— Carl Long , Senior Vice President , Purchasing Management International for budget guidance , and for schedule guidance , is critical , because with the starts and stops we ’ ve seen , and with some of the trade uncertainty that exists in our market currently , things take longer . Component parts take longer to find .”
Along with that goes a bit of future-proofing of the supply , so operators can be nimble when replacements are required . According to Long , the larger operators maintain an inventory of replacement chairs allowing quick on-site change-outs that minimize machine downtime .
Lifescapes ’ Kreft says one key to surviving this year has been a constant effort to adapt to the new needs brought on not only by restrained budgets , but by the pandemic itself .
“ This ( effort ) is ongoing , and our designers are constantly educating themselves about new products and technologies ,” Kreft says . “ We often bring in vendor representatives for ‘ lunch and learn ’ seminars to gain more insight into the uses of their products .”
“ Innovation is key to our success , and our design is constantly in a state of renewal ,” says Esposito at Gary Platt . “ As design tastes change and evolve , Gary Platt ’ s design team is perpetually changing and improving our line of chairs . We introduce several new models every year to our mix . Our greatest strength is our ability to adapt to changing market conditions , design trends , and casino requests , and still carefully handcraft the most comfortable , durable chairs on the market .
“ Customization will continue to be a crucial aspect of the business . As casinos become more careful with their spends in today ’ s challenging environment , they want value and differentiation to separate them from their competition . Gary Platt will continue to work directly with each casino to develop the best solution for their future .”
Kreft says the coming months are likely to see a continuation of close attention to cost as operators carefully resume capital expenditures for property improvements , including new furnishings . “ With cost considerations at the forefront of the market , we foresee a very cautious approach to purchasing any FF & E for existing projects unless it pertains to design changes resulting from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic ,” Kreft says .
“ For new projects , there will be further discussions about the type of furnishings and space planning required for customers still concerned about the pandemic and its psychological and physical implications on their customers .
“ Outdoor furniture design itself will have to come under scrutiny to see how its material makeup and design can be cleaned and disinfected easily , if not inhibit germs , between guests . Common use items like waste / recycling containers , towels bins , etc ., will also need to transition to a touchless arrangement with automatically closing covers so guests do not have to come in contact with doors .”
PMI ’ s Long adds that the pandemic , and the need to return to full operations safely , will actually have a positive effect on the overall future of the in-
dustry . “ It ’ s going to drive the older facilities to need to renovate ,” he says . “ Whether or not the current owners can do that remains to be seen . But that will create opportunity for either acquisition or reuse by another operator or owner .
“ The arrangement of the product — meaning the gaming floor and F & B venues — will change . But it ’ s going to come back on an individual , drivable place . Where we see the biggest challenge is going to be conventions . And the large convention center facilities , where you have to have 8,000 or 10,000 people come through to make it work , those are going to take a little bit longer . Because you can ’ t get through those volumes of people presently . People are anxious .
“ That is really going to drive , operationally , how a hotel , how a casino interacts with their guest . Make them feel safe , make them feel clean . Make it obvious that it ’ s clean . And translating that into furnishings , is it cleanable ? Can it stand up to chemicals ? Can it stand up to a deeper scrub than normal ? Will a metal finish wear off ?”
It ’ s all addressed at the beginning of each project , and the key to success is finding the right vendors to address each element , right down to how comfortable a chair is .
“ We help players feel comfortable in the casino , whether that ’ s at the slot or the table ,” says Gary Platt ’ s Esposito . “ That may sound simplistic ; however , it is perhaps the most important service we provide . The research is very clear that when players are comfortable , they play longer . That makes what we do at Gary Platt extremely important .
“ Operators rely on us to help them increase their bottom line , and we take that responsibility seriously . We are continually researching new developments in design and ergonomics that help players feel comfortable wherever they decide to play .”
“ As landscape architects , we are focused on guest experience on the exterior as well as interior environments ,” says Kreft at Lifescapes International . “ Restaurants will continue to expand their space to exterior patios largely to accommodate social distancing and to provide a sense of comfort and safety to customers .
“ These spaces not only help guests feel more relaxed , they create unique and special environments which are appreciated by casino customers / visitors . It is also important that we consider creating flexible-use areas that can be used for pool , entertainment and food / beverage so that spaces can be easily put to a new use depending on the time of day , season or social distancing need .”
PMI ’ s Long sees a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel . “ I think that the gaming side is going to come back strong , because people want to do stuff ; people are tired of being cooped up ,” he says . “ And so the gaming operators that are able to space correctly , use the theater of clean , and actually have new product — they ’ re going to be attractive .”
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