Now sports venues, as well as exercise, can be deemed healthy, even in the COVID-19 era. The International Well Building Institute (IWBI), the certification body for healthy buildings, has established the Well Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management. The third-party, evidence-based rating focuses on operational policies, cleaning protocols and design strategies to address a post COVID-19 environment.
A group of advisors, including a board co-chaired by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, will advance the completion of the Well Health-Safety Rating specific to these venues. The new Well Health-Safety Rating also will apply to a range of other facility types and market sectors, including offices, hotels, retail, grocery stores, warehouses, manufacturing, theaters, recreation, restaurants and schools, among others. The advisors will advance the completion of the ratings specific to their own venues.
Leveraging guidance on the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leading academic and research institutions, insights drawn from the IWBI COVID-19 Task Force and core principles already established by the IWBI’s Well Building Standard, the program provides a centralized source and governing body to validate efforts made by owners and operators.
“Critical feedback from leading industry stakeholders is crucial to the refinement and further development of the Well Health-Safety Rating,” said Rick Fedrizzi, IWBI chairman and CEO. “By collaborating with industry and subject matter experts in public health, facility ownership, operations, management and policies, cleaning protocols and building and spatial design, we are able to drive towards broader market transformation and completely rethink how owners and operators can adapt to be more resilient as we emerge from this global pandemic. We are excited to fast-track this program for sports and entertainment venues and have the industry fully engaged to address the challenges we face today.”
The IWBI COVID-19 Task Force, a group of over 500 public health experts, virologists, government officials, academics, business leaders, architects, designers, building scientists and real estate professionals, was established at the outset of the pandemic to develop Guidelines on Prevention and Preparedness, Resilience and Recovery in response to pathogen transmission concerns.
In addition to Carmona, co-chairs are Doug Behar, senior vice president and director of stadium operations for the New York Yankees; Mike Biggs, vice president of sports and entertainment partnerships at Jani-King; Allen Hershkowitz, environmental science advisor for the Yankees; Tim Leiweke, CEO of the Oak View Group, a Los Angeles-based global sports and entertainment company; Bill Rhoda, president of global planning at Legends and Tim Romani, CEO of CAA ICON. Task force members also include former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, UCLA’s Dr. Jonathan Fielding and environmental scientist Allen Hershkowitz. Advisory council members include representatives from the New York Mets, San Francisco 49ers, Texas A&M University, the Detroit Red Wings, Gensler Sports and Inter Miami CF Stadium. (See sidebar for larger list.)
“Given the current challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports and entertainment industries are going to be changed forever,” Leiweke said. “We look forward to working with IWBI and the other partnering companies to ensure the industry has the necessary tools, training and world-class industry standards to offer both a secure and welcoming environment for all players, artists, touring personnel, venue employees and fans.”
Participation in the program will require submission of policies, protocols and strategies for third-party document review and annual compliance verification. Current Well Projects can earn the rating as part of their existing efforts.
Council members for the Well Advisory on Sports and Entertainment Venues include, among others:
- Stephen P. Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group
- Charles Attal, CEO of C3 Presents
- Darryl Benge, executive vice president
- and arena general manager of Amalie Arena Tampa Bay Lightning
- Brian Bishop, senior vice president of Inter Miami CF
- Ed Bosco, managing director of ME Engineers
- Chris Carver, global director of Populous
- Joanna Deagle, managing director of Centre for Access to Football in Europe
- Chris DeVolder, managing principal at HOK
- Michael Dohnert, senior director of ballpark operations at New York Mets
- Chris Granger, Detroit Red Wings
- governor, president and CEO and Ilitch Holdings CEO
- Al Guido, president of the San Francisco 49ers
- Gary Green, CEO of Alliance Sports
- Len Komoroski, CEO of Cleveland
- Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage Field House
- Gabriel Krenza, founder of BlackWolf Expeditions
- Amy Latimer, president of TD Garden
- Simon Lewis, Director at Team Planet
- Andy Major, vice president of operations and guest experience at the Buffalo Bills and New Era Field
- David Mayer, co-founder of Two Owls Partners
- Brian McCullough, Texas A&M University
- Jon Miller, former CEO of AOL and former NBA executive
- Scott O’Neil, CEO of the Philadelphia
- 76ers and New Jersey Devils – Donna Orender, former president/ commission of the Women’s National
- Basketball Association
- Michael Philpott, executive director of European Healthy Stadia Network
- Madeleine Orr, founder and co-director of Sport Ecology Group
- Julia Palle, president of Sport and Sustainability International
- Robin Raj, founder and executive creative director of Citizen Group
- Tim Robbie, general manager of Inter Miami CF Stadium
- Russell Seymour, CEO of British
- Association for Sustainable Sport
- Ron Turner, principal at Gensler Sports
- Pierluigi Zacheo, founder of MyStadium
