From Doors to Concessions: Rethinking Hockey Arena Ingress for Game Nights

With Evolv Express® deployed at many pro hockey arenas throughout the U.S. and Canada, including iconic venues like Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, TD Garden in Boston, and Rogers Place in Edmonton, we know a thing or two about providing efficient and convenient ingress screening for big time games. In this blog, we’re sharing three considerations for arena operators in the pros and beyond when thinking about their desired guest arrival experience.

Considerations For Hockey Arena Operators:

1. 1. Handling weeknight crowds: The substantial majority of pro hockey games are played on weeknights… with 41 regular season home games per team needing to fit into six months, there’s just no avoiding a heavy reliance on Monday through Friday scheduling. These weeknight crowds often arrive late because of work and traffic. If there are delays getting into the arena, it adds even more stress for those fans trying to get to their seats before the puck is dropped.
      
   2. Handling main entrances: Many arenas have a clear “front door” where fans – and, indeed, operators – want guests to enter. This may be because of architecture, adjacent uses, and/or proximity to public transportation, to name just a few factors. In these situations, the main gates will typically experience a large percentage of total entrances. If security screening can’t handle the peak guest spikes, lines can form. There may be other entrances without a line, but they’re not where fans want to be, leaving an unattractive choice between a wait or an unwanted experience.
   3. Supporting the concession stands: Given the short time window for many fans between arrival and puck drop (see point #1 above), there can be scant time for a visit to the concession stands before the game starts. In this scenario, every little bit of time saved helps, so an efficient entry screening process becomes a major priority.

How Technology Can Help

These factors point to the wisdom of a solution like Evolv Express. With a screening capacity of up to 4,000 people per hour for a dual-lane system, the weeknight spikes can be handled. And quick, convenient entry could means fans arrive with the time and inclination to visit the concession stands and other arena attractions.

If some or all of these considerations strike a chord, our team of sports experts is ready to provide guidance on how Evolv can help upgrade your arena’s entry experience.