The sports world has begun to reopen, albeit in empty stadiums for now. Fans will be allowed through the turnstiles again at some point.

That is why sports executives, especially facilities managers to engineers and more, are working overtime to deal with a myriad of logistical challenges as they prepare for whenever their Opening Day may be.

How to make venues as COVID-19-free as is humanly possible so fans will feel safe is easier said than done.

With that in mind, GreenSportsBlog is happy to offer a recurring guest slot to the new Sustainable Sport Research Collective and their four-part “Sustainable Sports Agenda, Opportunities for the World to #BuildBackBetter” series. GSB finds the Collective’s focus on ensuring that #BuildBackBetter not only means safer but also greener wherever possible to be compelling, indeed.

Part I introduced the series.

Last Tuesday’s Part II focused on Environmental Strategies for Gameday Logistics to #BuildBackBetter — i.e. transportation and ingress/egress.

Today’s Part III — Opportunities in Concessions and the Back of House to #BuildBackBetter — takes on the complex safety and environmental considerations around food, beverage, packaging, waste and much more.

To ensure that today’s report is a conversation starter, the Collective would like to invite you to join an online discussion of how to #BuildBackBetter in Concessions and Back of House next Tuesday, June 16th at 4pm ET. Please register here.

Also next Tuesday, the Collective will also release the finale of their four-part series, which will identify New Communications and Partnerships Opportunities as Fans Return to #BuildBackBetter.

Here’s a preview:

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.

Document Release: Tuesday, June 16

Discussion: Tuesday, June 23

Registration Link

Sustainable Sport Research Collective is a collaboration among four established sustainability professionals exclusively focused on the sports industry.

Per the Collective, “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 Members¹:

• 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

Photo at top: Concession stand at the Target Center in Minneapolis, home of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves (Photo credit: NBA)

¹ Kristen Fulmer serves as Strategic Advisor of EcoAthletes, a new nonprofit founded in April by Lew Blaustein of GreenSportsBlog. Madeleine Orr is on the EcoAthletes advisory board.