Colleges & universities follow the NFL’s lead. By David Bennett UNIVERSITIES:
CLEAR BAG POLICIES
processes. The policy states that large bags must be clear plastic and acceptable under this policy, and exceptions are made for medically necessary items after proper inspection. Small clutch bags do not have to be clear, but they cannot exceed the approximate size of a hand. rolled out this policy and over the past few years many have adopted - gain insight on the logistics, communication, and success of the roll- outs. The University of South Carolina introduced a clear bag policy in
last month, this policy spread to all ticketed sporting events hosted by the university. Their policy mirrors - dated across the Southeastern Con- ference (SEC) for the 2017 football season. Shawn Burke, assistant athletic
director for operations and facility management, said that the imple- mentation process so far has been successful, and should continue as it is rolled out to spring sports. The main reason for its success, Shawn indicated, was due to the communications and PR teams. There was - cate the community and hopefully avoid any issues. The teams used as many tools as possible to spread the word before the seasons started, inclusive of press releases to local news outlets, email blasts, web, and social media. at shuttle stops, and along sidewalks and roadways upon approaching Williams-Brice Stadium, to educate anyone that may have missed the messaging in advance, especially visiting fans who may be from out - nity and had Coca-Cola branded clear bags to give out if necessary. Premium ticket holders received these bags in advance, and others were distributed on an as-needed basis by volunteers, who would catch people with an unapproved bag on the way to the stadium. The fans could transfer their belongings to the clear bag, return their unap- proved bag to their car, and enter the venue, without causing backups or confusion at the gates. Clemson University also implemented a clear bag policy last year
“Overall, communication is key when implementing any changes to the game-day experience, especially if it changes what a fan can or cannot bring. The focus should be on education, fully explaining what is and is not permitted and why.”
their football and basketball programs, respectively. This policy also - colleges and universities that had bag restrictions in place. Ben Hous- ton, assistant director of athletic event management, considers their implementation a success and also credits communication and public relations to be critical factors in that success. Most of the fans arriving they provided one free bag per season ticket account that could be picked up in advance, or at the games. Second, they provided a “Bag were not approved to enter the stadium, instead of returning to their cars. If a fan was turned away from a gate because of their bag, they contact information, and receive a claim ticket to use to retrieve their team prior to the game. The truck would be locked during the game, open for roughly 45 minutes after the game. If a bag was left, which Ben told me was rare, the fan was contacted using the information they provided. If the bag was still
not retrieved, it was turned over to the police department as lost and found. The largest number of bags checked was roughly 100 at the beginning of the season, and only about 15 by the end of the season. Most of the people that used this service were visiting team fans that did not have a clear bag policy at their school’s stadium. Overall, communication is key when implementing any changes to
the game-day experience, especially if it changes what a fan can or cannot bring. The focus should be on education, fully explaining what is and is not permitted and why. This information should be distribut- ed early and often, on as many platforms as possible. There is no guar- be in place, whether that be free clear bags, or a secure place people can check a bag. If you are considering a similar policy at your venue, reach out to your peers. We all have something we can learn from each other, and this research and preparation helps to ensure our fans will FM
David Bennett, CVP, is event + facility operations manager at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.
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