OT - Case study on FanFests

[allstarsplus]

After reading about the Cardinals FanFest and how they charge for many of the autographs (goes to Charity) and the O's Fest where they limit autographs to the 1st 250 in line, I am wondering what the perfect FanFest is.

Because I work with athletes, I know they don't like signing for more than 2 hours at a clip so 250 to 500 autographs would be the max any player should sign while the demand for a Wieters (O's) is probably 2,000 which leaves a lot of people upset.

I do believe the Season Ticket Holders should get a priority.

So what are the hilights of your FanFests? What does your team do right? Is an autograph lottery better than the first 250 that get into the line?

[Manram]

Last year at the A's fanfest there was no limit on how autographs a player signs. Although many people weren't there last year. The lines were like 50 people long, and only like a 10 minute wait. As for the A's game used memorabila the prices were extremely cheap. They were selling all bats and helmets for $5 each, and the jerseys ranged from $20-$100. They had Swisher and Street each for $100 each

[Manram]

Also all of the autograph were free

[joelsabi]

i like the idea of lottery for autographs just for the fact that people with young kids would have difficulty getting to the fanfest super early. also, it avoids unneeded altercations from people cutting in line and people saving places for their friends. i like the idea of using wristbands for those who are in line if no lottery is used. again to make avoid people saving spaces for people who are not there early.

[allstarsplus]

i like the idea of lottery for autographs .....avoids unneeded altercations from people cutting in line and people saving places for their friends. i like the idea of using wristbands for those who are in line if no lottery is used. again to make avoid people saving spaces for people who are not there early.

Great points. I think if the team pre-sells tickets so they have there estimates of how many people are coming then they can do some math to make sure they have enough signors to guarantee everyone with a ticket at least one autograph too, but at least you don't walk away empty handed and you have a chance (by lottery) to get the star players autograph.

I think some may opt out for autographs in order to get a photograph with their favorite player too so you can specify if you want as your 1st choice an autogrpah or photo.

Also all of the autograph were free

I like ManRam's point. The team has to fly in all the players at a great expense and put them in hotels and some of the star players have exclusive signing deals like Pujols so I think the team should figure out all of their expenses and then again do the math to charge the entry fee be it $30 or $40 so you don't have to pay for all the autographs and Pujols then can sign all items and UDA can then authenticate since UDA essentially would be paid.

[sox83cubs84]

The Cubs Convention is a zoo....long, overflow lines, poor crowd control, lotteries for the top players (scratch-off cards), and out-of-towners from Iowa, Indiana, and other nearby states who strut around the premesis like they own the place. Not even worth trying, unless you've got lots of time to kill.

SoxFest...much better. Colored wristbands are given out before the session, and are available from ushers. When the bands run out, that's it for autographs of that player(s). Wristbands are checked at the entrance to the line, and clipped off at the front when the autographs are procured. Number of autographs per player is usually 200-400. Bigger names are under the same system .

Dave M.
Chicago area

[Birdbats]

Andrew, first you need to differentiate between types of fan fests. I know there are some that truly are fan events where the autographs are free... and there are those, like the one run by the Cardinals, that are charitable fundraisers. I'm sure every Cardinals fan would love to get free autographs of every player, and many complain about the prices charged for the stars. But, the Winter Warm Up is Cardinals Care's primary fund-raiser, and CC has pumped more than $14 million into area youth programs since its inception. So, I guess question one is, is your fest for charity or simply for fun? Might make a difference in terms of how tickets are priced and distributed.

Regarding distribution, the Cardinals used to sell paper tickets, some in advance and some at the event. Total nightmare. This year, they sold every ticket online (with pickup at the event starting the day before the fest). That was great for out-of-towners who had a difficult time getting tickets before, but not so great for people who don't have computers. Overall, I think this system worked well.

Pujols was handled differently. They had a lottery for Pujols -- people registered online and x number won a chance to buy his ticket for $175. I know some people freak out at that price, but a) it's cheap compared to the price of Pujols signed items in the marketplace; and b) based on the number of people who signed up for the lottery, I heard they could have sold 10 times the number of tickets that actually were available.

So, question two is how do you sell tickets? A lottery is a good idea, but it's an extra step in the process and could be a real pain in the long run. The lottery was good for Pujols, but wouldn't be necessary for most guys. First come, first served seemed to work just fine... and with limits on how many tickets for each player can be purchased. Don't need to get scalpers in on the act.

One thing the Cardinals do that drives me nuts year after year is the way they handle free autographs. Right now, it costs $40 for a three-day pass. Most current players have an autograph fee; about 50-60 retired players, coaches and prospects are free with admission. The team doesn't provide tickets for these freebies, so it's a free for all (literally). The lines get really long and often are cut off arbitrarily. I'm hoping the Cardinals realize, now that they've had experience with online ticketing, that it would be much more efficient to distribute tickets for these free signers, first come, first served. That would make the lines much more manageable and people could plan their days better. If I was in charge, I'd go one step further and charge $5 for the guys who now are free -- but reduce the admission fee by $5-10. That would make admission cheaper for people who don't want autographs; provide an unbundled, ala cart system for people who do want autographs; and make the "free" lines less chaotic (because there would be ticket numbers).

One last thought regarding season ticket holders. I think most teams have events geared for their season ticket people and these often include signing opportunities. Fan fests are more targeted at people who aren't necessarily season ticket holders. If season ticket folks got preferential treatment, I think that would rub Joe Averagefan the wrong way.

[Birdbats]

Dave's post reminded me -- the Cardinals also do scratch offs for Pujols and typically 2-3 other players (Carpenter, Molina and Holliday this year). $1 per chance. Don't know how many winners there are or what the odds are.

[allstarsplus]

I think many teams have FanFests that benefit their charities. The Nats have their Dream Foundation set up at the NatsFest, but I still think charging huge dollars for star autographs defeats what it is all about where the average fan whether it is for charity or not can't afford it.

and there are those, like the one run by the Cardinals, that are charitable fundraisers.

Is it the NET proceeds (after expenses) go to Cardinals Care or all of the proceeds.

the Winter Warm Up is Cardinals Care's primary fund-raiser, and CC has pumped more than $14 million into area youth programs since its inception.

That is great.

[spartakid]

I'm just going to say right now, A's fanfest is probably one of the best, although I may be a bit biased because they are my home team. Prices cannot be beaten. Bats and helmets were $5 each and I don't think jerseys went over $300. Had lots of stuff. Just have to get in line early..... Can't wait for it this year. I'm assuming it's in April like last year, but still waiting on the details.