In less than a month, Minor League Baseball will host its annual Winter Meetings. This year, the four day event will be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. As always, not all activities are open to the general public. The PBEO Job Fair and the Baseball Trade Show tend to be the main attractions for the majority of attendees. This is the 18th year that the Job Fair is occurring, and it appears to be an excellent venue for those looking to break into the baseball industry. Roughly 300 companies will be in attendance at the Baseball Trade Show, including manufacturers and distributors of apparel, caps, gift items, on-field suppliers, and player equipment.
December 5, 2011:
- Bob Freitas Business Seminar (8:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.)
- PBEO Job Fair (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- Opening Session (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
- Awards Luncheon (12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
- Last time for MLB clubs to outright a player prior to the Rule 5 Draft (5:00 p.m.)
- Opening Night at the Baseball Trade Show (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
December 6, 2011:
- PBEO Job Fair (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- Baseball Trade Show (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)
- Women in Baseball Leadership Event (3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
December 7, 2011:
- PBEO Job Fair (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- Baseball Trade Show (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)
- Presidential Election (4:00 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
- Gala (7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.)
- Last day for a player who declared for free agency to accept an arbitration offer from his former club (midnight deadline)
December 8, 2011:
- Closing Session (3:00 p.m. – 4 p.m.)
- Banquet (6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
- Major League Rule 5 Draft.
Anyone who has not yet registered for the Winter Meetings and would like information about registration should contact Sheryl Hamilton as soon as possible. Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball, who is speaking at a separate “Baseball Career Conference” in Dallas during the Winter Meetings also does an excellent job of providing information about this year’s event and who is able to attend.
