News

Some of the Sporting World’s Biggest Events Shine With the Help of GBAC^® STAR Accreditation

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, today announced that 54 facilities have successfully completed the GBAC^® STAR^™ Facility Accreditation Program. These include Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis; Hyatt hotel locations around the world; and more. Lake Highland Preparatory School, the largest private school in Orlando, Fla., is the second private school and the first on the East Coast to earn accreditation.

“Some of this year’s most prominent sporting events are around the corner, and we are excited that they will take place in GBAC^® STAR-accredited facilities,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Accreditation makes it possible for these locations to safely host players, staff, and fans who are eager to participate in and watch sports.”

Launched in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GBAC^® STAR offers tools and documentation to assist facilities in developing the competencies, procedures, and protocols that meet accreditation requirements. GBAC’s team of scientific experts review and accredit facilities’ readiness for biohazard events.

Raymond James Stadium plans to welcome about 22,000 spectators for the championship game on February 7, 2021, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the city’s very own Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Lucas Oil Stadium will host the NCAA men’s basketball quarterfinals in late March and the semifinals in early April. Each stadium fulfilled 20 program elements to achieve accreditation and display the GBAC^® STAR accreditation seal.

This week’s newly accredited facilities include:

Airports

• Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, Calif.
• Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif.
• Yampa Valley Regional Airport in Hayden, Colo.

Arenas and Stadiums

• Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts
• Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Sports Authority) in Tampa, Fla., home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Commercial Offices

• ABM Industries in Tustin, Calif.
• Gestion de Placements Manuvie in Montreal
• InterActiveCorp/IAC in New York
• LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch in Katy, Texas
• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (420 Notre-Dame) in Montreal
• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (485 McGill) in Montreal

Convention Centers

• Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Va.
• Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas
• Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis

Hotels

• Akyra Thonglor Bangkok in Bangkok
• Farncombe Estate Dormy House Hotel in Broadway, United Kingdom
• Grand Hotel Yerevan in Yerevan, Armenia
• Hotel Bernini Palace in Florence, Italy
• Hotel Principe Forte Dei Marmi in Forte dei Marmi Lucca, Italy
• Hotel Sacher Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria
• Hotel Sacher Wien in Wien, Austria
• Hyatt House at Anaheim Resort/Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
• Hyatt House DTC in Greenwood Village, Colo.
• Hyatt House Tampa in Tampa, Fla.
• Hyatt Place Boston/Medford in Medford, Mass.
• Hyatt Place Greensboro Downtown in Greensboro, N.C.
• Hyatt Place Hampton Convention Center in Hampton, Va.
• Hyatt Place Houston Downtown in Houston
• Hyatt Place North Charleston in North Charleston, S.C.
• Hyatt Place Provo/Downtown in Provo, Utah
• Hyatt Place Savannah Airport in Savannah, Ga.
• Hyatt Place Tampa in Tampa, Fla.
• Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront in Wilmington, Del.
• Hyatt Place Yinchuan Dayuecheng in Yinchuan Ningxia, China
• Hyatt Regency Shanghai Wujiaochang in Shanghai
• Hyatt Regency Taghazout in Aorir, Morocco
• Hyatt Regency Xiamen Wuyuanwan in Xiamen, China
• Hyatt Regency Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan
• Imperial Hotel, Tokyo in Tokyo
• JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco
• Keemala in Phuket, Thailand
• Lanson Place Hotel in Hong Kong
• Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in Lake Placid, N.Y.
• Parisi Udvar Hotel Budapest in Budapest
• Sundial Beach Resort & Spa/Columbus Hospitality in Sanibel, Fla.
• The Greenwich Hotel in New York
• The Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village, Kan.
• The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore

K-12 School

• Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Fla.

Performing Arts Centers

• Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, Calif.

Worship Facility

• Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

“GBAC^® STAR accreditation goes beyond the traditional approach of ‘if it smells and looks clean, it is clean’,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “Instead, we are making sure facilities have the necessary knowledge, chemicals, tools, and equipment to clean and disinfect to protect public health.”  

Learn more and apply for GBAC^® STAR facility accreditation at gbac.org/star. 

Find accredited facilities and those pursuing accreditation via the GBAC^® STAR Facility Directory at gbac.org/directory.