Atlanta Hawks’ home arena deploys cashierless checkout, IoT monitoring
State Farm Arena is leveraging solutions from Verizon Business and AiFi to streamline a variety of operations.
The home area of the Atlanta Hawks NBA pro basketball franchise is entering a partnership with Verizon that includes cashierless checking, expedited ticket scanning and Internet of Things monitoring of technical equipment.
Following are highlights of each technology deployment
Cashierless checkout
A new Hawks Express cashierless checkout store, running on Verizon 5G Edge wireless technology and developed in collaboration with spatial intelligence and autonomous retail solutions provider AiFi, uses AI-powered computer vision technology.
Customers can enter the store, located on the 100 West main concourse, select their items, and exit, with purchases automatically processed through their mobile payment method.
Ticket scanning
State Farm Arena has also installed Delta Fly-Through Lanes at select gates. Running on Wicket facial authentication technology and the Verizon 5G Edge Accelerated Access solution for stadiums and venues, the system is designed to enhance security while reducing wait times.
Since becoming operational in October 2024, State Farm arena says these Delta Fly-Through Lanes have expedited the ticket scanning process for members of the Atlanta Hawks loyalty program, showing 2,000 enrollments and approaching 10,000 tickets scanned with an average ticket redemption time of six seconds, with 72% of members being repeat users.
IoT monitoring
State Farm Arena is the marquee launch partner for Verizon Sensor Insights, a Verizon Business solution installed in the arena’s technical equipment hub that provides near-real-time data-driven intelligence on the efficiency of technical equipment operations.
The solution includes pre-approved sensors, Verizon-certified gateways, cellular connectivity, and a central management portal, all running on the foundational Verizon ThingSpace IoT platform.
"State Farm Arena is constantly looking for ways to push the boundaries of innovation and improve the experience for our fans and staff," said Kim Rometo, chief technology & innovations officer for the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena. "By implementing Verizon Sensor Insights, multiple stakeholders can proactively monitor and manage critical operational aspects, ensuring a more seamless and efficient experience for everyone."
By deploying Sensor Insights to manage their network of IoT-enabled sensors at State Farm Arena, the Atlanta Hawks say they are gaining actionable insights into technology equipment health and individual distribution frame (IDF) room environment to better predict maintenance needs and create a more efficient arena, with plans to expand into new use cases in the coming months.
"We are thrilled to have the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena as an early adopter of Verizon Sensor Insights," said Scott Lawrence, chief product officer, Verizon Business. "This deployment is a great example of how high-performing organizations use IoT and other connected technology to improve efficiency and enhance business operations."
Stadiums expedite concessions
An increasing number of stadiums and arenas across major sports leagues are embracing technology that removes friction from the process of buying concessions. For example, Nissan Stadium in Nashville, which serves as the home field for the Tennessee Titans NFL pro football franchise, has also rolled out the AiFi spatial intelligence platform running on the Verizon 5G network.
The camera-led solution tracks people and objects through space to enable autonomous checkout, as well as safety and compliance, consumer behavior analysis, dwell time reports, and out-of-stock notifications.
In another recent example, in April 2024, Mercedes Benz Stadium, home field for both the Atlanta Falcons pro football franchise and pro soccer team Atlanta United FC, began operating a frictionless store called the Michelob Ultra Grill in partnership with GS Draft System Solutions.
[READ MORE: Atlanta Falcons home stadium opens frictionless Michelob bar and grill]
