Ticketmaster to trial facial recognition for event access

Ticketmaster is planning to implement facial recognition technology for uses including admission to event venues, VentureBeat reports.

Texas-based startup Blink Identity says that it can verify the identity of up to 60 people per minute walking past a camera with facial recognition at full speed. Not requiring people to stop to apply identity verification enables the technology to be applied to events with tens of thousands of event-goers. The technology could also be used to control access to VIP areas, and for payment with a Ticketmaster account-associated payment card.

Facial recognition will be integrated with the Ticketmaster Presence e-ticketing platform.

Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation shared the news as part of an earnings report.

“We will continue investing in new technologies to further differentiate Ticketmaster from others in the ticketing business,” Live Nation stated in its Q1 2018 report. “It is very notable that today we announce our partnership with, and investment in, Blink Identity, which has cutting-edge facial recognition technology, enabling you to associate your digital ticket with your image, then just walk into the show.”

The company told VentureBeat it will test the system in corporate buildings and venues and then asses its benefits to decide on the details of its use. It also suggested the technology could be used to facilitate “deeper consumer relationships.” In other words, it could be used to target on-location advertising to specific individuals.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometrics  |  Blink Identity  |  facial recognition  |  investment