“It may take awhile for the fans’ common meeting point to be the stadium again, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a common meeting point in the interim… We just started hosting virtual fan experiences, incorporating loyalty members to interact with the game. We have to be forward-thinking, leading the shift and meeting our fans there.” Said Ralph Esquibel, VP of IT at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Proud to be working with the Dodgers during these times.

Fortress has been working alongside over 150 teams worldwide to help ease fans back into stadiums and arenas when the time is right.

Here are five solutions we offer:

• Contactless & NFC Ticketing: Latest generation technology allows fans to scan their own tickets with staff watching from a safe distance.
• Color Coded Lanes: Measured boxes on floor and traffic light systems hold fans in a safe space.
• Designated Gates: Spread the load by pre-assigning a ticket to a specific lane and entry scanner.
• Health Questionnaires & Temperature Pre-Checks: Staff and accredited personnel are sent a questionnaire before attending the event, and have a temperature scan at a pre-check station.
• Going Cashless: Easy to deploy cashless solutions remove points of close interaction between staff and the visitor.

The NBA season has restarted at Walt Disney World – Good luck to all our clients!

It’s been 30 years since Liverpool was last crowned the English champion. Massive congrats to our longtime client, Liverpool Football Club!

Wishing a Happy Opening Day to our MLB clients.

Among the crowd-flow management protocols Fortress is recommending to its clients is a color-coded traffic light system of boxes or lanes in various floor areas to hold fans in a safe space and then release them through security and ticket scanning one group at a time. The system would include Resolution Zones, where visitors with ticketing issues could be directed, and Clean Zones, where visitors who consider themselves vulnerable because of their age or health can access the venue.

In an era of social distancing, fans will encounter a different experience once they are allowed back into stadiums and arenas. “Fans want that experience to be top-notch, period. That’s why teams are thinking about this,” said Britton Stackhouse Miller, senior vice president at Fortress U.S., a developer of engagement and integration systems with clients in European soccer, baseball, the NBA, NFL and NHL.

The Miami Heat recently shared a great video of the Fortress Pods which are used to access all Miami Heat games and events at the American Airlines Arena.

Super Bowl 54 kept the city of Miami and Fortress busy! We loved seeing fans using our access systems all over town – From Opening Night at Marlins Park, to the Bud Light Music Fest at the American Airlines Arena – Home of the Miami Heat. Thanks again to all our clients and partners involved in these projects.

Wishing all our clients, partners and friends a joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year!