The Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration recently asked some of their ticket holders in the West Grandstand to fill out a survey regarding the conditions in that area of the stadium.
Nearly one-third of the ticket holders on the west side received surveys and over 50 percent of the surveys sent out were returned. The ticket holders that received the surveys were chosen at random by the Celebration Ticket Office.
Below is a copy of the survey with the results shown:
West Grandstand Seating Survey
Each year, The Celebration receives comments, complaints and suggestions from its customers regarding many different subjects. One of the subjects this year was the West Grandstands and the crowded conditions on the final weekend of the show.
The current average seat-width in the West Grandstands is 18 inches. In a recent telephone survey of several football stadiums and racing facilities throughout the southeast, we found that 18 inches is a fairly standard seat width. One stadium had seats as narrow as 14 inches while the widest seats found were 20 inches and found at only one racing facility.
Besides seat width, we get many comments about leg room. Unfortunately, the original construction of the stadium will not allow any alterations in this regard and rebuilding the west side is simply not possible from a financial standpoint. Engineering studies tell us that alterations such as benchbacks are also not possible. However, we are willing to take the information garnered from this random survey of West Grandstand ticket holders regarding seat width and put it into practice as early as next year.
Please take time to complete this survey and return it to us (in the postage-paid envelope) by Nov. 15, 2003. Your input can have a definite impact on future Celebration seating policies.
1. How would you describe the width of the seats in the West Grandstand?
43% -- A. Too narrow and uncomfortable for everybody.
46% -- B. A little tight, but that’s the way it is in the bleachers everywhere.
11% -- C. They’re just right as they are.
2. The Celebration’s bleacher seats are 18 inches wide, how wide do you think they should be?
0% -- A. 16 inches
41% -- B. 18 inches
34% -- C. 20 inches
24% -- D. 22 inches
3. Making the seats wider would mean that three to five seats on each row would be lost and some people who have had seats for a long time would have to be moved. Those people could be you and your family. Is this acceptable to you?
38% -- A. Yes
62% -- B. No
4. Making the seats wider could mean an increase in ticket prices. Is this acceptable to you for wider seats?
36% -- A. Yes
64% -- B. No
5. Should The Celebration follow the lead set by many major airlines and write a policy stating that if a person cannot comfortably fit in a normal seat, they would be asked to purchase an additional seat?
80% -- A. Yes
20% -- B. No
6. If a person is taking up more room than their assigned seat, what action should be taken?
34% -- A. Nothing should be done, we’ll work it out ourselves.
51% -- B. The offending party should be asked to move to other seats, if available.
15% -- C. If no other seats are available, the offending party would forfeit their seat.
Please leave us any comments you would like regarding seating in the West Grandstand or other issues of interest at The Celebration.
Most often read comments:
1. Seat numbers and stripes need to be repainted.
2. DAV rental seats too large and in disrepair.
3. Some people bring homemade stadium seats that are too large.
4. Concerns regarding leg room.
5. Concerns that the West Grandstand would eventually be turned into box seats.
6. Ushers need to check tickets closer.
7. Need for additional ushers halfway up.