Sports Audit Sports Event Audit: Assessment

Spectators and Event Staff:

By and large, the event staff does an excellent job of facilitating a positive fan experience. The ushers who stand by every seating section guiding fans to their seats are polite, friendly and always smiling. This is true of security and many of the concession workers two. There is a sense that workers enjoy the atmosphere and benefits of working at the stadium. This helps to stimulate an altogether more positive fan experience, where there is a feeling that one is truly treated like a customer rather than an 'event attendee.' For the latter, there can frequently be a feeling that event staff is detached from or disinterested in their expectations. Event Staff at Citizens Bank Park defy this tendency.

The only weakness would be in the demeanor of the wait staff at the stadium's indoor restaurant, Harry the K's. The system for seating and attending to diners appeared poorly structured. As a result, servers seemed bothered, inattentive and rude.

Spectator Interviews:

I had the opportunity to consult several spectators during the course of an event. They had much to add to my positive impression of the stadium. A Caucasian male, identifying himself as 23 in age, came to the game with friends. He told me, "we love to come down here from Jersey whenever we get a chance. It's not that expensive to get General Admission into the stadium so I can come whenever I get a few spare bucks. And this team is awesome so it's worth it."

A 37-year-old African-American mother of two young boys told me, "we are diehard Phillies fans. This place is so friendly to families that I feel great about bringing my boys here. It's like a good old-fashioned night at the ballpark but this stadium is also so modern and beautiful. The flowerbed in the outfield . . . I love it!"

A 47-year-old Korean-American man said, "I bring my father to at least two games a season. We've been coming to Phillies games together for 40 years. It's an important family tradition for us, whether they are winning or losing. Of course, we prefer it when they win."

Recommendations:

The fan feedback gathered above confirms the feeling that I gained simply from being in attendance at the event. The team has done an excellent job of feeding fan excitement. By bringing in popular players, building a state-of-the-art playing facility and working to construct an enjoyable experience for attendees of every demographic, the team currently has little room for improvement.

Recommendations therefore center mostly on finding ways to retain the current level of team success. This will require the team to focus significantly on player development at the minor league levels, which can help to bring fresh talent to the field. Also, long lines at some women's restrooms suggests that more accommodations should be made for the team's ever-growing fan-base.

Post-Event Evaluation:

Though the home team struggled to produce runs through much of the game, right-fielder Jayson Werth capped off a thrilling come from behind victory for the Phillies with a three run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. Fans erupted in excitement and exited the stadium reflect on the excellence of their experience. The outcome of the game was certainly a major factor, but by the accommodations at Citizens Bank Park, it…