Results tagged ‘ Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar ’
Recapping A Confabulous Weekend in Myrtle Beach
As mentioned in the previous post on the blog, I spent this past weekend at the 2011 Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar in Myrtle Beach.
The above photo encapsulates why it can be difficult to cover these sort of events: pictures of hotel conference rooms trade show mingling just aren’t very exciting. Nonetheless, it’s important for me to socialize with those in the industry, and to get a gauge on promotional techniques and concepts that may be popular in 2012 and beyond.
I wrote about the seminar in two MiLB stories, which can be found HERE and HERE. Unbiased third parties report that interesting information abounds in these fact-laden Myrtle Beach missives.
One of the topics touched upon is the Lake Elsinore Storm’s Grounds Crew Gorilla, winner of the 2011 “Golden Bobblehead” for “best in-game promotion.” The Gorilla made a cameo appearance at the seminar, attacking attendees with pool noodles and overturning the speaker’s table. My best attempt to document this chaotic moment:
Certainly, the Grounds Crew Gorilla was one of the highlights of my May visit to a Lake Elsinore Storm game.
Meanwhile, at the Trade Show, Trampolines USA was selling their “Pony Hops.” These things swept through the Minor League landscape last season, and I imagine that there will be even more teams using them in 2012.
The roster of the mighty Skillville Group was on display as well, bathed in beatific blue light.
But I think this mascot was my favorite part of the trade show, a costumed creature available to the highest bidder during Saturday night’s silent auction.
At the time I took this picture, the Danville Braves were the highest (and only) bidder. I’ll have to check to see if they won, because I’d love to see this dazed and confused character at an Appalachian League baseball game.
On Sunday night, there was an industry outing to Ripken Baseball’s Myrtle Beach Baseball complex. My lens was dirty in the following photo, but I like the effect.
This marks the second time this month I was at a Ripken Baseball youth complex, with my first outing taking place in conjunction with an Aberdeen IronBirds game.
According to my hastily-scribbled notes (the only kind of notes I’ve ever made), the Myrtle Beach complex is a 10-month a year operation and devoted almost exclusively to youth, high school and collegiate baseball tournaments. There are three regulation-sized diamonds and five youth size, all on synthetic turf.
Here’s Griffith Field, where an estimated 2500 games have been played over the past six years.
All synthetic everything, even the “dirt.”
A few more shots of the surroundings, some of them taken from the back of a moving golf cart.
From there the festivities moved on to Myrtle Beach’s BB&T Coastal Ballpark, home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. I had visited there in late July, but was happy to be back.
Upon entering, we were greeted with some very welcome sights.
1. Popcorn and boiled peanuts!
My two best friends
2. Beer, as poured through the Bottoms Up beer dispenser (yes, they fill from the bottom. Magnets are key). Needless to say this was good marketing, using this product in full view of curious (and endlessly thirsty) industry decision-makers.
You may recall that when I was in Myrtle Beach I interviewed noted groundskeeper Chris “Butter” Ball, during which he observed that he keeps “extreme banker’s hours” in the offseason.
Well, this offseason might be a little different:
Coming in 2012: New Playing Surface!
A buffet-style meal was set up in the right field picnic area, while down the left field line attendees could play corn hole and test their arms at the speed pitch.
As is too often the case, the demands of attending and covering an event such as the seminar leaves little time for exploring the area. But I’d like to close with this shot, as it features a business that has found a way to carry on amidst Myrtle Beach’s proliferation of neon-hued dining palaces and soul-destroying theme bars.
Harry’s Breakfast Pancakes — RIP Harry!
Next time I got to Myrtle Beach, this will be first on my list of places to check out.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
Don’t Know Where We’re Going, But Blog Knows Where We’ve Been
I usually wouldn’t put up a new post on a Friday, but this is no ordinary Friday.
For starters, I am writing to you live and direct from Myrtle Beach, SC, home of the 2011 Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar. Here’s the view from the hotel room, just so you know where I’m coming from:
I took this photo about 10 minutes ago, as a means to express how limited one’s view of a city can be if you only experience it from a hotel room. But this pessimistic take on the situation was immediately superseded, as I noticed that there was an honest-to-God rainbow amidst the dreary late September afternoon (it’s there, I swear).
So now all that I want to express is that there’s beauty everywhere, even (and especially) if you’re not looking for it.
In a nutshell, the Promotional Seminar is an annual industry gathering dedicated to — drumroll, please — promotions. One of the great things about this business is that affiliated teams do not compete directly against one another; they all have their own designated geographical area in which to operate. Therefore, everyone is more than willing to share their best ideas and practices — what’s good for one is good for all! The seminar is a good occasion for everyone to congregate, collaborate, and start laying the groundwork for the season to follow.
Trust me, it is NEVER too early to start thinking about next season.
But, right now, my mind is on the season that just transpired. Just a few short hours ago, the annual “MiLBY Award” ballots went live on MiLB.com.
There are a plethora of categories, but of course what I would like to highlight is my annual promotion round-up. I have divided the year’s promotional endeavors into four categories — giveaways, theme nights, celebrity appearances and the unfortunately-named but eminently worthwhile “miscellaneous” — and chosen 10 nominees for each category. The voting runs all the way through October 13 (vote early and vote often), at which point the four winners will vie for “Promotion of the Year.”
I hope this all makes sense, feel free to email me if you need clarification or have comments, complaints, commendations or concerns.
MiLB.com’s “Promotion of the Year” has a long and illustrious history, one that dates all the way back to those halcyon days of 2007. The winner’s circle is as follows:
2010: Birmingham Barons — “Rickwood Classic.”
An annual contest played at America's oldest professional ballpark
2009: Bowling Green Hot Rods — “What Could’ve Been Night.”
What if the Hot Rods had instead been known as the "Bowling Green Cave Shrimp"?
2008: Fresno Grizzlies — “Mascot Showdown”
An evening-long battle between Parker and visiting superstar the Phillie Phanatic
2007: Fort Myers Miracle — “Billy Donovan Night”
What I like most about the above four promotions is that they have absolutely nothing in common with one another, thereby demonstrating Minor League Baseball’s ability to do just about anything and to do it well. What’s next?
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
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