Before dealing with matters of privacy and radiation, here's the news:
The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center (WMPAC), the organization that runs the theaters and concert halls in San Francisco’s Civic Center, will add a new screening technology to check for weapons upon entering the War Memorial Opera House and Davies Symphony Hall. The invisible technology system provided by Evolv Express is set to be implemented this September.
“WMPAC will be the first dedicated performing arts center in San Francisco to install Evolv Express, a frictionless security technology increasingly utilized in arenas and performance halls throughout the world,” the organization’s announcement read. “WMPAC and its three resident companies — SF Symphony, SF Opera, SF Ballet — are phasing in implementation of the system to minimize disruption to the performance schedule and patron experience. The system will be live and in-operation at Davies on Sept. 4 and on Sept. 14 at the Opera House. The system will be operational at the Veterans Building at a later date.”
Evolv Express uses sensors and artificial intelligence to detect threats. The system emits Extremely low frequency (ELF) radio waves to gather data for AI algorithms, which then distinguish between everyday items and potential threats. ELF in limited dose is considered by the National Library of Medicine to be “innocuous” to human health.
If a threat is detected, Express alerts security personnel with a visual and audible signal on a connected tablet, indicating the suspect and the approximate area where the potential threat was detected.
Evolv Technologies, the company that provides Evolv Express, states in an online FAQ that their Express system does not use facial recognition, nor does it collect personally identifiable information beyond the camera data, which the company says are automatically deleted after 30 days unless a potential threat is detected.
Lincoln Center, Chicago Lyric Opera, and Hollywood Bowl currently use Evolv Express, as do 50 other arts and entertainment venues including San Francisco’s Stern Grove Festival and other music festivals in Golden Gate Park. WMPAC’s announcement commended the system for “frictionless entry,” as there is “no need to stop, empty pockets, or open bags” upon entry into a building.
Evolv Technologies’ competitors include SafePointe, Xtract One, and Athena Security. Performance halls, stadiums, and schools are among their major clients. However, Evolv Technologies had to settle a Federal Trade Commission complaint in Dec. 2024, resulting in a settlement.
Why is WMPAC making the advance announcement? The organization’s Managing Director, Kate Sofis, answered this question from San Francisco Classical Voice.
“There hasn’t been this type of uniform, campus-wide installation, that significantly impacts all three buildings, in years. We are the stewards of these public assets and also the administrators of public safety on the campus as a whole. It's a big deal operationally, getting our four different teams to collaborate, co-invest and implement this new entry system in these historic buildings,” Sofis said.
“And it is a big deal for our patrons to whom we are saying ‘We want you to be free from distraction and worries while you're here.’ Mayor Lurie has placed public safety and modern, efficient interaction at the top of his list. We are proud to be implementing that vision here at War Memorial,” Sofis said.
“The safety of our patrons and company members is of paramount importance,” said SF Opera’s General Director Matthew Shilvock, “and the addition of Evolv technology to our front of houses is a critical upgrade to the campus, ensuring that the War Memorial Performing Arts Center remains one of the leading venues for the performing arts in America, not only in the caliber of work on our stages, but in the patron experience.”
Evolv Express delivered the system to the buildings in late July, to be tested throughout August. It claims to be able to scan up to 3,000 people per entrance, per hour.
Sofis commented on the budget, saying, “To cover eight lanes of equipment and maintenance, we have budgeted $140,000 in the first year, and $125,000 in each of the following three years. We believe this shared investment to optimize security and the patron experience is well worth the cost. There’s a reason you’re seeing this system adopted at more and more institutions. Keeping our patrons safe and secure is priceless.”
Currently, Davies Hall has two public entrances, and the Opera House has three (Van Ness Ave., Grove St., and North Carriage drive).
According to WMPAC, there will be no change to the entrances at Davies. At the Opera House, audiences will enter the main lobby from Van Ness Ave. through one set of double-doors which will have two ticket takers. The north and south entrances will each have one ticket taker, and the other doors will be closed, the announcement said.
Diane B. Wilsey, the President of WMPAC’s Board of Trustees, said, “I’ve experienced this system in use at some of the great opera houses of Europe. To see this same technology now protecting our historic venues here at home is both reassuring and inspiring. When patrons step through our doors, they can feel confident and fully enjoy the performance, free from worries or distraction.”