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110th Annual Baseball Winter Meetings In Dallas, Texas

 

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.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.