Recently featured:
“Across all sectors, the call is resounding to #BuildBackBetter. In the rush to return to live events with in-person spectators, the critical urgency of addressing health and wellbeing may cause sport organizations to backslide where sustainability is concerned. In other words, efforts to make stadiums clean and safe may dwarf any progress that organizations have made with regard to climate action and sustainability. For instance, single-use plastic disposables may be adopted in lieu of current multi-use food serviceware, or environmentally-harmful chemical products may be used for cleaning as these are sometimes perceived as more effective at removing bacteria from surfaces. However, the definition of sustainability is grounded in healthy systems - healthy environmental, social and economic systems that are naturally and inextricably linked. This principle is truly being laid bare through the current global crisis - that human health is essential to economic health. And that human health is very much determined by environmental health; influenced by both natural and man-made surroundings.”
Over the next four weeks, the Sustainable Sport Research Collective* will present opportunities to integrate operational environmental sustainability into the reopening of stadiums and venues to fans. The team has identified three components of operations that may suffer environmental implications and have detailed opportunities to mitigate those risks, while addressing the critical need to safely reopen.
Following the release of each topic, we invite you to participate in informal conversations to share feedback, ideas, and concerns for the suggestions in each release, all for the mission to #BuildBackBetter. These conversations will be geared towards identifying and discussing the many opportunities for environmental sustainability to be integrated into post-COVID live sports. In order to foster a thoughtful and productive conversation, we're keeping the discussion groups to 25 participants.
The first of these dialogues will be held tomorrow, Tuesday June 2nd, at 4pm ET. Please Register to participate in this informal discussion, aimed to share feedback, discuss constructive thoughts, and set objectives to #BuildBackBetter.
Environmental Strategies for Gameday Logistics to #BuildBackBetter
Gameday begins at home - often several days ahead of teams taking the field - as fans coordinate their transportation methods and departure times, meeting points and pre-game rituals. Once fans arrive on-site, they may also visit the ticketing counter, at entry/exit and security points. COVID-19 now presents new challenges that require adaptation to the ‘normal’ venue operations at each of these points. In this major rehaul of a normal fan experience, there are many innovative opportunities to integrate more efficient, sustainable solutions and #BuildBackBetter on Gameday.
Opportunities in the Back of House to #BuildBackBetter
Though not often visible to spectators, back of house operations are the brain and muscle of the gameday experience. The carefully curated experience requires essential staff to execute the policies and plans, management to oversee operations, and coordinated logistics to ensure that each moment is seamless. As these teams plan for a safe return for fans, players, and their own teams, there are many opportunities to make progress on environmental sustainability policies that had begun to roll-out pre-COVID. We discuss opportunities to integrate progress in sustainability in concessions, waste diversion measures, and safe custodial services, to support us to #BuildBackBetter
Concessions & Back of House Report
New Communications and Partnerships Opportunities as Fans Return to #BuildBackBetter
Changes in our feelings and expectations of attending live events will introduce unfamiliarity where we have always taken comfort in familiarity. Fans will arrive at the gates with a heightened attention to signage and communication - can our messaging around sustainability be more engaging and capture a more receptive audience? Venue operations changes and fans’ lifestyle shifts will also open new partnership doors and expanded partner activation opportunities. How do we work with existing partners’ to step into a newly sensitized environment? In this closing segment of our work and discussions, we’ll explore the positive fan experience potential in emerging from the long offseason together.
Communications & Partnerships Report
* Sustainable Sport Research Collective is a collaboration among 4 established sustainability professionals exclusively focused on the sports industry. With strong knowledge of venue operations, environmental sustainability, social responsibility and fan experience and engagement, the group recognized the need for insights into fans’ primary concerns, and latent trepidation, in returning to large public gathering spaces. As advisors and practitioners working regularly with sports league and team executives, we’ve established a robust survey method, including a novel virtual focus group, representative of the broad demographics of sports fans.
Sustainable Sport Research Collective Members:
Aileen McManamon, Founder of 5T Sports
Monica Rowand, COO of Phase 3 Sport
Kristen Fulmer, Founder of Recipric
Madeleine Orr, Co-Founder of Sport Ecology Group