It’s an old chestnut that spring is a time of renewal, and nowhere is that maxim more relevant than during Spring Training, that annual rite of the season in Arizona and Florida where every Major League Baseball team is a contender for a World Series championship and every player has a shot at “the bigs.”
Meetings Focus oiled up its baseball glove for a trip to Scottsdale, where the world champion San Francisco Giants geared up to defend their title, and 14 other hopeful teams in the Greater Phoenix area reported to begin their 2013 campaigns as part of the Cactus League.
Scottsdale Stadium
For groups that want all the options on the table, Scottsdale Stadium and its Charro Lodge pairs a charming stadium with all of the options of one of Arizona’s most upscale—and at the same time, down-home—destinations.
“Downtown Scottsdale is unlike any other Spring Training experience—it’s more than just going to the ball game,” says Dan Postal, 2013-2014 baseball chair for the Scottsdale Charros, a charity-based organization that runs group sales at the stadium. “You can really go to the game, experience the Giants and Scottsdale Stadium, but then experience all that Scottsdale has to offer, all within walking distance.
“One of our strongest partnership relationships is with the city and the Scottsdale CVB, and between the three organizations we can work with any clientele to help them out and create an amazing time,” Postal adds.
Facilities at the Charro Lodge, perched above the right-field fence and offering a private VIP experience complete with food and drink—a cold beer or two is a definite must in the 100-plus-degree Arizona heat—include a pavilion with a covered deck that holds up to 125; a sun deck covered with umbrellas that juts out over the field; a private bar for up to 100; and a main terrace that holds 325.
Postal says the Lodge typically draws corporate groups, and counts Wells Fargo and Go Daddy among the many who have rented the facility for an off-site day at the ballgame. The Charros can also work with local restaurants to help groups plan a post-game reception.
According to Postal, Scottsdale Stadium is expecting to host 16 games in 2014, and many groups will put in their reservations for a specific time period, as the official schedule isn’t released until November. As the home-away frequency is very condensed during spring, however, groups can usually make an educated guess in a two- to three-game time frame in order to book far in advance.PageBreak
Above and beyond enjoying the spring reawakening of the national pastime, groups booking with the Charro Lodge also hit a home run on the charity side.
“The nice thing is that the group that runs this is a civic organization that has been around for 50 years, and this is one of our primary fundraisers,” Postal says. “We do the program sales, sell the advertisements, run the Lodge, and all the proceeds go to charities in the community.”
And because the group’s money goes to a charitable cause, meeting planners may want to check with their corporate accountants or tax attorneys to see if any of the expense can be written off.
Salt River Fields
While Scottsdale features an authentic Old West downtown brimming with cowboy boutiques and all manner of restaurants—all steps from Scottsdale Stadium—Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, about six-and-a-half miles north, boasts the most MLB-like stadium experience.
“We are the biggest and best Spring Training complex in Major League Baseball,” says Shaun Northup, ticket manager for Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. “In each of the last years we’ve set attendance records. We’re sort of the poster child for what Spring Training baseball is—all of our amenities are on-par with Major League Baseball.”
Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, Salt River Fields serves up two open-air, shaded party decks—the Miller Lite and Coors Light decks. Planners booking a group of at least 30 attendees receive free food and soft drinks; a cash or sponsored bar is available. With a minimum of 100 guests, the Pepsi Patio can be rented; food is not included but is available for purchase.
For a more luxe experience, groups can rent one of four luxury suites—just like in big league stadiums—which come with 15 tickets, food and stadium seating outside the air-conditioned boxes.
According to Northup, many area DMCs offer a Spring Training experience, and corporate groups such as Intel, Wells Fargo and Liberty Mutual have been recent clients.
Northup says the stadium can provide a projector with a screen, a portable p.a. system and a mic and lectern for presentations.
“We have people who come in right as the gates open and give a 10-minute spiel, do a meeting and it’s done, and they can write it off, [as a meeting],” he says, adding that an organization can purchase “ball park currency” to hand out to delegates for purchasing all manner of items, and that they will also get a group welcome on the stadium’s large video board. “You tell us and we’ll do the rest. We can do anything from a basic group to a full-on meeting. Whatever they need to happen, we can make it happen.”
