Sightline Improves View, Experience at Sports Venues

MINNEAPOLIS -- Athletic facility owners, looking to optimize functionality, safety and aesthetic appeal in their facilities, can gain insight thanks to a new continuing education course offered by Sightline Commercial Solutions, a fabricator of architectural railing solutions for the commercial, sports venue, live entertainment and performing arts industries.

In today’s competitive sports landscape, ensuring your venue stands out is key to delivering a superior fan experience.

Registered with The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education Systems, the “Transforming Sports Venues to Elevate the Fan Experience” course provides essential insights into the latest trends, innovations and best practices for sports venue design and construction.

“Demountable equipment enhances flexibility, safety, accessibility and social distancing capacity for athletic venues,” said Jon Chase, chief engineering officer at Sightline Commercial Solutions. “Our newest AIA program focuses on best practices for implementing safety protocols, creating inclusive environments and balancing space utilization with patron safety and comfort.” 

AIA Course Number: SCS2024SV examines the use of demountable equipment with a focus on International Building Code (IBC) requirements, structural and design considerations, ADA compliance and applications to improve venue versatility and the fan experience.

Through this course, participants will gain insight into innovative design strategies and technologies that allow venues to adapt to various events and audience sizes and learn how to integrate safety and flexibility enhancements to optimize space utilization and revenue potential.

Content also focuses on how sustainable materials, scalable design concepts and other cost-effective approaches can create spaces that resonate with fans and other key stakeholders.

Following are three Sightline projects that showcase how strategic renovations can turn underutilized areas into functional, profitable spaces that enhance the fan experience:
 
INTER&CO STADIUM
Sightline worked with the management team at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, FL, to convert a section of previously underperforming seating on the lower level beneath the scoreboard into a supporters-only section for the most devoted fans of Orlando’s men’s and women’s soccer teams.

“To help with conceptualization, we created a 3D rendering depicting a premium viewing space, dubbed ‘The Terrace,’ with wider access, luxurious swivel seats and personal tables – all with unobstructed field-level sightlines,” explained Chase. “These renovations enabled Inter&Co Stadium to ‘right-size’ its capacity, monetize previously underutilized space and provide fans with a truly unique VIP experience.”

LITTLE CAESARS ARENA
Blending the thrill of sports with the excitement of live entertainment, Little Caesars Arena offers an unforgettable experience for Detroit Red Wings fans as soon as they step foot inside the facility.

From the unique gondola-style seating area suspended high above the ice to the numerous VIP club sections and the seating bowl itself, patrons can’t go far without utilizing one of Sightline’s custom designed decorative railings. In fact, more than 18,000 linear feet of railing can be found throughout the arena, including glass Track Rail for clear views of the action, Gridguard railing with mesh and perforated infill, and aluminum Griprail, as well as custom drink rail for fans enjoying events from the concourse and plenty of aisle railing for additional safety.

PETCO PARK
To give San Diego Padres fans something extra to cheer about, Sightline installed a VIP Platform Infill section at Petco Park. Changing the rise and run of the stadium, this section features larger tiers for a more spacious and premium viewing experience, along with custom guardrails made of anodized aluminum with acrylic infill specially engineered to support TV screens and deliver a high-end, aesthetically appealing look.

“Paired with cushy seating, cupholders and tables with cloth coverings, patrons are sure to enjoy the one-of-a-kind viewing experience this luxury space offers,” added Chase.

Upon course completion, AIA members earn 3 CES credits and all participants receive certificates of completion.

To learn more about this and other continuing education offerings from Sightline Commercial Solutions, visit www.sightlinecommercial.com/courses.