‘Extra Than a Ballpark’ is the identify of Main League Baseball’s (MLB) new strategic partnership between a number of groups to draw conferences and occasions.
All eyes are on the game because the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees play within the World Collection for the largest prize.
The Case for Ballparks as Assembly Venues
Before everything, these stadiums are used for baseball. “Our core enterprise is baseball, however we’ve began internet hosting extra issues like live shows or having our company companions utilizing the ballpark on days when the group isn’t there,” mentioned Andy Blackburn, vp of strategic partnerships for the Chicago Cubs.
Chris Koenig, govt director of Dodgers 365, shared how Dodger Stadium hosts occasions when the group is on the street.
“VIP dinners provide unmatched onsite branding functionality and an elevated expertise that may embody a behind-the-scenes tour, taking batting observe and even assembly a legendary participant,” Koenig mentioned.
Nationals Hit it Out of the Park
Samantha Blake, proprietor and occasion specialist at Confetti Occasions, used Nationals Park, residence of the Washington Nationals, for an occasion for an area legislation agency this summer season.
The stadium is situated in Southeast Washington, south of the Capitol, adjoining to the Navy Yard. Roughly 525 legislation associates and their households attended.
“There will not be numerous venues which can be distinctive and provide an expertise like this within the DC space,” mentioned Blake.
The group bought to tour the locker room and the press field. Batting and pitching observe was additionally a part of the expertise. A bar was arrange in an unconventional location — the group dugout.
The Diamond Membership was the hub of meals and beverage for the occasion. “Passes for this house on gameday run within the 1000’s,” mentioned Blake. “We gave them an expertise they couldn’t get at every other time on their very own.”
Two of the “Racing Presidents,” the Nationals’ official mascots, had been readily available for photograph ops.
“We had been additionally in a position to usher in our distributors, one thing not all venues enable,” mentioned Blake. They included face painters, glitter tattoo artists, caricaturists, and bounce homes.
She discovered the baseball stadium affords numerous bang for the buck. “The Nationals Park is half the value of renting the ballroom on the Waldorf-Astoria with out the expertise or F&B,” she mentioned. “We purchased out the entire park, had wonderful meals and drinks and the whole value for our group of 525 was $150,000. That will sound like lots however it isn’t. Our consumer cherished the expertise a lot that inside 48 hours, we had been rebooking for subsequent summer season.”
Take Me Out to the Ball Recreation
The ball recreation got here to IMEX America 2024 this yr with an activation hosted by the MLB. Outdoors the Mandalay Bay conference middle was its activation. This was the MLB’s first time on the present as an exhibitor.
IMEX attendees had been inspired to step right into a digital ballpark and check their batting abilities in VR. Representatives from every of the partnership groups had been additionally readily available.
The partnership, supported by the MLB League workplace, consists of eight Main League Baseball (MLB) groups and their metropolis’s vacation spot advertising and marketing group.
