Bay Area Council Explores Cutting-Edge Safety Tech with Verizon Ahead of 2026 Super Bowl, World Cup

As the Bay Area prepares to host two of the largest, most complex, and highest-security events in recent history – the 2026 NFL Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup – the Bay Area Council gathered last week at Verizon’s SF Innovation Lab to learn about the innovative safety technologies that power security operations at major events and in our daily lives, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration as we develop the future of safety tech.

Attendees heard from a panel of experts from the Bay Area Host Committee (Ruth Shikada, Vice President of Government and External Affairs), San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium (Francine Melendez Hughes, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Stadium Operations), San Francisco International Airport (Jeff Littlefield, Chief Operating Officer), and Verizon Frontline (Cory Davis, Vice President).

These Bay Area leaders emphasized how technology is reshaping safety preparedness for major events like the Super Bowl and World Cup, which together are projected to generate nearly $1 billion in economic activity and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors under the nation’s highest security designation. Innovations like frictionless stadium entry, advanced facial recognition, drone infrastructure, AI-powered network security, and real-time operations centers – combined with unprecedented cross-sector collaboration – are redefining emergency response, event security, and safety communications.

We thank member company and partner Verizon for hosting Council members and local stakeholders for this interactive and informative event.  

To get involved in the Council’s work to make the Bay Area a safe place for all who live, work, and visit, please email Vice President of Public Policy Laura Hill.