News

AgeBand kiosk system used to combat underage drinking

August 15, 2006

SAN FERNANDO, Calif. — Heineken USA and Precision Dynamics Corporation, provider of automatic wristband identification, are joining to ensure that all attendees are 21 or older Aug. 19 at Heineken's AmsterJam music festival in New York City.

PDC developed the AgeBand system, which utilizes software developed by Intelli-Check in cooperation with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, to ensure all attendees are of legal drinking age. The AgeBand system scans and verifies IDs and instantly prints a wristband with pertinent patron information, including the date and time of check along with the number 21, to indicate age-verified. The system provides defensible action against underage drinking, reduces instances of human errors when checking IDs, and provides non-transferable positive-age verification, access control and security.

Supporting the AgeBand system is Intelli-Check's PDA-like device, ID-Check Mobile, which also scans and verifies a patron's identification and age, offering additional mobility and flexibility to the overall age verification system.

At last year's AmsterJam, which sold out with more than 30,000 concert goers, more than 1,000 people were turned away using the AgeBand and Intelli-Check age verification systems. This year, 20 AgeBand systems and four ID-Check Mobile systems will be onsite to efficiently check attendees.

"Heineken has a long-standing commitment to prevent underage drinking," said Dan Tearno, vice president of corporate relations for Heineken USA. "Our great partnership with PDC enables the use of accurate, state-of-the-art technology that quickly and efficiently verifies that all attendees at AmsterJam are of legal drinking age, while minimizing any inconvenience and maximizing the experience of concert goers."

Since July 2005, Heineken USA has used the PDC AgeBand Wristband System at a series of company-sponsored concert events, making it the first alcohol beverage company to use AgeBand technology in this manner. Heineken USA used AgeBand to restrict underage access at its first AmsterJam concert in 2005, which boasted more than 30,000 attendees, and to restrict underage consumption at special events of all sizes across the country.