COMMENTARY
Keeping Sprint Center looking sharp is no simple task
By STEVE PENN
The Kansas City Star
It’s a cleanup you can’t just sprint through.
It has to be done right, and it has to be done by sunrise.
And it requires a leader who doesn’t mind delegating responsibilities or pitching in and getting his hands dirty.
Can you imagine all the trash and grime that’s accumulated after a complete day of Big 12 Basketball Tournament games? Or consider what you might find under the seat right after a Jonas Brothers concert or a few hours of R. Kelly.
Take it straight from David Pulford, the Sprint Center’s operations manager. When 18,000 people leave the building, the place is a real mess.
But what sets the cleanup of the Sprint Center apart from any other in the country isn’t what’s on the inside. It’s what’s on the outside.
The 2, 204 individual panes of glass that enclose the Sprint Center make the cleanup unique. Pulford, a Manhattan, Kan., native, likes to point out that the chore actually translates into cleaning 4,408 panes of glass because each side must be cleaned.
“Every building in the world has restrooms that must be kept clean,” Pulford said. “They all have challenges with the comings and goings of 18,000 people at any given time. But no other building has 2,204 panes of glass.”
While cleaning the glass is contracted out, the overall responsibility for making sure that job and every other is done properly falls to Pulford.
He manages the operational budget and maintains a staff of engineers, housekeeping personnel, maintenance workers and custodians. And he’s responsible for providing the best service and accommodations that can humanly be provided for Sprint Center guests and artists.
He brings more than 20 years’ experience in the sports and entertainment industry. He spent time working with the X Games, managing all the sponsors and advertisers for live events and TV broadcasts.
Pulford also has been instrumental in the success of the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, major international events in men’s and women’s tennis. Pulford handled all the major operations for both events.
Pulford always yearned to work in Kansas City, but with no world-class arena here, he had to wait.
His opportunity came at a recent Winter X Games competition, where he spoke to a friend who told him about the opening in Kansas City.
“Low and behold, I got the position in November 2006,” Pulford said. “It’s been the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Pulford is trying to foster an “all for one, one for all” mentality among his staff and workers. He oversees 16 full-time employees and 35 to 40 part-time staff members.
“In the operations business, there’s always a goal,” Pulford said. “It’s easy to keep people motivated. But when you’re in the building business, it’s one show after another. And there’s no margin for error. You’ve got to be ready. We achieve our goals together. It’s a team thing.”
So far, the largest but most satisfying event to prepare has been the series of concerts featuring Garth Brooks.
“It was the way he and his staff treated my staff,” Pulford said. “They were very respectful of the people that are working here. They were very respectful of the building.”
Imagine if everybody who entered the arena wasn’t so respectful. Before you just deposit that popcorn container next to the seat or miss the trash can in the restroom entirely, think about Pulford and his crew. They work through the night to make sure the facility isn’t a mess when the public arrives.
And they do it not just during the basketball tournament, but year-round.
In other words, cleaning up the Sprint Center isn’t a sprint for Pulford. It’s a marathon.
To reach Steve Penn, call 816-234-4417 or send e-mail to spenn@kcstar.com.
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