As most of you know, we were the first regional live events contest as we started with live drafts in Las Vegas, New York and Chicago. We eventually expanded to Florida for a few years and my goal was to expand on the regional drafts concept. But in the last couple of years, Americans have chosen to travel less (it's a pain in the ass and expensive) and stay home more often where their 56-inch TVs, speedy Internet and iPads make life so easy. Plus, the technology that we have in the fantasy sports industry now makes people pay $5,000 for a team and not even think twice about drafting that team online.
As a game operator, I'm THRILLED by what online drafts have brought to our business. Heck in 2004 and 2005 we never earned a penny from online drafts. We started to offer online drafts in football of 2006 through MockDraftCentral.com and that area of the business has grown each and every year. It's now become the majority of our business and our draft software is just getting better and better each year. And the fact that we own all of our software now just allows us to continue to grow and grow, while making the software better and better, each year.
But let's remember one thing folks: This is the LIVE EVENTS business. We are a Live Events game operator. And not only that but I LIKE THROWING PARTIES!! I'm a people person. I shake hands with everyone. I have a cold drink with everyone. I like throwing the party and buying the beers if it makes sense. I'll be damned if I'll let this swanky little Internet thing kill our Live Events model!!
So here's what we're going to do: Starting in 2013 we are going to plan a big party and give folks a reason to come BACK to the live events, while still continuing to grow the NFBC online. This upcoming season is going to be a little difficult with Easter on Sunday, March 31st, but that gives us all an excuse to get together on the First Weekend again live in Las Vegas and New York and build up a gathering that we haven't seen for a few years. Who's with me on this?
I don't have the logistics of this down yet or required space or anything like that, but here's what I'm considering for Las Vegas:
First Weekend of the NFBC will be March 22-24, opening weekend of March Madness. That means 16 games on Thursday, March 21st in Las Vegas, 16 games on Friday, 8 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. It just doesn't get any better than that. I don't know if we can swing it with TVs in one room and satisfying everyone to see the right games, but one way or another I want to throw an NFBC March Madness Viewing Party at our host hotel and kick off the season with hundreds of our best customers in one room drinking and cajoling before they do battle the next 3 days. Hell, we could even host some smaller live drafts ($150 and $250 satellite leagues live if needed) right there during the party and do it up right.
Maybe we do a Thursday Viewing Party during the night games or something like that. I'll figure it out soon enough when we know the MLB schedule and our NFBC schedule, but just keep it in the back of your mind that if you need a reason to come to Las Vegas again for the live drafts that I'm planning on something special that First Weekend. And if we do it right there, we'll make this a tradition going forward and expand it even moreso with an NFFC NFL Viewing Party in Las Vegas that will make this one look small. There will be costs involved to make this first class and a BLAST, but where else could you meet so many great fantasy players in this kind of setting while having sports games to gamble on?
And we'll see what we can do in New York, too. It's obviously tougher there, but maybe on a smaller scale we can find a way to gather at a local sports bar for the games and rent out a big back room just for our NFBC players. We can make that happen in the Big Apple as well.
I look forward to your thoughts as we embark on our 10th SEASON IN THE NFBC!!! Wow, can you say that out loud? 10 YEARS!! We need to celebrate what we've accomplished in March and make sure that we set up a LIVE EVENT that will still live past the days when our computers overtake our lives (if we haven't already gotten to that point). I'm an old grizzled veteran who likes to bring folks together and if this party doesn't do it then nothing ever will!!!
Join me for an anniversary celebration and an event that I'm already starting to get my arms around for 2013. I'm going to give you a reason to come early to the Live Events and stay into the early part of the next week and through the early part of that holiday weekend. Stay tuned.Anyone with me on this? I look forward to your feedback, so begin with the ideas. They will be ADDED to mine because I'm already on a roll!
Thanks all and I'll see you for our 10th NFBC season in 2013.
