WINSTON-SALEM – Crews continue construction on the venue for the 2012 Winston-Salem Open. The tournament will take place at Wake Forest University's Tennis Complex.

Tournament director Bill Oakes says many people are amazed to see that the stadium is temporary.

"Though we hope to build a permanent stadium at some point, everything you see on grounds when you show up will be gone in a week and a half," said Oakes.  "So I think it shows a lot about the technology and opportunities that exists right now for events like ours."
 
The stadium will seat some 4,400 spectators, which is about 600 more than last year.

"We're the only outdoor tournament in the world that has all padded stadium seats.  So that makes it much nicer for everybody out here who is going to be spending time in the sun and in the evenings,"  said Oakes.
 
Construction is only one element. More than 500 volunteers will come together to serve up a great experience. Associate tournament director Amy Schultz says volunteers are a big part of making the event a success.

"It's the heart of the whole operation, I mean, and the experience that these people bring and the passion," said Schultz.  "Some people take an entire week off of work just to volunteer for the tournament." 
 
Oakes says ticket sales are up by 5 percent  this year and many fans are looking forward to seeing some of the big names playing.

"We have 30 players that played at the Olympics that are coming," said Oakes. The general interest in sports right now is big because of the Olympics so we're just in a lucky position and we'll take advantage of that."

For more information about the event, visit http://www.winstonsalemopen.com/