The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the first major league teams to deploy new facial recognition technology that allows for seamless, hands-free entry into Tropicana Field.
Catalyst gave a sneak peek at the team's “go-ahead entry” system on Wednesday, with the official announcement coming Friday before the team's game against the San Diego Padres.
Rays fans who sign up for the option program will receive two free tickets to one of the team's seven remaining home games, a process that Chief Business Officer Bill Walsh said is “literally as easy as walking into the building.”
“It will recognize you from about 10 feet away,” Walsh elaborates, “and then recognize you if you take a few more steps without breaking pace.”
MLB has developed a new technology: To register for the program, users must first download the latest version of the Ballpark app and upload a selfie.
Go-Ahead Entry's software uses a person's facial features to create a numeric token. The system immediately deletes the photo and biometric scan and stores the associated code.
Walsh said the technology can instantly recognize people, even if they're wearing a hat or sunglasses, and noted that when MLB tested the program, team hosts had to repeatedly remind users not to pause for recognition.
“It's a much easier experience for fans,” Walsh said. “They can just leave their phone in their pocket and not have to do anything.”
The team plans to present the new technology on Friday.
Previously, admission required ticket holders to unlock their phones and scan their virtual ticket, a process that requires precise barcode placement and proper screen brightness.
A dead battery or forgotten device can ruin a trip to the ballpark, and Walsh said Go-Ahead Entry is the next step in the team's continuing efforts to mitigate those friction points.
He noted that attending games can be exhausting, with people battling traffic, searching for the perfect parking spot and waiting in line. Teams benefit by creating a better game-day experience, one that “makes people want to come back more often.”
The Rays are set to begin construction early next year on a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Stadium, and Walsh said that will immediately change entry and exit patterns. He believes go-ahead entry will allow the team to handle more traffic at the secondary gates, and he called the increased efficiency a “huge asset.”
“We're going to learn a lot from that as well,” Walsh added, “and we'll be thinking about how we position the next generation of Go-Ahead to really bring it to new facilities in a more informed way.”
The Rays will become the seventh MLB franchise to adopt the innovative system, which teams must pay for to build the hardware, known as the Monolith.
The mobile machine is equipped with a state-of-the-art camera and a large LED display, with a triangular light on top that turns green to indicate authentication.
The Philadelphia Phillies beta-tested the system last year, and Walsh said team officials initially questioned its merits but “were really impressed.”
“We're seeing people who traditionally wouldn't be thought of as early adopters of this technology coming on board,” he said. “There's a magic moment when they get on board…”
“This has given us a lot of confidence to go ahead with this plan and sign him as one of our first teams this season.”
Rays Chief Business Officer Bill Walsh at a media event in March.
Gate 7 at Ballpark & Rec will serve Go-Ahead Entry users only, and Gates 1, 5 and 6 will be provided with additional lanes to accommodate the new system.
Walsh stressed that the new feature is optional, and furthermore, if all tickets are registered to their MLB Ballpark account, subscribers can also escort skeptical groups to the game venue.
Walsh said there is “no pressure” to sign up, but season ticket holders will receive double the usual Raise Rewards points for using the system, and all users will receive a voucher for two free tickets.
The registration process takes less than a minute, and Walsh said someone could theoretically join while walking to the stadium.
He said the Rays' technology team, led by Matt Fitzpatrick, excels at blending new technology with “old-fashioned” customer service. In addition to numerous innovations at the ballpark, the team has pioneered virtual wallets, cashless payments, cashierless concessions and unique turf over the past decade.
“We continue to think of Tropicana Field as a laboratory for us in terms of what we can test, how we can grow and what we can learn,” Walsh said, “so when we actually have the ability to roll things out at a larger scale or in new ways in a new building, we'll be more informed and we'll be able to do it more effectively and with less risk.”
