By Caroline Metell

Patriot One Technologies Inc. announced its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered threat detection and patron screening solutions have been certified by SVS Countermeasures Training, LLC, a third-party organization founded by a former U.S. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, for four national standards for use in multiple industries, including large stadiums and venues. The certifications include NIJ-STD-0601-01, NIJ-STD-0601-02, NILECJ-STD-0601.00 Level 2, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration Operational Test Piece (FAA OTP). Patriot One’s solutions exceeded all necessary requirements for certification during the two tests which took place in October at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, and at one of Patriot One’s customer locations.

“Many professional sports leagues and other organizations have built their security requirements and best practices standards on the foundation of these certifications,” said Peter Evans, CEO of Patriot One. “Having certification from SVS validates the efficacy of our solution, while others in the market are ‘self-certifying’ – thereby distracting the conversation from security to other factors. Earning four national certifications validates that our solutions not only meet, but exceed the demanding standards put in place by professional sports leagues for weapons detection technology, while also significantly improving the patron experience.”

Multiple tests were performed on Patriot One’s Multi-Sensor Gateway and AI-powered threat detection and patron screening Platform, in order to be certified by the NIJ-STD-0601-01, NIJ-STD-0601-02, NILECJ-STD-0601.00 Level 2, and FAA OTP standards. The technology successfully alerted on all prohibited items, including guns, knives, improvised explosive device (IED) ignition systems, and many additional items on the pro sports league prohibited items lists that are not itemized by the standards. All alerted items accurately displayed where on the patron the prohibited item was located, and the Platform was successful in discerning between weapons and innocuous objects such as cell phones, preventing false positive alerts that may occur in the screening process.

“We were impressed by Patriot One’s ability to consistently and successfully detect and identify the location of all the prohibited items on the patrons,” said John Howell, Director of Counter IED Threat Detection at SVS Countermeasures Training, LLC. “The Multi-Sensor Gateway detected more prohibited items than these four standards require, and the metal detectors that we simultaneously tested, making Patriot One the best choice for venues to implement as their weapons screening technology.”

Traditional walk-through metal detectors were developed around 40 years ago, long before people carried items like smartphones or earbuds. Therefore, they are no longer effective in meeting today’s societal and environmental requirements and modern, stringent standards. Patriot One can increase both security and patron throughput in harmony, removing the need for stadiums to trade off one for another.

“The AI in our weapons and threat detection solutions and Platform is helping venues go above and beyond providing security in conformance with league best practices for venues and stadiums,” Evans said. “The technology is also helping facilities make data-driven decisions based on intelligent information correlated by the tools. With Patriot One, venue operators have a holistic view of their facility, allowing them to make these smart decisions regarding staffing and safety in critical moments.”

To also read the release, click here.

For more on Patriot One’s solutions, visit: https://patriot1tech.com/patscan/solutions/.

By R.V. Baugus

John C.K. Fuhrmann, CVE, a long-time IAVM member and familiar face and friend to many, passed away on November 12 at the age of 74.

John served as events and services manager at the city and county of Honolulu and is most remember by many in the industry as leading the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, from which he retired on October 31, 2014.

John was born on June 29, 1947, to William and Ruth Fuhrmann and was a Kamehameha Schools graduate.

He is survived by his brother Bill (Carolyn) Fuhrmann and his sister Velma Fuhrmann and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Bobby Stevens.

It is with deep sorrow that the family announced the death of Bruce Matthew Lahti on November 16th, 2021, at the age of 72, after a long battle of small cell lung cancer. Bruce is preceded in death by Alger and Pauline Lahti (parents), Rhea Tracy (aunt), Ferris Pierson (father in law), Lindy Arnt and Mason Mizwicki (nephews). Bruce is survived by loving wife Susan Lahti of 41 years, son Matthew Lahti (Stephanie), daughter Katie Lomax (William), granddaughters Hadley Lomax, Claire Lomax and Brooklyn Lahti, sister Barbara Lahti, niece Alex Lahti and cousin Carol Ernst.

Bruce was born in Marquette County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on April 3, 1949 to Pauline and Alger Lahti. His youth was spent trout fishing the Yellow Dog River and Lake Superior, chasing ruffled grouse across Ottawa National Forest, and working with the DNR where his father was a Game Warden. Bruce graduated from Marquette Senior High School (1967), Michigan Tech University (1971) and Detroit College of Law (1975).

Bruce worked for Bruce Norris, owner of the Detroit Red Wings for 12 years. During that time he booked Motown legend Diana Ross to perform at the Joe Louis Arena for the 1982 Super Bowl. In Detroit, he met his wife Susan and married in 1980 and welcomed son Matthew Henry in 1982 and daughter Katherine Kay in 1984. Bruce decided to go into business for himself and became the Manager and Promoter for singer Roger Whitaker whom he would continue to manage for nearly forty years. In 1986, he and Susan moved to New Orleans where he continued his career in the entertainment industry and worked in arena management for FMG at the Superdome.

Bruce and Susan would vacation in St. Augustine, Florida and soon realized they wanted to call it home. Bruce moved the family to Florida in 1988 and in addition to traveling across the US and Europe touring with Roger Whitaker he created BML Management where he worked with USA Hockey and the Harlem Globetrotters. His final “show” was as General Manager of World Golf Village and the Hall of Fame until he retired in 2014. Bruce always enjoyed “Noon Group” Marsh Creek golf, worshipping at Memorial Presbyterian Church, fishing in Sandy Point, Abaco, Bahamas and spending summers in Big Bay, Michigan. Bruce was a loyal Green Bay Packer fan, devoted Rush Limbaugh listener, WWII history buff, cross word puzzle enthusiast, sweet treat connoisseur, and most of all a devoted husband, father and grandfather. His greatest joy was his granddaughters and spending time with his family watching sports, cooking and traveling.

A Celebration of Life was held Friday, December 3rd at Memorial Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine, Florida. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Michigan Tech University Hockey Department in honor of Bruce Lahti. Michigan Tech Fund, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931 or www.mtu.edu/giving

The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center has named Jeff Calkins as its new general manager after a national search.

Calkins brings extensive experience in facility management and the hospitality industry to his new role and will report directly to Visit Buffalo Niagara and BNCC President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kaler.

“l have the utmost confidence that Jeff will continue the Convention Center’s outstanding reputation of excellence in customer service, food quality, and hospitality,” Kaler said. “Prior to the pandemic, the Center averaged an annual economic impact of $43 million. As meetings and events return to a frequency seen in 2019, Jeff and the BNCC team will strive to match and exceed those numbers. There’s a bright future for meetings, conventions, and events in downtown Buffalo.”

More than 150 applications from a diverse group of candidates were received. Finalists were invited to Buffalo to participate in in-person interviews with the BNCC Executive Committee, the search committee, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Deputy County Executive Maria Whyte and Dan Castle, Erie County commissioner for environment and planning.

A graduate of SUNY Cortland, Calkins’ experience includes a tenure as general manager of Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena, where he helped oversee a $50 million renovation project. He also served as vice president and general manager of The Dome Center in Henrietta, New York, where he managed all sales and business operations for the multi-purpose event space.

“The search committee recognized Jeff’s wealth of experience and industry expertise,” said Mary Roberts, VBN and BNCC chair. “We trust that his leadership will continue the tradition of excellent customer service and build upon the success of the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center moving forward.”

By Stacie Bauer

Ungerboeck, the world’s leading event management software provider, announced that it has acquired Priava, a cloud-based venue and event management system with a wide portfolio of global customers.

This acquisition provides a platform to accelerate industry innovation and add more value for customers all over the world. Ungerboeck has seen rapid international growth in a short period of time. Acquiring Priava with its strong representation in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom gives Ungerboeck an even greater international presence.

“This acquisition accelerates our objective to grow internationally,” said Fred Lazzerini, Ungerboeck Senior Vice President, International. “We’re bringing in more venues in the Ungerboeck community, and adding staff in Australia, India, and the UK which gives us growth capacity.”

By combining resources, the companies can support event professionals with a higher level of efficiency and expertise. Current and future customers can expect faster industry growth, rapid innovation, more product offerings, and additional resources designed to better serve the event business.

“This is an extremely exciting moment in Priava’s history,” said Tom Gleeson, Group CEO of Priava. “In joining forces with Ungerboeck, we will build on the momentum we have created and work together to deliver state-of-the-art venue and event management solutions to drive the industry forward.”

Customers can keep using the products and services they currently use without interruption. Both Ungerboeck and Priava will continue to support all existing customers with the same focus on success. As the product teams come together, customers can look for exciting new offerings that add value to their event business.

“Our goal is to have the breadth and scale to serve the industry better,” said Manish Chandak, President and CEO of Ungerboeck. “We welcome the Priava team to the Ungerboeck family. Together, we can rapidly develop the kinds of innovative solutions needed to succeed in the post-pandemic world.”

Stacie Bauer is Event & Sponsorship Coordinator, Marketing, for Ungerboeck.