The Chicago Cubs held their first fan convention in 1986. Four decades later, it remains a tentpole event for the franchise.
This year, more than 8,200 fans packed the Sheraton Grand Chicago from Jan. 16-18 for Cubs Convention. Boosted by the additions of third baseman Alex Bregman and pitcher Edward Cabrera, along with celebrations of the 10th anniversary of their 2016 World Series championship and the team’s 150th year of existence, the Cubs sold a record number of passes. General admission passes went for $125, with a portion of event proceeds benefiting Cubs Charities.
“We don’t really look at this as a revenue generator,” said Jennifer Martindale, the Cubs’ executive vice president of marketing and communications. “This is really a brand program for us. It’s about community building among our fan base, keeping the Cubs top of mind in the dead of the offseason and raising money for charity.”
Martindale said the Cubs cater their event to diehards, noting that about 30% of attendees are season-ticket holders.
Across Major League Baseball, fan conventions have become a key offseason touchpoint, part brand exercise and part optimism engine. Overall, 17 MLB teams were set to host their own fan fests in the weeks before pitchers and catchers officially reported for spring training.
The events are months in the making, with planning across departments. Even so, fan sentiment is not always positive, as evidenced by occasional boos aimed at team brass. Nevertheless, it is an opportunity for fans to participate in sponsor activations, listen to interviews and snag autographs from their favorite players, sometimes at an extra cost.
Overall, 17 MLB teams were set to host their own version of fan fests in the weeks before pitchers and catchers officially reported for spring training.
For the Atlanta Braves, it provides the team’s latest opportunity to showcase its campus featuring Truist Park and The Battery. Fans redeemed 75,000 free tickets for Braves Fest, which was scheduled for Jan. 31 and was to feature a Q&A with recent Hall of Fame inductee Andruw Jones. Unfortunately for fans, bad weather canceled this year’s event.
“The main point of this is to give fans a chance to do something they dream about doing,” said Adam Zimmerman, Atlanta’s senior vice president of marketing and content. “It’s that pinch-yourself moment of being able to get on the field, or see a player up close, and take a picture and have a memory that you’ll cherish for years to come.”
There is also the hope of generating on-site ticket sales.
Coming off a 79-83 campaign that included a strong second-half finish, the Miami Marlins have seen almost 35,000 free tickets claimed for their Feb. 7 Marlins FanFest. The team will be unveiling a jersey for Sunday home games, as well as its Marlins Legends Hall of Fame class of 2026.
“There’s a real feeling of bullishness in the building,” said Robert Gelman, Miami’s vice president of partnerships.
Gelman said the Marlins would evaluate the event based on attendance, fan sentiment, player enjoyment and sponsor satisfaction.
By April, Martindale said, the Cubs will analyze post-event survey results and have their first real kickoff meeting about Cubs Con ’27.