On March 11, 2020, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the suspension of the 2019-2020 season as COVID-19 rates continued to climb and risk athlete and fan safety. Athletes and fans were unable to reenter the arena for nearly a year as arena operations teams developed multiple plans to ensure a safe and healthy reopening. One arena operation team that worked around the clock to welcome back fans and athletes was located at Chase Center, home of the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Chase Center reopened their doors nearly nine months after the Golden State Warriors had played their last game, thanks in part to the implementation of innovative technological solutions and robust cleaning and disinfecting protocols. We spoke with Brandon Schneider, the team’s President & Chief Operating Officer, about how Chase Center’s staff is navigating this tricky time to keep everyone healthy and safe.

A Timeout to Strategize

At the start of the pandemic, guidance changed rapidly as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continued to research SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and how it spreads across populations. The arena operations team at Chase Center also faced difficulties at the start, but leapt into planning mode with Jackie Ventura, the director of facility health and hygiene for Chase Center, among others. “We were the first NBA team to create a dedicated Health and Hygiene department,” said Schneider. Ventura and her team created protocols for every potential athlete and fan interaction, including health and safety plans that were submitted to city health officials, which allowed the Golden State Warriors to host training camps and start the season. The plans established during this time were used to train the dedicated Chase Center Clean Team and will be repurposed moving forward to address other germs, especially during cold and flu season.

Above and Beyond the Guidance

Since the arena operations team wanted to ensure that their cleaning protocols were going above and beyond the guidance, they collaborated with ABM to develop enhanced protocols due to the organization’s wealth of resources in terms of health and hygiene best practices.

Chase Center was also one of the first major sports and entertainment venues to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC)’s STAR facility accreditation, validating the steps taken by the arena operations team to adhere to effective and efficient cleaning and disinfecting protocols within the cleaning industry.

Deploying New Gameday Measures

When the Chase Center opened to fans in April of this year, proof of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination was required.

To create an even safer indoor environment, the arena operations team integrated new technological solutions that have proven to also enhance and streamline the spectator experience. One such advancement was the revamp of the Warriors + Chase Center app, which now allows fans to manage their game experience from the palm of their hand. From reserving a parking spot and managing their tickets to ordering and paying for food, the app helps provide convenience to fans by limiting visits to kiosks.

To disinfect, the arena operations team leveraged the Clorox® Total 360® System and the Clorox® Total 360® ProPack System, a backpack electrostatic sprayer, throughout the arena. Both of these electrostatic sprayers thoroughly deliver Clorox disinfectant to surfaces. The Clorox® Total 360® Systems are now being used to disinfect the Golden State Warriors’ player practice facilities on a daily basis, as well as within Chase Center bowl seating areas and premium spaces before and after use for Warriors’ games, concerts or private events.

“The Clorox® Total 360® System and Clorox® Total 360® ProPack System have been invaluable assets in providing an effective disinfection tool that we can use to sanitize and disinfect large surface areas,” stated Schneider. “In a venue the size of Chase Center, they save us a lot of time as we can treat large areas like our seating bowl very quickly. We feel very fortunate to be able to collaborate with a best-in-class company like Clorox whose products the public have a lot of faith in.”

A Bright Season Ahead

Through a dedicated effort and integrating a holistic strategy to support a safe return, Chase Center was successful in welcoming back their fans. And as “The Dubs” fans excitedly head back to their seats, a renewed purpose for delivering and maintaining a seamless and safe visitor experience is top of mind. “My favorite memory from the past year was the moment I got to greet the first fan to enter the building for our first in-person game of the year,” Schneider said. “It marked the culmination of over a year’s worth of planning and hard work to get to that point. We are looking forward to a very busy fall at Chase Center.”