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Climate Pledge Arena tackles long lines with touchless concessions

Customers will be able to grab food and drinks and pay using the palm of their hand or a scan of their credit card.

SEATTLE — The Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena leaders call it a "War on Lines."

It is an oft-mentioned phrase as the almost $1.2 billion dollar Arena officially opens to the public this weekend, with all sorts of bells and whistles that show off the investment.

It includes touchless, cashless concessions, using state-of-the-art technology intended to get people in and out and back to their seats as soon as possible.

In advance of the opening, Kraken Senior Vice President of Digital Fan Experience Todd Humphrey walked through the 'grab and go' experience.

'Amazon One' technology will be used at four spots around the Arena, including for hot food and alcoholic drinks. 

"It's really a combination of cameras in the ceilings and sensors on the shelves," Humphrey explains, "Those really triangulate with me having registered and scanned into the store, and with the product itself."

Yes, he says, there will be ambassadors monitoring the entrance and exit points, but he says the system will be hard to trick.

It will require pre-registering with the Amazon system, and a willingness to scan your palm.  Otherwise, the doors open with the scanning of a credit card.

During Humphrey's test, he could grab a bag of skittles, potato chips, and a drink and be through the store in less than a minute.

There are obvious incentives to streamlining the concession areas, as it means people will likely spend more if they don't have to wait in line.

During a test run during Tuesday night's Foo Fighters benefit concert, Arena staff said there were minimal issues with lines.  The first true test will come with sold-out crowds on Friday and Saturday night.

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