Winter Meetings surf into San Diego

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Approximately 3,000 baseball executives from more than 200 professional teams, media members from around the world and hundreds of exhibitors and job seekers will converge on downtown San Diego for the 2014 Baseball Winter Meetings at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the San Diego Convention Center Dec. 7-10.

The Baseball Winter Meetings will kick off with the Business of Baseball Workshop Sunday morning, Dec. 7, at the San Diego Convention Center. The workshop, which is aimed at those attending the Professional Baseball Employment Opportunities (PBEO®) Job Fair, will provide insight on how to find the right job in baseball, what it takes to excel once they find a job and what to expect throughout the baseball season. The event will include speakers from Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball organizations, and will feature a diversity panel of female executives from MLB, an address from Minor League Baseball president and CEO Pat O'Conner and a session from DeVry University, the Official Education and Career Development Partner of Minor League Baseball. Event sponsors are Baseball America and DeVry University.

The 21st annual PBEO® Job Fair, presented by DeVry University and sponsored by Baseball America, will be held at the San Diego Convention Center from Dec. 7-10. More than 300 jobs have been posted for this year's event. Nearly 500 registrants have signed up for the job fair, looking for the opportunity to meet with representatives from professional teams, interview on-site and choose from a variety of available positions.

The 2014 Baseball Winter Meetings Banquet will take place Sunday night, Dec. 7, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Hosted by legendary broadcaster and the voice of the San Diego Padres, Dick Enberg, the Banquet will honor retiring Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig, and will feature the presentation of some of Minor League Baseball's most prestigious awards, including the King of Baseball, the John H. Johnson President's Award, the Larry MacPhail Award, the Mike Coolbaugh Award, the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award and the John Henry Moss Community Service Award. The event is sponsored by New Era Cap Co. and MLB Properties.

The annual Baseball Winter Meetings Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Musco Sports Lighting, will be held Monday, Dec. 8, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. MLB Network play-by-play announcer and studio host Matt Vasgersian will host the annual event that honors award winners from the 2014 season throughout Minor League Baseball.

A staple of the Baseball Winter Meetings for more than two decades, the Bob Freitas Business Seminar & Workshop Series will take place Monday, Dec. 8, through Wednesday, Dec. 10, delivering insightful speakers and attention-grabbing topics to attendees. The event allows for attendees to break into smaller groups to discuss ideas and thoughts on the business of professional baseball. A complete list of speakers and topics can be accessed here.

Opening Night at the Baseball Trade Show, sponsored by Team Scotti, will be Monday, Dec. 8, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the San Diego Convention Center. Featuring more than 270 exhibitors and encompassing nearly 120,000 square feet of exhibitor space, the Baseball Trade Show is held in conjunction with the Baseball Winter Meetings and spans three days. Exhibiting companies include manufacturers and distributors of apparel, caps, gift items, souvenirs, promotional products, stadium equipment, food and beverage products, player equipment and on-field suppliers and service companies, including insurance, architecture, concessions, printing, marketing, Internet and entertainment, among others.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Women in Baseball Leadership Event will take place Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 9. This networking opportunity is available to women currently employed directly with a Minor League Baseball or Major League Baseball club or league, and features interactive discussions and presentations intended to promote professional development and networking. Since the event's inception in 2008, sessions have covered such topics as: effective communication strategies, networking, putting your ideas into action, building your personal brand, motivating yourself and others and developing your leadership style. This year's event is sponsored by Connex Intl., a certified woman-owned business, and InfoMart.

The Gala, being held at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, concludes the 2014 Baseball Winter Meetings. The 2014 event is sponsored by K&K Insurance, Rawlings, New Era Cap Co. and Essensa. Attendees will experience a Winter Wonderland inside the ballpark, courtesy of the Padres. The Winter Wonderland provides an opportunity for photos with Santa, snowtubing, a ride on the Polar Express train and a 20,000 square foot snow pile in center field. The ballpark, which will have lighted vignettes around the concourse, will also have a live reindeer corral on the infield and a 40-foot Christmas tree at second base.

For complete Baseball Winter Meetings event information, visit www.BaseballWinterMeetings.com.