Armored Things, the crowd intelligence software company, and the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), today announced a new technology collaboration to help ensure the safe return of fans and staff to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The team will deploy Armored Things crowd intelligence solution at the FieldHouse to manage fan density at key entry and gathering points and enable smarter decisions related to staffing, security, and sanitation. The software will also be deployed in the team’s business offices at the venue to help maintain safe spacing in common areas.
Just before the New Year, the Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse received approval from the State of Ohio to host up to 10 percent of the venue’s seating capacity, or nearly 2,000 fans per game. This is an increase from the State-restricted 300 fan limit to begin the season. The larger capacity for fans will commence beginning January 11th when the team opens a three-game homestand.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is home to both the Cavaliers and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL), as well as more than 200 diverse ticketed events and 1,400 private events that draw over two million patrons to downtown Cleveland each year. The venue is well recognized for its progressive initiatives and certifications to assure the health and safety of visitors and for its use of technology to optimize the fan experience.
With Armored Things’ AI-powered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, the venue’s facilities and security teams will be able to leverage the venue’s existing Wi-Fi and security systems to gain an accurate, real-time understanding of how many people are gathering and moving around specific locations in the FieldHouse. The information will be available in the venue’s command center and via mobile devices to alert staff to potential congestion and make better decisions related to fan and staff health safety and experience. FieldHouse staff will also have access to valuable data trends to assist in planning.
Armored Things announced a similar partnership with major league soccer club LAFC as part of its reopen strategy at the Bank of California Stadium in Southern California.
“As we continue to welcome additional fans back to live events at the FieldHouse, Armored Things can help us provide a safer experience for fans as well as our staff, no matter the number,” said Michael Conley, Chief Information Officer for the Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “COVID is a pressing issue right now, but this is also an important investment in our long-term security and operations infrastructure. The ability to understand the flow of people in the venue equips us to stay one step ahead of their needs, deploy resources more intelligently, and optimize the event environment.”
“The Cavaliers organization is leveraging all the tools at their disposal to bring people back to live events safely,” said Julie Johnson Roberts, Armored Things co-founder and CEO. “Working in concert with the security systems already in place at the FieldHouse, we are able to help their team understand patterns and trends, and alert them to sudden changes so they can respond accordingly. The end result is safer, more informed operations and a better fan experience.”
The newly transformed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is Northeast Ohio’s premier sports and entertainment facility and a major attraction for top-tier concert tours and family shows, as well as home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters and the annual MAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. Each year, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse hosts more than 200 diverse ticketed events and 1,400 private events that draw over 2 million patrons to downtown Cleveland. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is established as a successful host site for high profile events of international and national scope, including the 2016 Republican National Convention, the 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals and the 2020 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, 2022 NBA All-Star Game and 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Final Four. In Pollstar Magazine’s 2019 Mid-Year Report of Top 200 Arena Venues Worldwide for Entertainment Ticket Sales, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse ranked No. 11 in the United States and No. 27 worldwide in ticket sales for top touring attractions.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship in 2016 while also taking the Eastern Conference crown in 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The team plays at, and also operates, the newly transformed, publicly-owned Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers are regularly recognized for their extensive community support and engagement programs and contributions, workplace diversity and inclusion leadership, and an on-going economic impact that now registers in the billions of dollars locally. Dan Gilbert is Chairman of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gilbert and his family of companies have now invested over $1.6 billion in Cleveland. Gilbert is also Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans, Inc. the nation’s largest mortgage lender, and Founder and Chairman of Rock Ventures LLC, the umbrella entity for his portfolio of business and real estate investments. Len Komoroski is the Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO and Nic Barlage is the Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse President of Business Operations. The Cavaliers team is led by General Manager Koby Altman and Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse provide fans the best experience in the NBA with its extensive and stunning array of amenities and technology and signature, electrifying game presentation. The organization also owns and operates the Cleveland Monsters hockey team (AHL), the Canton Charge, the Cavs NBA G-League team in nearby Canton, OH, and the Cavs Legion Gaming Club (GC) of the NBA 2K League.
Armored Things provides Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for crowd intelligence. By combining data from existing security and IT systems with predictive analytics, we provide facilities management teams with a real-time visual representation of people and flow within any campus or venue space. Easy-to-use dashboards equip clients to anticipate changes and inform decisions to improve service, operations, staffing and security. Since our founding in 2016, Armored Things has built a team of security and technology experts to deliver world-class solutions to stadiums, corporations, and campuses around the country. As a team, we're pushing technology towards a safer future.
