags (a standard contractual limitation in the security industry). However, he did provide us this exclusive interview about how his team is helping to keep guests both safe and happy in the age of COVID-19. (Note: this interview has been edited for space and clarity.)

How did Evolv Technologies get started?

We started the company about seven years ago, myself and my co-founder, named Mike Ellenbogen. Mike has been in the physical security industry for 20 years after Pan Am 103 … My background is more sort of business and technology. And we’d known each other for 15 years at that point.

Anil Chitkara, founder of Evolv Technology

I had sold the company I was at, Mike sold the company that he was at, and we were trying to figure out what to do next. There were two pieces of motivation: the Boston Marathon bombing, and 9/11. In the case of 9/11, my college roommate and good friend was in the north tower; had just gotten married, had a kid and unfortunately, he was part of Cantor Fitzgerald [headquarters], which was tragic.

In the case of the marathon, my wife is a marathoner. She had run that marathon. I had my three young kids at the finish line. She finished about 45 minutes before the first bomb went off, got in the car and came home … and then all of the news happened. A good friend of ours was there, actually, he got hit with the second bomb and has fragmentation.

It really caused me to think about, what do I want to do next? And how do I want to spend the next 10 to 20 years? I had done a lot with technology to solve business problems. Mike had done a lot to bring innovative technology to physical security. And we went out and talked to lots of people about how they were trying to keep their venue safe.

I thought about my kids. I don’t want them to have to live a life where it is airport-style screening everywhere they go. I want them to be able to live as freely as possible, but also as safely as possible. And that was my personal motivation around starting a company.

Where is your technology currently in use?

At the end of 2017, we started deploying technology, so it’s been deployed and screening people since the end of 2017. We’ve screened well over 50 million people since it’s been deployed; it’s probably closer to 60 million people now. And our customers have used the technology to find thousands of weapons. The types of places where it’s deployed are largely commercial venues, so those have been performing arts centers, sporting stadiums, museums, and tourist locations. They’ve largely been places where they hadn’t used walk-through metal detectors up to that point; they’d been trying them, but they just weren’t doing the trick. They basically were too invasive relative to the visitors that were coming in.

About a year ago, we launched the second product, which is the Evolv Express product [which is what is featured in Six Flags’ video]. We’ve screened millions of people with that product. There were two very large events we did last fall screening with Express. One of them was a week long conference in San Francisco where we screened about 500,000 people, and then there was a second conference we did a month later where we screened about 400,000 people. So there’s been some very large-scale, high volume deployments that have been used the system. There are other applications where people are screening it using it for visitors on a daily basis.

We haven’t yet used it in a theme park environment. We’ve used it in large-scale events, and we’ve used them in some sporting events in some performing arts and entertainment events. But not a theme park event up to now.

What’s the hourly guest capacity and staffing requirement of the Evolv Express?

One unit of Express has two lanes. Each of those lanes could do 1,800 guests an hour, or 3,600 for that combined system. That compares to a walk through metal detector where they’re doing “take things out, check the body, check the bags,” those tend to be about 250 to 300, maybe 350 people per hour. So this is about 10 times the speed of a traditional approach.

If we look at the walk-through metal detector, let’s say you need 10 units. They tend to have two and a half people per unit; they have a front and a back and a supervisor. For us, you tend to have between four and six people per unit, so the staffing is significantly reduced.

The turnover in the security guard industry in the U.S. is 300% or three times a year, the entire industry. Therefore, training and getting skilled guards is a challenge, so we have automated some of the key tasks [and] provided a level of automation that assists the guard, so that they can be very targeted in their search.

What are the advantages to Evolv Express over traditional bag screening methods in a COVID-19 reopening environment?

Ninety days ago, we used to talk about 3,600 people an hour coming through; today, we talk about a touchless contact screening process. If I’m going through those 42-inch-wide lanes, without taking anything off and going right through and the alarm rate is extremely low, then I keep going; thousands of people are going through never being touched by a security guard. One benefit is the proximity of guard-to-visitor is lower, because they walk right through. A second benefit is the speed enables people to go through quickly without lines building up, so are eliminating visitor-to-visitor proximity as you’re waiting in line to go through security. And then anybody that’s looking at bags manually is touching every bag; people are trying to figure out how can I have less touch, but fundamentally, you’ve got to look in the bag when you’re doing a manual process.

How does Evolv Express improve the overall guest experience?

There’s so much work and effort that’s put in around the visitor experience, but then the security experience just grinds things to a halt. There is excitement, you get there, you want to get in, you want to participate or listen or enjoy the entertainment, and then grinding to a halt because I’ve got to stop, I’ve got to put my bag down, I’ve got to take everything out of my pockets. That’s we’re trying to fundamentally change: that visitor experience. That’s essentially one of the key principles of the technology we’ve developed.

Have there been studies demonstrating your technology’s detection rate compared to the more traditional methods?

We’ve done a number of studies with both government and commercial organizations, and a number of large organizations will do the testing themselves. They’ll do lab-based testing: we’ll take a system and run a bunch of threats through and a bunch of nuisance alarm items that they’ll read. And they’ll actually put threats on individuals and have them go through the system in operation. We’ve done that extensively; we can’t share specific customers or specific examples of what’s been done, but that’s been done a number of times in the U.S. and Europe. And what they had found is that the detection rate is a combination of the technology, plus the people operating it, plus the processing protocols … The breakdown oftentimes comes in the guards or the protocols relative to that overall system, so what’s been told to us is the effectiveness of the overall system has been much higher with our technology as part of an overall system than with the traditional technology.

How is the Evolv Express system priced?

We don’t publicly share actual pricing levels. We have a subscription model … a per month fee, not “buy it and you own it forever.” We include improvements, upgrades, service, and everything all combined into that one monthly price. So the pricing model is something we believe is pretty unique in the industry.

What is your current outlook as attractions reopen after the pandemic quarantine?

Everybody sort of hunkered down when COVID hit right. There was a lot of “how am I going to respond to this?” Over the last four weeks, we’ve had a significant amount of inquiries from organizations as they plan their reopening. And many of these organizations have used the “mag and bag,” (the walk through a metal detector and bag) approach in the past and they just don’t believe that’s the right way to go to do it going forward. What’s changed is they’re trying to balance the public health threat and the public safety threat, and do something that considers both of those.

It’s going to be different going forward. It needs to be lower touch, it needs to be cognizant of the public health risks, as well as the public safety risks. And so they’re looking to our technology to be able to help them enable that.

For more information on Evolv, visit evolvtechnology.com.

How Is the Security Screening Landscape Evolving to Meet New Expectations?

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Reopening any organization during a pandemic is complicated. Doing this task at an aquarium and a hotel is even more complex because of the logistics behind the job. Both facilities attract large crowds, and they must take special care to make sure customers stay safe.

Webinar host Neil Sandhoff, VP of North America, Evolv Technology, and moderator, Anil Chitkara, Co-founder, Evolv Technology, talked with Anthony Rivera, Vice President of Guest Experience and Hospitality, Georgia Aquarium and Todd Fasulo, Vice President of Security, Corporate Investigations, and Crisis Management at Wynn Resorts.

The group talked about the specific demands and challenges of reopening during this time. Rivera spoke about the innovation at the Georgia Aquarium, which has helped set the venue up for success during this critical period where visitor expectations are higher than ever.

They had to use innovative thinking to take care of their exhibits, and one of the most important aspects that customers might not think about is the water, itself. The aquarium holds 10 million gallons of water. During the pandemic and the reopening, they’ve had to figure out how to take care of it.

“It is a fun fact to say that the water we started with 15 years ago still exists today in the aquarium,” Rivera said. “95% of that water is still in circulation in our aquarium.”

At Wynn Resorts, where guests gather overnight, keeping guests safe during a pandemic presents a significant security challenge.

They wanted to make sure they created a safe environment for employees and guests, according to Fasulo. When it came to COVID-19 and figuring out how to operate the business during a constantly changing environment, it proved crucial to have outstanding leadership.

“It has to start at the very top of your organization,” Fasulo said. “The mantra that your CEO, your GM or your top echelon operations take is crucial to playing out the environment that everyone feels comfortable.”

During this period (and into the future, as consumer attitudes have changed for good), it’s critical to balance security with a hassle-free experience. Guests want to feel safe, but they also want touchless, frictionless solutions that don’t feel overbearing.

Venues also need to think about specific challenges related to COVID-19, such as temperature screening and social distancing.

Balancing all of this is possible, but it will require next-gen physical security solutions. In other words, the days of the metal detector are over.

How Is the Security Screening Landscape Evolving to Meet New Expectations?

Reopening any organization during a pandemic is complicated. Doing this task at an aquarium and a hotel is even more complex because of the logistics behind the job. Both facilities attract large crowds, and they must take special care to make sure customers stay safe.

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Evolv Technology Takes Home the Gold in 2020 Edison Awards Threat Defense and Security Category

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Evolv Express® Also Earns Platinum and Gold Designations in Secure Campus Awards 2020

 

WALTHAM, MA – March 25, 2020 – Evolv Technology, the leader in free-flow weapons detection, today announced that Evolv Express® was named the Gold winner in the Threat Defense and Security, Applied Technology category in the prestigious 2020 Edison Awards™. A global panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives selected winners that represent “game changing” products and services combined with innovation and leadership in concept, value, delivery and impact.

Evolv Technology is the leader in human security dedicated to making the world a safer place to live, work, learn and play by helping protect innocent people from mass shootings, terrorist attacks and similar violent acts. This recognition comes on the heels of Evolv Express being honored by Secure Campus 2020 Awards for outstanding campus security services and product, earning Platinum status in the Perimeter Protection category and Gold status in the Screening Equipment category.

Imagine walking into a stadium, tourist destination, warehouse, performing arts venue or school without emptying your pockets or bag, knowing everyone inside was thoroughly screened for weapons. Evolv delivers security and freedom of movement with a discrete tool that seamlessly screens people and their belongings in real-time, instantly differentiating personal items from weapons. Evolv Express, the first-of-its-kind AI-based, free-flow weapons-detection system, works at the pace of life to accommodate thousands of individuals and groups per hour. Capable of screening more than 3,600 people per hour, Evolv Express eliminates the long lines common with legacy weapons screening such as metal detectors, while drastically reducing the need for secondary screening that is accompanied by personal intrusions such as hand wands and pat downs.

More than 50 million people to date have been screened by Evolv in a rapid, undisruptive manner while preventing more than 5,000 weapons from entering a range of public and private facilities. Evolv is used for visitor and employee screening at top entertainment venues, schools, international airports, stadiums, corporations, hospitals, large-scale events and national landmarks worldwide. Customers include Big Night Entertainment, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Biltmore Estate, Gillette Stadium, L.L. Bean, Oakland International Airport, Spartanburg School District Six in South Carolina and many others across the globe.

“Evolv has redefined weapons-screening and threat detection by making security human again,” said Evolv Chief Executive Officer Peter George. “Behind Evolv Express is a team of incredibly talented security industry thought leaders and innovators who are committed to keeping people safe as they go about their daily lives. We could not be more honored to be named a winner in the threat defense and security category by the Edison Awards, which are recognized across the globe.”

“After a thorough review, the Edison Awards Judges recognize Evolv Express,” said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards. “It’s a game-changing innovation standing out among the best new products and services launched in their category.”

About Evolv Technology

Evolv Technology is the leader in human security. The company is dedicated to making the world a safer place by helping to protect innocent people from mass shootings, terrorist attacks and similar violent acts. Evolv’s AI-based, free-flow weapons-screening and threat detection systems work at the pace of life to accommodate thousands of individuals and groups per hour – screening 50 million people to date in a rapid, undisruptive manner while preventing more than 5,000 weapons from entering a range of public and private facilities. Evolv’s customers include hundreds of top entertainment venues, schools, international airports, stadiums, corporations, hospitals, large-scale events and national landmarks around the globe. Led by a team of security industry thought leaders with a track record for delivering first-to-market products, the company holds more than 100 patents. For more information, visit https://evolvtechnology.com/.

About the Edison Awards

The Edison Best New Product Awards™ is the world’s most revered Innovation Award dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best in innovation and innovators since 1987. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.

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PR Contacts:

Evolv Technology
Julie Zomar
media@evolvtechnology.com
(781) 374-8100

CHEN PR for Evolv
Jennifer Torode
jtorode@chenpr.com
(781) 672-3119