What Should I Do About Seating? Our FF&E Expert Weighs In

For most sports facilities, seating is the biggest FF&E need. While you might run a community or recreation center that isn’t a sports-specific facility, having the proper seating for any tournaments or events you run is a major need. There are a number of different FF&E solutions to your facility’s seating needs, but today, we will focus on these three solutions:

• Portable Bleachers
• Foldable seating
• On-court seating

Each of these solutions has their pros and cons, but they are the most common and viable seating solutions. In today’s post, SFM will look at those pros and cons and help you decide which solution is best for your facility

Portable Bleachers

By far the most common FF&E element found in community, recreation, and athletic facilities, bleachers are affordable, dependable, and have multiple functions. The reason why portable bleachers are found in almost all community, recreation, and athletic facilities in the nation is that they are cheap but dependable. For multi-purpose facilities, this seating solution is ideal because bleachers are moveable and give you the capability to host several kinds of events, including outdoor events.

Foldable Seating

Foldable seating is a less common FF&E element because it is typically found in higher level athletic facilities. Foldable seating is ideal for facilities where spectators are a regular and important part of your complex’s viability. For facilities where tournament play is more common, this FF&E solution makes the experience at your facility more enjoyable because it gives fans, parents, and players a more comfortable place to watch games.
The downside to foldable seating is that it is more expensive than bleachers. For community centers that aren’t going to have a heavy emphasis on tournament play and/or high-level athletics, this FF&E solution is probably not the way to go. But if you are a facility like that, especially one that wants to host high-level athletic events, this might be the best solution.

On-Court Seating

One seating need that facility managers often forget is on-court seating, specifically for volleyball and basketball. For indoor facilities, basketball and volleyball leagues are likely a fixture in your schedule. If that is true, you will need on-court seating for your players. Depending on the level of competition, this seating is typically some of nicest in your facility. For higher-level volleyball and basketball, having comfortable seating for benches is something that will keep athletes wanting to come back. However, if you are a community center hosting youth rec leagues, you can go with a more affordable solution.

SFM Can Help With FF&E Solutions

Finding the right seating solution for your facility is a big decision. At SFM, we can help with all of your FF&E solutions through our facility management services. For more information, contact us today at (727) 483-7910 or visit our website to find out more.