PLANO, Texas (April 17, 2023) – LEARFIELD Amplify will introduce a first-of-its-kind, fully customizable, reclining mesh seat at 17 stadiums for the 2023 college football season.
This marks the first mesh product for LEARFIELD Amplify, the industry leader in semi-permanent stadium seating that works with more than 130 collegiate, NFL, NASCAR, high school and horse racing partners across the country. Its partners debuting the mesh seat for the college football season include Army, Air Force, Cincinnati, Hawaii, Houston, LA Tech, LSU, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi, TCU, Texas Tech, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Washington State and Western Kentucky.
LEARFIELD Amplify chose BEMIS Manufacturing, a global leader in plastic molding with headquarters in North Carolina and Wisconsin, as the best partner to create and perfect a revolutionary mesh stadium seat. The collaborative process between the parties has spanned two years to ensure a first-rate, sophisticated and comfortable seat for fans. This marks BEMIS’ first foray into college, and the mesh seat becomes LEARFIELD’s first stadium seat back to be designed and built entirely in the United States.
“The frame, as well as the mesh, can reflect a school’s colors, and the seat itself sports a ‘hip’ design that we believe to be the most comfortable seat on the market,” said John Hite, LEARFIELD Amplify vice president. “We’re excited to get our mesh seats inside college football stadiums, and they’re durable enough to remain installed all year. BEMIS has been a tremendous partner, and we’re proud of what we have to showcase for our partners – a next-level seating option for elevating the gameday experience.”
Both the frame and mesh can be custom color matched to a respective school. Additionally, open slots on the back of the seats allow for corporate advertisements, individualized name plates, or direct communication with fans facing those chair backs.
“We were excited when LEARFIELD approached us,” said Jon Bemis, vice president of sales and commercial development for BEMIS. “We have a long history of working with indoor and outdoor seating. We’re proud to bring our industry knowledge and advanced technology to LEARFIELD so they could design a seat that met the highest industry standards for safety and durability, and would perform well for fans.”
The mesh seat also reclines, set to a school’s preference, offering a more comfortable experience for the fan. It returns upright when no one is in it, to avoid blocking the aisle. The seat can fit any stadium bleachers without leaving damage as well. The injected molded plastic, a BEMIS signature, also makes the mesh seat extremely durable, while the plastic frame and rounded edges aid in the comfort. In addition to the mesh seat being completely made in the U.S., it can be recycled for the next generation of seats and fans.
Bemis added that “Injection molding allows for unique freedom of design, which allowed LEARFIELD to design a seat that does more for the fan than the previous generation of seating. Fans can expect a more comfortable shape, and the mesh seat and back means the seat is cooler when the weather is hot, and drier when the weather is wet.”
LEARFIELD Amplify represents more than 130 partners nationally across its ticketing, development and premium seating business. By combining the best breed of technology, industry leadership, and reputable sales and service staff, LEARFIELD Amplify works with universities and professional sports franchises to build enhanced relationships with fans and to optimize revenue opportunities.
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