By By Dan Hounsell

As the nation marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 global pandemic, many healthcare facility managers are taking the hard lessons of 2020 and adapting their buildings and operations to the new realities. Not surprisingly, facility managers in other sectors are taking a page from the healthcare playbook to ensure their buildings are safe and healthy for occupants.

Consider sports arenas, which are now starting to reopen with fans in the seats after a year of dormancy, according to Yahoo Sports. Practical tech implementations, concentrated planning and a little inspiration from the health sector are helping them get back on track, with over half of the NBA now selling tickets.

Phoenix Suns Arena boasts larger, all-black seats, theater style lighting, and a video board six times larger than its predecessor. Those elements were planned. But the timing of the construction meant the Suns could easily add pandemic-related updates as well. The new HVAC system came with MERV-13 filters, which trap more particles than their lower rated predecessors. UV cleaning devices were added to the escalator handrails. Bathroom fixtures were made touchless and concession stands cashless.