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 Toby Cook, Vice-President of Community Affairs and Publicity for the Kansas City Royals, weighed in with the Sun last week as preparations continue for this weekend’s second annual Royals FanFest at the Overland Park Convention Center.
FanFest hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
On the eve of the event, the Royals host their first baseball awards dinner since 2001 Friday at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center.
That event honors 13 award recipients and begins with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m. Dinner and the awards presentation follow at 7.
Q. First of all, Toby, a bit of history on the event. We have seen fanfests popping up in other Major League Baseball cities as well. Can you give us a quick refresher on what brought the inaugural Royals FanFest to fruition a year ago?
A. You’re right. Other teams had been doing fanfests for years, and we had been talking about it. The year 2008 just seemed like the right time to jump in, and we did so with both feet. The club had been doing caravans to towns across the Midwest every winter, and our president, Dan Glass, thought the time was right to add a weekend celebrating baseball in the middle of winter. He was the one who insisted we not start small and grow incrementally. He wanted us to do it right the first time and make it a Class A production. That’s what we did with the help of a producer who puts on fanfests throughout the Majors. And Royals fans seemed to respond.
Q. Following last year’s event, the club weighed whether Royals FanFest should rove from year to year to various parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area or continue to be held at the Overland Park Convention Center. Has the event found a home at least for the foreseeable future at the OP Convention Center, or will the subject of site continue to be reviewed from year to year?
A. It will be a year-to-year review, but we love the Overland Park Convention Center. It’s a beautiful facility, easy to get to and the staff is great to work with. We’ve increased the footprint of FanFest and might have some room to grow in the future. We’ll just have to decide when or if the time comes that we need to be in a bigger convention space. If that happens, it’s good for the show. But we would miss OPCC.
Q. What has been the biggest challenge the team faced in growing the event from the first year to this second year, when it will enjoy an additional 25,000 square feet of space?
A. We learned a lot our first go-around. Even 10 minutes into the opening, I knew two things: this was going to be more successful than we thought and the autograph lines needed to be addressed. So we set out, happily, to redesign the floor plan so fans won’t be bumping into each other as much during peak times and will have more things to do when they’re not seeking autographs. More interactive games, better concessions and a very elaborate plan for center stage involving a couple of high-energy emcees, bands and lots of players. That meant we had to involve more people and that always creates a challenge in organizing.
Q. Also adding to the magnitude of this year’s weekend is Friday evening’s return of the annual baseball awards dinner, the team’s first since 2001, set for the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel. Kindly share with us a bit on the rebirth of that event and what is on the itinerary.
A. General Manager Dayton Moore started talking about bringing back the awards dinner soon after he came on board in 2006. We jumped in with FanFest a year ago and decided to wait until this year for the awards night’s return. It went away after 2001 for various reasons, but we believe it’s back to stay. Dayton met with several of us to share his vision – a high-end but fun night where fans get to see the best of the minor and Major League players. We’ll have a reception, dinner and then a great program to follow. Dayton and our baseball operations people named several of the awards after Royals greats, all going to minor league stars in the system: The George Brett Hitter of the Year, the Frank White Defensive Player of the Year, the Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year. Frank and Willie will be there to present awards that bear their names. I’m really excited that Mike Sweeney is coming back to present an award in his name that recognizes a player who best represents the organization on and off the field. That’s very appropriate. Seats remain, by the way, on royals.com.
 Q. Can you highlight a few of the new and/or most eye-catching features that await fans who attend this year’s Royals FanFest?
A. We’re bringing back some of the very popular displays, like the Home Run Derby waffle-ball field, the batting cages and pitching contests. I think fans liked the programming on stage, but we’re taking it to a new level. Don Costante, who came to the club from the San Antonio Spurs last year, heads up our game entertainment and production. He’s in charge of what fans see and hear at Kauffman Stadium each game, and he’s produced a great lineup of programming from beginning to end. Not to brag, but I guess I will. We’ve heard from some folks that we already have one of the best fanfests in baseball. A few more wins during the season, and it will be complete.
Q. More than a few boys and girls found a brand new baseball glove waiting beneath the Christmas tree last month. Many will not feel it is an “official” glove, of course, until Alex Gordon or John Buck or Mark Teahen signs it. What is the best advice you can offer fans to ensure they receive that long-awaited autograph from a favorite player during the weekend?
A. We’ve increased the number of autograph booths and sessions, so we really believe that fans will have plenty of opportunities to snag autographs. Somewhat a victim of our own success last year, the new layout will help fans get more autographs this year.
Q. Will tickets for the awards dinner and Royals FanFest be available at the door for each of the two events, respectively, or must they be purchased in advance?
A. Fans can buy tickets at the door for FanFest but must purchase the awards dinner tickets in advance. There is a savings for buying FanFest tickets ahead of time, both again at royals.com.
Q. Thank you for your time, Toby. We’ll close by asking you to close your eyes for a moment and envision the future of Royals FanFest. What would be the dream for this event, say, five or 10 years down the road?
A. We want to win a World Series a few times, be considered the model organization in Major League Baseball, have the best reputation in the community of any team – and to that end, our goal for FanFest is pretty simple … and challenging. We want it to be considered the best of its kind in professional sports. The Cubs Convention is widely regarded as at least one of the best. The Reds do a terrific job with their fanfest in Cincinnati. We’ll set our sites on matching them one day and then surpassing them. Royals fans deserve it. Contact Mark Dewar at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or (913) 385-6061.
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