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Palace Of Auburn Hills Nears Completion Of Seat Replacement Project's First Phase

The first phase of the three-year, $6M seat replacement project at the Palace of Auburn Hills is “nearly complete,” according to Bill Shea of CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS. Michigan-based Irwin Seating Co. is replacing the 20,000-plus seats with “black plastic chairs that have imitation leather padding.” The first phase is “wrapping up, with about 6,000 seats replaced.” About 3,000 mid-level seats “below the mid-arena suites will be replaced” in summer ‘16 and the “final 11,500 upper-level seats will be done” in summer ‘17. Palace Sports & Entertainment COO & Exec VP/Operations Mario Etemad said that the old gray metal and mauve fabric seats, which are “original to the Palace” when it opened in ‘88, will be “salvaged and recycled by Irwin for whatever useful materials they may provide.” Shea noted some of the chairs “eventually will be equipped with near-field communications technology that allows those using the seat to do things such as order concessions.” NFC technology is “currently on Android operating systems, but for Apple device users, only the iPhone 6 is NFC capable (through Apple Pay).” Pistons VP/PR Kevin Grigg said that the Palace “expects to deploy NFC seat technology once Apple adopts it more broadly." Irwin Regional Sales Manager Spence Benedict said that the firm is “installing its Millennium model for the bulk of the Palace’s fixed seating.” Shea noted Irwin “dominates the arena seating market” as its chairs are in 22 of the 30 NBA arenas and 22 of 30 NHL venues (CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS, 8/10 issue).

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