Adding Aluminum Bleachers Where There Are None

More venues are now moving away from disorganized seating or crowds to using aluminum bleachers for better control and safety.

By Gerald Dlubala

Conversations from the fans at athletic complexes not offering aluminum bleachers for visitors to use during the games generally involve discussions and decisions on all the main topics.

“So, where do you wanna sit? Right here, on the end, or down there? Do you wanna be close to the team, or closer to the concessions and restrooms? Wait, the ground seems pretty uneven here, so let’s move down to a better spot before it gets too crowded.

“You can’t see as well there, but it’s probably safer. We can move later if we need to, maybe at intermission. Let’s not go too far though, I don’t wanna have to haul all this stuff that far back to the car when we leave. Here, right here, this is a good spot!”

Many of us have been in these types of situations when we went to a field or complex to watch a game or attend an event.

We find a place to park, pop the trunk or hatch and start unpacking chairs, blankets and bags, layering them on top of various body parts like pack mules.

More venues are finding its smarter and more organized to use bleachers for events rather than lawn seating.

But sometimes, this is the only option that we have.

The complexes or park venues don’t always provide bleachers to sit in and enjoy the game, no matter what the sport or occasion.

But that availability may change in the future, based on some of the benefits that are being realized by using bleacher seating where there currently are none.

In fact, just last year, the New Orleans Jazz Festival went so far as to ban the bringing of lawn chairs, blankets and tarps to the venue, instead using aluminum bleachers for the fans to use where needed.

They rationalized this move by realizing that by having bleacher seating, they are limiting the amount of people that decide to plop down and block normal walkways or pathways around the venue.

It alleviates the practice of “claiming a parcel of ground” as your place for the event, laying out tarps and blankets as claiming devices, taking up yet more walking area. They wanted to alleviate gridlock around the venue, and provide a natural, clear, flow for the foot traffic to get from one area to another. And it worked.

Benefits of Aluminum Bleacher Seating

But there are other tangible and legitimate reasons why you should install code-compliant aluminum bleachers, or at least offer portable, temporary bleachers at your venue, rather than allowing the spectators to set up their chairs or blankets for seating along the sidelines, or simply allow them to stand, pace or walk along the field boundaries.

Yes, it’s an investment. But quality aluminum bleachers are long-lasting, easy to clean and maintain, and durable enough to stand up to the changing weather patterns as well as the abuse that crowds can put it through, like foot stomping, cheering, and being rowdy for your team.

Combine that durability and economy with the following additional benefits of providing aluminum bleachers for your patrons, and everyone will be better off in the long run:

• First and foremost in the reasons to have bleachers for the patrons to sit in may be the safety aspect. Rather than having a possibility of unwanted interaction between players, coaches and fans that are very near the field of play, it’s beneficial to provide bleachers to contain, and in a sense, control the fan interaction. The possibility of fan interference is greatly diminished, as is the possibility of injuries to fans because of being too close to the field of play.
• Crowd flow control. Whether before, during, or after the game, relegating the traffic flow can help ease congestion when trying to maneuver from one area of the facility to the other. With centralized bleacher seating, there will be no more aimless wandering around the perimeter of the playing fields while trying to find a “spot” to watch the game. Blankets and chairs, left to claim a certain part of the space for personal use, won’t clutter walking paths.
• By offering bleacher seating, you’re having fans, families, community members, and team parents all sit together in a common area, increasing the socialization factor. They interact as a group with common interests and common goals, becoming closer and more unified while rooting for, cheering on, and finding ways to help the team be successful.
  

  A seemingly small set of aluminum bleachers can provide quite a bit of seating for spectators.

• Most fans would rather sit than stand. Of course there are those nervous folks that can’t sit still, no matter what, like a team parent, coach’s wife, or representative of the team. Some of these individuals just won’t stay seated during competition. But the average fan would much rather have a central location to be able to sit and watch the match rather than having to stand off to the side or move their chairs around during the game to get the best view of the action. And no one wants to sit on the ground in inclement or cold weather, with the ground blanket getting a little more damp or cold as the game goes on. Aluminum bleachers are a welcome sight and an appreciated amenity that lets people of all abilities know that they are welcome to watch and witness this event.
• Better sightlines. Aluminum bleachers can easily be erected to give the best possible sightlines and views of the action. Higher, multiple levels of aluminum bleacher seating provides better views than hoards of fans standing ground level. There only the front row can see what’s going on. Bleachers allow more fans to see the action without straining to see over and around the people in front of them. Bleachers give people more opportunity for better viewing capability.
• When supplying versatile, portable, and moveable aluminum bleacher seats, you leave yourself the option to move these bleacher seats to another venue to increase seating for a bigger, more important game or function. Perhaps a championship match at the end of a tournament weekend, or a special community event that expects to draw a large portion of the immediate area population.
• Team spirit. Lastly, by providing bleachers you are directing your fans to a common area to sit and enjoy the game. By concentrating the fans with common interests within this centralized area, the cheering is more concentrated and intense, giving stronger vocal support to the teams. This atmosphere feeds on itself, continuously increasing team spirit and fan interaction, making the game or event a more memorable experience for everyone involved.

If you thought aluminum bleachers were just for sitting that back end down and watching the game, you can now see that bleachers provide and offer so much more than just a place to sit.

They invite the public to come in, offering a place for them to stay. They provide a common area for people with common interests and goals to interact and become acquaintances if not friends.

Those bleachers make it easier and more enjoyable to come to your venue, increasing the instances of repeat visits.

Adding seating helps organize your event space, specifying a place for fans while keeping them from wandering around the field where they may inadvertently become involved with an errant play or out of control ball.

And ultimately, these aluminum bleachers will become the new home for your fans, their meeting place and desired destination for whatever event you host.