(Pictured above: Charlotte Convention Center)
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has announced the implementation of two cleanliness and safety technologies in its venues: NeedlePoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI) and thermal cameras. The CRVA manages the Charlotte Convention Center, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, and provides back-of-house support to Spectrum Center.
The CRVA is among the first in the meetings and conventions industry to implement NPBI technology in its venues. Developed and installed by Charlotte-based Global Plasma Solutions, the patented technology plays a pivotal role in efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus when paired with the CRVA’s existing practices and cleaning technologies. NPBI technology delivers safer, cleaner indoor air by reducing harmful particles and pathogens like mold, bacteria, allergens and viruses, and is highly effective in eliminating disease-causing pathogens, such as those responsible for COVID-19.
The CRVA will use four thermal camera units—three in the Charlotte Convention Center and one in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The cameras work by continuously measuring body temperatures in large groups of employees and guests entering the buildings, with the ability to measure tens of thousands of readings per hour from up to 16 feet away. The thermal camera units will allow the venues to more efficiently conduct health screenings and safely welcome guests by reducing potential spread of the virus.
“The NPBI technology and cameras add an additional layer of cleanliness, help us mitigate risk and enhance the already-robust cleaning practices in place within our manages venues,” says Tom Murray (pictured left), CEO of the CRVA. “The health and well-being of our guests, employees and visitors to Charlotte is always our top priority. We appreciate our partnership with the City of Charlotte and their commitment to using CARES Act funding for installation of the NPBI technology in support of the hospitality industry’s recovery.”
Prior to the NPBI technology and thermal cameras, the CRVA had taken great steps to provide the highest standards of safety and security for guests and employees to each of its managed venues. The Charlotte Convention Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bojangles Entertainment Complex and Spectrum Center were some of the first venues in the state to receive the industry-leading GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation. The CRVA also developed and implemented “We Clean with Care,” a robust and comprehensive program created based on the guidance of the CDC, FDA and a contracted infection disease control expert.
The Charlotte Convention Center is currently undergoing a $126.9M expansion slated for completion this summer. The project will increase the convention center’s total leasable space from 550,000 to 600,000 square feet, including 14 new meeting rooms, two customizable 10,000-square-foot spaces and an over-street pedestrian walkway to the 700-room Westin Charlotte Hotel and a light rail station stop. Last year, the Bojangles Entertainment Complex (BOplex) opened a brand new 35,000-square-foot connector facility, unifying the historic Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium and enhancing the visitor experience with additional space for hospitality, new concession options and an outdoor patio.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority works to deliver experiences that uniquely enrich the lives of our visitors and residents. Through leadership in destination development, marketing and venue management expertise, the CRVA leads efforts to maximize the region’s economic potential through visitor spending, creating jobs and opportunities for the community. Brands supported by the CRVA include the Charlotte Convention Center, Spectrum Center, Bojangles’ Coliseum, Ovens Auditorium, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Regional Film Commission and Visit Charlotte in conjunction with the region’s destination marketing brand. For more information, visit charlottesgotalot.com.
Global Plasma Solutions is the leader in Indoor Air Quality, with over 30 patents and more than 250,000 installations worldwide using our needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI) technology to deliver clean indoor air that is safe and healthy – producing neither ozone nor other harmful by-products. All of their NPBI products are UL and CE certified and registered and use NPBI to purify the air by eliminating airborne particulates, odors and pathogens. GPS was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more info, visit globalplasmasolutions.com.
