Identification of The Topic/Issue/Event

Throughout my third week, I personally experienced and noticed something that is an

extremely unnecessary responsibility of the conversion staff, the signage. In preparation for a

hockey game, coming from a concert, the head conversion tech, Bart Hatton, asked me to

change the signage from event to hockey. At this time, I was learning what that entailed, but I

quickly realized how this “signage” could be changed for the better. This “signage” is extremely

difficult to change, unsafe, and time consuming for numerous reasons to be described below.

For reference the entrance signage is presented for each event shows the baggage

policy for the specific event. It is displayed over each entrance door and security line. This

signage is consistent for the NHL games but can differ for special events (which can cause

confusion for new fans). The usage of these signs is to make the fan entrance simpler and more

efficient, but it is very time consuming for the conversion staff and can become an issue if not

communicated well.

Relevant Components and Implications for the Agency

The entrance signage at events is a key aspect to fan experience and to facilitate a safe

and more efficient entrance. First, it is extremely important every event for the Predators and

Bridgestone Arena because it has the potential to negatively impact the fan experience and

conversion staff. Second, the negative implications for employees are a possible injury. Having

someone climb a 15-foot ladder can be extremely dangerous if someone is not experienced or

comfortable. Third, if a sign portrays something other than the security protocol, it can make

the entire security teams job more difficult (ultimately impacting fan experience). It is safe to

say that these are vital for every event and the fan experience outcome.
 The relevant components of the entrance signage can be a number of things. First, they

may believe a two-sided sign is simple, but without strong communication it can be easily

confused. Second, budgeting can also impact this decision as the alternative may be more

expensive.

Plan of Action

I believe that the Bridgestone Arena staff has a few things they can do to avoid this

problem. As a manager, I would investigate the possibility of implementing LED screens. Having

a code where the signage can be changed from hockey signage to event signage can be

extremely efficient and simple. This would eliminate the confusion if not communicated well.

This can also be a safe alternative that would eliminate climbing ladders. Alternatively, I would

propose using signage that can be hung up and weatherproof. This can eliminate the danger of

a ladder.

To communicate this, I would propose the idea to Tim Friedenberger, the Vice President

of Arena Operations. I believe this would be a safe alternative and help simplify the

responsibilities of the conversion staff. Although it may not be cost-effective in the short-term, I

believe this can be cost effective in the long-term rather than ordering new signs quite often.