Major League Baseball: 2010 All-Star game Fan fest
With one day to go for the 81st Major League Baseball All-star game at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, the baseball world is abuzz with excitement. True to the American way, the 9 innings “Midsummer classic” in its current form has evolved to become an all encompassing Hollywood extravaganza. A five-day extravaganza awaits the crowds, which is expected to be full of celebrity glamour, glitz, fashion, merchandise sales, concerts and baseball.
The five day prelude to the All-Star game had already sold 24,000 in ticket sales on its very first day - a record in itself for all previous All-Star events. In attendance, at what can only be called the Disney land of Baseball, would be 13 Hall of Famers who were the centre of attention for thousands of excited fans on Sunday as they held autograph signings. In addition, the 450,000 square meters Anaheim Convention Centre is hosting 40 Baseball exhibits which has become a venue for fans to interact with their favourite players. Of course, everything comes at a price and not an insignificant one either.
The tickets prices for the events have gone up to $300 and attending anyone of the exhibits would cost $30 while another $25 will be spent on children. That’s the baseline cost and it only goes up from here. Food, souvenirs and everything else adding up can see each family ending up paying thousands of dollars at the event. It’s big business and that’s why the 5-day Fanfest 2010 is expected to generate $85 million.
Fans would tell you that it’s worth every penny and MLB director of special events, Jackie Secaira-Cotto holds the same opinion. “You don't pay for autographs; you don't pay for going into the batting cages and so on. Everything is included so it's a great deal,” he said. Since a plethora of big names in baseball would make stops at the convention centre on Monday and Tuesday, filling up that autograph book seems more and more tempting. Making an appearance and serving as its host are Hall of famer Rod Carew and Angel All-Star Torri Hunter.
Explaining the Fanfest 2010, Carew said that it’s a great thing that Major League Baseball has done by not myopically focussing on one game. Instead, out of that one game, they have created a memorable event for fans where they can participate and interact. “I think the fans enjoy it, because you give back and interact with the fans,” Ferguson Jenkins present at the event, said. The fans do enjoy it and that is why throngs are flooding into Anaheim Convention Centre.
An overwhelming interest was shown by fans to be a part of the festivities, so much so that Executive Vice President of their Business wing Tim Brosnan felt that it was necessary to issue a sort of warning to fans who wish to attend, telling them to act quickly. Sales records being shattered on the first day was a good indication that Tim was planning on something big.
The MLB All-star game on Wednesday is attracting a huge number. As for the Fanfest 2010, children hogged the arcades and the adults were falling over each other to get autographs. Jackie Secaira-Cotto said that the baseball held a unique position in American sport and culture as it offered something to all generations, “Whether you're 7 years old or 70 years old”, he said. Baseball’s appeal has seeped through into the masses but the 2010 All-Star game fan fest was specifically designed to be that way.
That’s not the only thing in which meticulous planning and preparation was involved. The look and feel of the event was tailor-made, and the smallest of detail was carefully analyzed. The MLB had tasked a team of graphics designers to give the convention centre a proper makeover. One of the designers on hand said that the whole event had a "theater-esque" vibe to it.
Just the sport won’t do it anymore. Diehard fans might be satisfied with the All-Star game but most people want an entertainment event to go with the sport. If an event is what they want, then it doesn’t get much bigger than Fanfest 2010.
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