A key element of the Clippers’ new arena is that it is completely cashless. All purchases — whether it’s tickets, concessions or retail shopping inside the 915,000-square-foot space — has to be done via the Intuit Dome app. It’s also ticketless, requiring users to transfer tickets from other services, then upload photos of themselves, so they can then be admitted via facial-recognition software.
If that sounds complicated to you, you would be right. Scanners went down for 40 minutes Thursday night, meaning that the more than 10,000 fans waiting to enter the arena for a Bruno Mars concert had to wait in long lines at the Intuit Dome’s one main entrance. Fans also reported that the app itself went down, perhaps due to the mass of users or Wi-Fi issues.
All that meant the concert started roughly 90 minutes late and was further delayed when Mars stopped the show so security could help a fan having a medical issue.
The seeming convenience of the Clippers’ elaborate entry protocols is much more complicated than it would be to scan a ticket. But in making everything in the arena dependent on the app, owner Steve Ballmer and the Clippers have an incredible tool for mining data from arena patrons. They have the ability know instantly when fans get up, when they sit down, what they buy, when they buy it and where they hang out.
It’s convenience that can double as surveillance. That’s also the case with a special seating area called “The Wall!” That section is touted as featuring “51 uninterrupted rows of passionate Clippers fans,” which requires people in the 4,500-seat section to adhere to what they call “The Wall Code.” In “The Wall!” fans can’t wear gear from opposing teams, nor cheer for the opponents, or they’ll lose access.
They also have to become “Chuckmark-certified” (named after team mascot Chuck the Condor) to sit there. In exchange for agreeing to these strict behavioral requirements, fans also get access to $5 hot dogs, a small reward for pledging undying loyalty to the Clippers.
While the first night had difficulties, we expect that the app will be smoothed out.
Mars returns Friday night for a second sold-out show in the Clippers’ new arena. For the record, you are allowed to cheer for him and wear Bruno Mars apparel, even on The Wall!
