Fobi AI (TSX-V:FOBI, OTCQB:FOBIF) Inc., a provider of real-time data analytics through artificial intelligence, said it has entered into an agreement with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to provide its CheckVax proof of coronavirus (COVID19) vaccination solution at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball games for this coming season.
CheckVax will be used to improve the customer experience by speeding up entry and to keep fans, student-athletes, and staff safe at all men’s and women’s basketball games when the season kicks off with the first men’s game on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. Fobi will earn revenue on this deal through an initial setup fee and monthly Wallet pass license fees.
“We are very excited to sign this deal with UNLV, one of the premier college athletic programs in the US,” Fobi CEO Rob Anson said in a statement. “This goes to show that CheckVax is the premier digital proof of vaccination and Covid test solution available on the market today.”
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Fobi noted that the Thomas Mack Center, home to Nevada men's and women's basketball, has a capacity of 19,522, so UNLV has a clear need for a proof of vaccination solution that can enable them to keep their fans, student-athletes, and staff safe and speed up entry for the fans who will be attending the games.
The company said the UNLV men's basketball program has a rich history as one of college basketball's premier programs. UNLV has played in the NCAA tournament 20 times, made 10 Sweet 16 appearances, four Final Four showings, and won the national title in 1990.
UNLV also has a long and impressive history of success over its 47 seasons of competition in women’s basketball, Fobi added. The Lady Rebels have recorded eight trips to the NCAA Tournament and have advanced to the Regional Semifinals once, in 1989.
“We have been so impressed with Fobi’s CheckVax solution and how it will improve the attendee experience at our games,” said Michael Newcomb, senior associate athletic director at UNLV. “It’s easy to use, it can handle people coming from different regions and the customer service from Fobi has been excellent. We’re excited to kick this off on Wednesday.”
Fobi said UNLV chose CheckVax over other solutions for two key reasons:
- CheckVax is easy to use and requires less staffing and resources for manual verifications from UNLV
- Importantly, CheckVax can verify vaccination and Covid test results across multiple jurisdictions and regions in advance, speeding up attendee access to the venue which creates a far superior customer experience and increases revenue, as fans stuck in a lineup outside can’t spend their money in the venue
"This multi-jurisdiction and multi-region pre-verification is something that other solutions are just not able to do," the company added.
Fobi said the agreement with UNLV follows on the announcement of the deal for CheckVax with the University of Nevada, Reno last week.
The company said it is seeing increased interest in the CheckVax solution from various organizations who are looking to adhere to vaccination mandates and keep their various stakeholders safe, ranging from sports teams and venues to restaurants and other hospitality companies, and also from corporations who are looking to get their employees back into the office safely.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com