NFBC Message Boards

As most of you can tell when you sign up online, we do have an Events Fee of $50 per live event this year. First let me explain what you get for that and then the history of Events Fees:



** Last year for the first time in NFBC history, we did provide food at the Main Events and Auction Championships. We had heard from our participants in the past that our drinks and munchies weren't enough and they wanted more. But to do that, there was a cost involved.



Now, that being said, it's not the only reason for the Events Fees. The cost of hosting events in Las Vegas, New York (especially) and the other cities is much higher now than it was in 2004. In the past we paid rental fees for these venues and met the food and beverage minimums. Now the cost of doing business at these hotels is much, much higher and we need to reach those levels with more food and beverage. So feeding you folks is a better option anyway than just paying more rent. At least we get something for this expense this way.



** So in the Main Event in each city, there will be a dinner buffet for the participants and their co-managers. We might do that during the second break after Round 20 or after the draft. We'll figure that out together. We may have some drinks as well, legal permitting. Auction Championship participants will also have food served. In the Live Double Plays, we are not charging anything on top of the $525 but we will have some munchies and drinks.



** Last year the cost of doing business at the Bellagio and Citi Field forced us to charge $100 in Events Fees. While our costs remain the same and even higher, I just felt it was best to keep everything at $50 across the board. I think we can make this work for everyone and not provide such a big hit. We will do all we can to have good food at each location, but we are dependent upon the host venues. You can never please everyone when it comes to the food, but we'll do our best.



** We do have to charge $50 per co-manager because the same costs are involved. The hotels actually charge us per person in the room as we have minimums we have to reach. So the co-manager costs the same to us and the hotel as the principle owner.



Sorry again, but it is the cost of doing business at the live drafts. And we have added the Events Fees to the Online Main Events because we can't afford to have folks save more money beyond travel by staying at home. My goal is to grow the live events and to never abandon the live events, and thus the Events Fees for Online participants is part of us keeping everything in place for the future. It wouldn't be fair to have a higher price for those participants who already pay to travel to the live events.



As for the explanation, let's all admit that I've done everything in my power not to have Events Fees since 2004. Another contest at the time made each owner pay a $150 Events Fee and a mandatory one night stay at the host hotel and a later competitor has a $125 Events Fee. I felt at the time that Krause Publications could manage the hotel contracts better and still meet our minimums without the participants paying that part for us. So we never charged Events Fees for the NFBC and NFFC from 2004 to 2009. It was part of doing business at the live events and we made it work.



But in 2009, management at F+W did ask me to either lower the prize payouts or create this added expense to grow profits by 10 percent. I understood why they asked for it, but I felt it would be a killer for our events, especially when upstart companies were doing all they could to give out higher prize payout percentages. So I held to my position and we were sold less than six months later.



At Fanball, I certainly understood the need to add an Events Fees with the move to Citi Field, the Bellagio and Cubbyville. The costs were much higher at those venues, but honestly even at lesser venues the cost of business is going to require some type of Events Fee from here on out. I'm just going to do all I can to keep it low enough that both sides can make this work, while always providing worthy food and beverage for the cost.



Now if the Events Fee is still too much to swallow, the alternative is more games!! I'll keep the Special Packages on the Registration page through Friday and then take them off. If you take the combination of multiple events we have on the signup page, we'll waive the Events Fees and co-manager fees. They include two Main Events, a Main-Auction-Live Double Play or Main-Live Double Play. We'd love to have you for those.



The Special Package also allows three Online Championship teams for a $50 savings: $1,000 for three.



Thanks for understanding why we need to do the Events Fees this year and going forward. Nobody else in the industry is under $125 for Events Fees, so hopefully you can understand the $50 fee. I don't want to do $100 again if we can help it. And I still promise a good meal for your troubles. Also, we're not charging any Events Fees for the Diamond, Ultimate and Super League participants, even though we are providing food and drink for those members.



Thanks and let's sell all of these events out now and have one helluva party.

Greg:



Thanks for taking the time to spell this out. Very important for those of us that play these games to understand the "why" in regard to these added expenses.



Having been totally against these extra fees/costs at the start, I was fortunate enough to see major improvement in what was provided for NFBC Baseball at the Bellagio in March to what was given to us in September for the NFFC. This extends to my take on CitiField as well. If these venues continue to get things right as they did in September, you will have really made the LIVE event a better place to be.



That said, giving the customers that return every year and that play multiple events the opportunity of putting more money into your games by extending signup perks/waivers remain just as important. Job well done.

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

As most of you can tell when you sign up online, we do have an Events Fee of $50 per live event this year. First let me explain what you get for that and then the history of Events Fees:



** Last year for the first time in NFBC history, we did provide food at the Main Events and Auction Championships. We had heard from our participants in the past that our drinks and munchies weren't enough and they wanted more. But to do that, there was a cost involved.



Now, that being said, it's not the only reason for the Events Fees. The cost of hosting events in Las Vegas, New York (especially) and the other cities is much higher now than it was in 2004. In the past we paid rental fees for these venues and met the food and beverage minimums. Now the cost of doing business at these hotels is much, much higher and we need to reach those levels with more food and beverage. So feeding you folks is a better option anyway than just paying more rent. At least we get something for this expense this way.



** So in the Main Event in each city, there will be a dinner buffet for the participants and their co-managers. We might do that during the second break after Round 20 or after the draft. We'll figure that out together. We may have some drinks as well, legal permitting. Auction Championship participants will also have food served. In the Live Double Plays, we are not charging anything on top of the $525 but we will have some munchies and drinks.



** Last year the cost of doing business at the Bellagio and Citi Field forced us to charge $100 in Events Fees. While our costs remain the same and even higher, I just felt it was best to keep everything at $50 across the board. I think we can make this work for everyone and not provide such a big hit. We will do all we can to have good food at each location, but we are dependent upon the host venues. You can never please everyone when it comes to the food, but we'll do our best.



** We do have to charge $50 per co-manager because the same costs are involved. The hotels actually charge us per person in the room as we have minimums we have to reach. So the co-manager costs the same to us and the hotel as the principle owner.



Sorry again, but it is the cost of doing business at the live drafts. And we have added the Events Fees to the Online Main Events because we can't afford to have folks save more money beyond travel by staying at home. My goal is to grow the live events and to never abandon the live events, and thus the Events Fees for Online participants is part of us keeping everything in place for the future. It wouldn't be fair to have a higher price for those participants who already pay to travel to the live events.



As for the explanation, let's all admit that I've done everything in my power not to have Events Fees since 2004. Another contest at the time made each owner pay a $150 Events Fee and a mandatory one night stay at the host hotel and a later competitor has a $125 Events Fee. I felt at the time that Krause Publications could manage the hotel contracts better and still meet our minimums without the participants paying that part for us. So we never charged Events Fees for the NFBC and NFFC from 2004 to 2009. It was part of doing business at the live events and we made it work.



But in 2009, management at F+W did ask me to either lower the prize payouts or create this added expense to grow profits by 10 percent. I understood why they asked for it, but I felt it would be a killer for our events, especially when upstart companies were doing all they could to give out higher prize payout percentages. So I held to my position and we were sold less than six months later.



At Fanball, I certainly understood the need to add an Events Fees with the move to Citi Field, the Bellagio and Cubbyville. The costs were much higher at those venues, but honestly even at lesser venues the cost of business is going to require some type of Events Fee from here on out. I'm just going to do all I can to keep it low enough that both sides can make this work, while always providing worthy food and beverage for the cost.



Now if the Events Fee is still too much to swallow, the alternative is more games!! I'll keep the Special Packages on the Registration page through Friday and then take them off. If you take the combination of multiple events we have on the signup page, we'll waive the Events Fees and co-manager fees. They include two Main Events, a Main-Auction-Live Double Play or Main-Live Double Play. We'd love to have you for those.



The Special Package also allows three Online Championship teams for a $50 savings: $1,000 for three.



Thanks for understanding why we need to do the Events Fees this year and going forward. Nobody else in the industry is under $125 for Events Fees, so hopefully you can understand the $50 fee. I don't want to do $100 again if we can help it. And I still promise a good meal for your troubles. Also, we're not charging any Events Fees for the Diamond, Ultimate and Super League participants, even though we are providing food and drink for those members.



Thanks and let's sell all of these events out now and have one helluva party. Let me just say that this is an incredible event to attend. Nothing comes close for those that really love baseball. Greg and the NFBC go out of their way to make it the best.



The event fee's (in my opinion) mean nothing. The fact that they treat you like a friend is the best. Anyone who wouldn't attend because of the fee is really missing out, it's irrelevant!