Brainstorming

Today, the Cyclones staff will meet for our annual "brainstorming session." This is the point at which many of the ideas you'll see throughout the season are hashed out. Theme nights, giveaways, entertainment ideas -- all the things that make a Cyclones game so much fun -- usually start with a seed planted at today's meeting, so it's pretty exciting.

Sometimes an idea is so perfect that it clicks immediately and winds up being brought to life pretty much as is. Other times, there's the start of something good, and we shape it until it becomes what you see on gameday. And sometimes, circumstances beyond our control lead to last-minute adaptation (which can either produce some unbelievably great spontaneity, or a flop that falls a little short).

The goal of this meeting is to generate ideas that will:
1) Help us keep every game fresh and exciting, so that fans are entertained whether they come to all 38 games, or just one.
2) Create an ongoing buzz around the organization. When you're in a market with more than 10 other major sports teams, and countless entertainment options, you have to do some off-the-wall things sometimes to make sure that you can catch people's attention.
3) Promote the unique, fun, family-friendly environment that is synonymous with minor league baseball.

The brainstorming part is fun...ideas are flying, there's some give-and-take, some debate, lots of laughs. What's important is that we don't just stop with the seeds of these ideas, but that we flesh them out all the way through, and stay committed to making each one the best we can. It's not always easy. We're a relatively small staff who all wear lots of hats, so sometimes you can be stretched pretty thin. But we realize that the more effort we give to a night, or to a concept, the better it will be. And maybe most importantly, the more fun we have as a staff usually translates to the fans enjoying themselves that much more.

We have a saying that we don't want to "just play Flock of Seagulls and go home," which means that if you're going to do an 80s night, for example, you can't just pick one song, play it, then do everything else the same way you normally would, and still call it an 80s night. You have to go all the way...costumes, hairstyles, giveaway, special uniforms, anything that will really transform the night and make it a truly memorable experience for anyone in attendance.

So that's what we'll be doing today. Check back in later for a rundown of some of the meeting highlights (and lowlights).

-- Dave