APPALACHIAN WIRELESS ARENA - PIKEVILLE, KY

Owner: Commonwealth of Kentucky
Operator: City of Pikeville
Products: Metro Telescopic Platform Seating

CHALLENGE

Appalachian Wireless Arena (formerly Eastern Kentucky Expo Center) serves as a hub for a variety of events, including concerts and shows, sporting events, conferences, community gatherings, and more. Since opening in 2005, the Arena has relied on comfortable and safe Sentinel chairs on MAXAM+ telescopic platforms by Hussey Seating Company.

The Sentinel chairs have held up well to the rigors of the busy multi-purpose facility. However, as they neared twenty years of age, some repairs became necessary, and the Arena’s attic stock began to diminish.

Arena Seating Renovation on a Budget

By this time, production of Hussey Seating Company’s Sentinel chair model had been discontinued, making new Sentinel OEM chairs and parts unavailable. Under some circumstances, replacing chairs with a new model is a great option. However, like many multi-purpose facilities, Appalachian Wireless Arena did not have the budget to replace every seat in the facility. So, with a limited budget, the Arena needed to replace a relatively small number of Sentinel telescopic chairs sporadically dispersed and could not procure a chair that would match the rest of the section of seating.

SOLUTION

Hussey Seating Company’s experienced National Service Team worked collaboratively with Appalachian Wireless Arena to develop a renovation plan to replace needed seats and replenish attic stock. At the core of the renovation was a “seat harvesting” plan, which partially replaced and reused some of the Sentinel telescopic chairs. Hussey Seating would complete renovation work around the Arena’s event schedule and within its limited budget.

Seat Harvesting and Replacement of Sentinel Chairs

At the center of the renovation plan was a multi-step seat harvesting strategy.

1. Certified Hussey Seating installers removed all the Sentinel chairs, regardless of their condition, from one telescopic platform.
2. New Metro chairs were installed on the existing telescopic platform to replace the section of aging Sentinel chairs.
3. The removed chairs were used to repair or replace Sentinel chairs in other sections.
4. The remaining chairs were used to replenish the Arena’s attic stock.

PAYOFF

Comfort and Modern Ergonomics

The section of new Metro telescopic seating provides fans with comfortable arena seating and modern ergonomics in a prime location. All other sections have been returned to full capacity and proper operation thanks to replenished parts and repairs.

Improved Efficiency

The Metro telescopic seating with lift-assist gas shocks has reduced the changeover time of the renovated section. According to Tony Bartley, Building Engineer at Appalachian Wireless Arena, “Converting the section of new Metros is 30 minutes faster than it was with the old chairs.”

The Arena’s attic stock has also been replenished with replacement chairs and spare parts to ensure that the telescopic platform seating in Appalachian Wireless Arena is event-ready.

A Road Map for Sentinel Chair Replacement

By fully replacing one section of seating and harvesting chairs and parts, the Arena addressed its immediate repair needs with a limited budget. This seat harvesting strategy can be used to bridge the gap until the Arena has the capital to renovate the remaining seating or the process of harvesting and replacing Sentinel chairs, section by section, can be repeated as needed.

Seat harvesting is a great solution for facilities looking to partially replace old Sentinel chairs because it provides options once finished – either replace all of the old seating once the budget is available or repeat the seat harvesting process as needed. Not only did the solution replace seats in need and replenish attic stock with a limited budget, but it also helped create a road map for Appalachian Wireless Arena to upgrade all the seating over time.

PHOTO GALLERY