My experience has been the same. Of course, events differ. But at really well-run ones, people can choose the degree of privacy they prefer. And when the punishment takes place in public, whether the partners are in a serious relationship or not, the experience for both of them can be significantly enhanced (as well as being memorable for the spectators).
However, as with everything else in TTWD, significant due diligence research in your local area is required to get the detailed and up-to-date knowledge needed to pick the good events.
-H.