Sacramento has never hosted the NBA All-Star game, but the Kings have high hopes of doing so in the future because of their new arena — the Golden 1 Center.
The team is bidding for Sacramento to host either All-Star weekend in 2022 or 2023, and in order to set the bid apart from others, it is emphasizing a “tech-enhanced experience” that would be developed surrounding the event at the high-tech arena.
All-Star guests would be able to move from transportation hubs to accommodations to venues in 30 minutes or less via a network of autonomous vehicles, dedicated All-star transportation lanes and a personalized virtual concierge called SASCHA (Sacramento All-Star Concierge Host with AI).
SASCHA knows your preferences, keeps you updated on events and food options, accepts digital coin and can have merchandise delivered on-demand.
Excited to introduce SASCHA as part of our #NBAAllStar bid! pic.twitter.com/7qJp2E2B4u
— Vivek Ranadivé (@Vivek) February 22, 2018
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The Kings also partnered with Airbnb to have up to 1,000 lodging options available.
And inside Golden 1 Center, the Kings already have an arena that uses technology to engage with fans.
“Golden 1 Center created a spark that ignited Sacramento’s evolution downtown and beyond,” Sacramento Kings owner and chairman Vivek Ranadivé said in a statement. “With a world-class arena that is home to the best fans in the NBA, we are excited to present a bid that reimagines the All-Star event as a global celebration of sport, art, culture, and diversity.”
To make the bid, the Kings are providing the NBA with a virtual reality experience and also an interactive, custom All-Star app on an iPad.