When the Hornets return to the Arena tonight to host their first preseason game against the Charlotte Bobcats at 7pm, so will hundreds of people who work at the game.

Arena General Manager Alan Freeman says a Hornets home game typically employs over 800 people, mostly part-timers. Over half work for SMG, the company that manages the Arena.

"Our staff, the SMG staff, which includes ushers, ticket takers, housekeepers, production people, the NOPD force that we hire, consists of roughly 450 parttime employees."

Freeman says the Arena's concessionaire, Centerplate, employs about 350 people for the game, and the Hornets hire a number of people to work at the game as well.

Meanwhile, a couple of changes are planned this season. Security personnel will start using hand-held metal detecting wands when they screen people entering the Arena.

"We're going to be periodically scanning fans for the first three or four months this season, and once we get past the All-Star break in February, we're gonna start scanning fans on all the games," Freeman said.

Another change is that the Hornets plan to hold a number of their pre-game Buzzfests at Champions Square.