VenuesNow (07/01/20) Muret, Don

Seating vendor and entrepreneur Scott Suprina has developed the Safe Suite, a provisional solution for sports teams and venues as they work through pandemic restrictions without losing a lot of ticket revenue. Suprina's seating module features a curved plexiglass panel that shields groups of people sitting in eight to 12 seats, with structural movement eliminated by an arched design that also provides a small counter area to store food and drink. There are currently two Safe Suite options available: the first module covers two rows of four seats, and the second encompasses three rows of four seats. The concept is to install Safe Suite at the end of rows next to the aisles to prevent fans from walking past seated guests and risking contamination. Seats are left empty toward the middle of the rows between Safe Suites for social distancing. Suprina added that the plexiglass can be recycled for other portable seating systems, and he is in discussions with some big league teams, including the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, about setting up Safe Suites. It costs National Football League teams about $750,000 to $1 million to rent Safe Suites, depending on the stadium and capacity permitted under state restrictions. "It's only a viable product for maybe the next 12 months (until a vaccine is available)," Suprina said.

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