Deep Dive in Delivering Exceptional Facility Services
Think back to the last time you scored tickets to see your favorite team or seats for a great concert. Whether you were hanging out in the VIP suite, doing the wave in the bleachers, or grabbing a drink at one of the premium bars, you were in the company of tens of thousands of others who were also there to relish every moment of the action. Along the way, those throngs of fans were swarming vendor booths to buy a beer or hot dog, rushing to use the restroom, and tossing empty cups and wrappers in the general direction of the trash can. They also may have been tracking in dirt, mud, slush, or snow (or possibly all four at once if you were attending an event in my hometown region of New England).
I’m a lifelong sports and music fan – and I was lucky enough to attend a few memorable events growing up including the Patriots Snow Bowl in ‘03, Celtics vs Lakers ’08 Finals Game 1, and more Disney on Ice shows than I can remember with my whole family. When I was younger, I was always focused on what was happening on the field, court, or ice. It was only in the last few years, growing through the ranks of the facility services world did I appreciate what it takes from the venue itself to deliver the end user product. Similar to the teams that are competing in between the lines – the venues themselves are also game planning, coordinating & executing to make these events run smoothly so fans can enjoy a spectacular experience.
Since I love spending my free time cheering on the home team, you can imagine how I was filled with pride when UG2 added prominent public venue customers, the storied TD Garden in Boston and, more recently, Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
Every stadium or arena has its own precarious ecosystem. The challenges in maintaining these facilities—and maintaining them well—are steep, and our solutions must be tailored to each site’s unique and evolving needs. Fortunately, UG2 has refined our responses to those challenges and developed our team into the public venue’s perfect facility services partner. So, what have we learned working behind the scenes?
Here I will share some of the most difficult aspects of managing a facility in public venue spaces, and the solutions UG2 has mastered to overcome them.
Challenge #1: Manage High-Volume Crowds
The sheer volume and density of foot traffic in a public venue makes for a completely different—and uber-challenging—environment. Huge numbers of people are on the move, and your ideal facility services partner needs to stay on top of, and ahead of, the crowd.
UG2 Solution:
Our specially-trained teams are assigned to designated areas at key intervals—as the arena is getting set up, deliveries are happening, and food stations are prepping—and as fans are entering, exiting, and rushing to vendors and restrooms at halftime or the end of the period. UG2 has our teams highly trained and crossed-trained to deal with the specifics of each area, from the general concession areas to the locker rooms to the VIP suites. Our facility operations teams are in continuous communication and constant flux, ensuring that our attention matches the crowd’s energy and movement and that we are well prepared with proactive measures as well as the ability to respond quickly in the moment to always-emerging issues.
Challenge #2: Nail the Timing
Public venues operate on the opposite end of the spectrum from a typical janitorial model. In many spaces you cannot rely on nightly down time to tackle projects like deep cleaning, shampooing carpets, stripping and waxing of floors, or squeegeeing the glass. The building may go dark on an ever-changing schedule that makes it even more difficult to fit in the upkeep.
UG2 Solution:
The timing issue is a complex one that requires both established expertise and frequent fine-tuning. The key ingredients for success include deep familiarity with the venue and a highly trained, nimble staff. UG2’s ability to attract and retain the best talent is essential here. We have employees who are specialized but also trained to pivot, on a dime, from a sporting event to a concert to a corporate fundraiser. Our facility managers are on-site, bringing their familiarity with the unique timing and staffing needs of each event and the resources to quickly scale up for double headers and find windows of time for deep cleans and preventative maintenance projects. We understand there’s no room for a lapse in quality and we are proactive in maintaining supplies and top-of-the-line resources so that there’s never a moment wasted.
Challenge #3: Eliminate Health and Safety Hazards
The fast-moving, enthusiastic crowds that pack our public venues are vulnerable to injury hazards from displaced floor mats to food spills, as well as health hazards like faulty refrigeration and unsanitary restroom conditions.
UG2 Solution:
UG2 incorporates both leading and lagging indicators into our safety planning for a comprehensive approach to safety that’s woven into all we do, from our health and safety program to our industry-leading efforts around quality control. Employees complete extensive safety training before their first day on a site, and ongoing safety planning and training is customized to every venue we serve. We routinely conduct job safety analyses and hazard checks, and safety-related communication is ongoing and consistent. Every team member is working to identify issues as they emerge and is equipped with a radio to call in reports to a dispatcher who immediately sends out the right person to respond.
Challenge #4: Fine-Tune Management Team Handoffs
Supervisors and management must be available for a warm hand-off with every shift, to ensure ownership and accountability on every level and through every phase of our public venue facility services.
UG2 Solution:
UG2’s team leaders take tremendous pride in being onsite and accessible with every shift. Our stellar supervisors never leave a venue or station unattended. Team leaders will not leave until they have tagged in the next supervisor and provided a comprehensive status update. Seamless communication makes for seamless coverage, and those are hallmarks of our unmatched service record—and our 98% customer retention rate. It helps that we attract top talent, promote from within, and boast an enviable employee retention record.
Challenge #5: Meet Outsized Operations and Maintenance Demands
A major event has many opportunities for major problems to occur if issues arise with lighting, alarms, scoreboard function, plumbing, HVAC…the list goes on.
UG2 Solution:
UG2 offers comprehensive, integrated operations and maintenance services. We leverage our management team’s 350-plus years of experience, alongside our highly skilled engineers’ proficiency with the latest technologies and innovations. We bring in the most skilled and committed employees, and keep them at the top of their game with ongoing education and professional development through UG2’s Training & Innovation Lab. With an unwavering focus on service, our employees are committed to ensuring the public venue operates efficiently and effectively throughout every single event.
Challenge #6: See the Devil in the Details
Visitors to public venues expect a pristine environment, hassle-free access to food and beverages, and highly visible janitorial staff who are actively engaged in five-star service. Those expectations have only increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And word spreads fast when things are left unattended—the last thing a venue needs is a complaint posted on social media.
UG2 Solution:
Our teams are preparing the public venue long before fans begin to arrive, and we are committed to delivering a great first impression—and second, third, and fourth. Throughout the event, visitors can count on gleaming floors and elevators, freshly emptied bins, and well-stocked and sanitized restrooms. At the clubhouse level, we understand that customers have paid a premium for an elevated experience—and we are ready and waiting to exceed their expectations. We conduct regular walk-throughs, share information across teams continuously, and benefit from carefully curated checklists of tasks we complete before, during, and after an event.
Challenge #7: Recognize There’s No Off Season
Just as elite athletes who play professional sports have to maintain rigorous fitness regimens and practice schedules year-round, the stadiums where they play are “on” all the time, and they require a rotation of crews who operate just as effectively, regardless of whether there’s an event underway.
UG2 Solution:
Public venues have a dynamic calendar, with many days on the schedule requiring you to attend to the events themselves, but it is essential that facility managers maintain a robust rotation of people and projects year-round, to ensure we take advantage of the off days. We understand that non-event days are actually the prime opportunity to build up a quality program as your FM team tests and upgrades systems, undertakes preventative maintenance, tackles special projects, and ensures equipment is functioning optimally. At the same time, we run a tight ship in terms of efficiency. Public venues are never understaffed—but they also aren’t paying for staff to stand around and wait to be called into action.
Challenge #8: Perfect VIP Treatment
Today’s public venue guest expects all the perks of a modern facility, and those attending an event in a luxury box, corporate suite, or VIP seating will arrive with an especially high set of expectations when it comes to hospitality services.
UG2 Solution:
The demand for five-star customer service is reaching new heights as corporate and private functions are becoming an important revenue source in all kinds of venues. Fortunately, UG2 teams excel at 360-degree VIP customer service. From ensuring a flawless audio-visual experience to knowing which products to use with high-end fixtures and finishes to handling sticky situations with aplomb, our dedicated teams of specially-trained employees—like those luxury suites themselves—are counted among the best of the best. That unmatched level of customer service carries over into our interpersonal interactions, too. In fact, we frequently get thank you notes from customers and guests about a UG2 team member going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure every guest is getting the most out of their experience.
Challenge #9: Embrace Emerging Technology
From digital experiences to security protocols to parking systems, public venues are relying on the latest technology even as it’s rolling out.
UG2 Solution:
Facility services is fast-becoming a technology-driven industry—and it has a profound importance in our daily operations in public venues. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed technology and innovation to the forefront when it comes to maintaining excellence, and UG2 is unmatched in our successful adoption of emerging but proven technologies. UG2’s vice president of information technology Samar Kawar and her team work continuously to investigate and implement advanced technologies for our customers and public venues as well as the internal systems that allow our employees to operate effectively and efficiently.
Challenge #10: Optimize Amenities and Managing Special Events
Even before the pandemic denied people the opportunities to gather and enjoy blockbuster events, fans and visitors to public venues had upped the ante on their expectations. If they were paying to attend an event, they wanted a luxury experience. That sentiment is truer than ever today.
UG2 Solution:
UG2 operates at the head of the pack when it comes to offering unexpected touches and an amenity-rich experience. These can include a smooth, tech-driven priority parking process; sparkling clean railing keeping fans safe overlooking the field; high definition screens across the venue (including at individual seats and in restrooms); fast and reliable wi-fi; exciting giveaways held during an event; and more. UG2 maintains a cadre of experts to ensure our teams are trained in every area of importance.
Challenge #11: Advance Sustainability
In the current climate, public venues face steep pressure to go green—and sustainable practices can actually be more efficient and promote cost-savings, but only if they’re done right.
UG2 Solution
UG2 has a long record of integrating successful environmental stewardship practices. They include relying on safe but effective cleaning chemicals, reducing noise pollution with quieter machines and equipment, maintaining efficient and high-quality filters, conducting energy audits, ensuring compliance with sustainability regulations, and promoting green waste management practices and recycling programs. New technology is emerging all the time, and UG2 prides itself on being at the forefront of the latest innovations with time-proven best practices that promote a pristine, clean, healthy, safe, and comfortable environment across the public venue.
Outstanding People and Teamwork
Delivering exceptional facility services in public venues and stadiums is a multi-faceted job but UG2 has developed best practices and strategic programs that help us thrive in challenging environments. I am thankful to all our on-site personnel who work in these challenging operations and take immense pride in their job day in and day out. Our managers, supervisors and workers embody the passion, hard work and dedication that lead to continued success in these very demanding venues. Our customers and partners do an exceptional jobs of empowering us and giving us a seat at the table to help them achieve their business goals. I love the excitement and complexity of working in public venues. Every day presents a new challenge and I work with the best people in the industry!
Do you have questions about our public venue services? Contact UG2 today. I promise we will over deliver for your fans and customers—even if they are cheering on our opposing team!