It's Raining Great Ideas!

Wow! We just got done with the brainstorming session. Almost five hours (and two lunch deliveries) later, it's safe to say that we have some great things in store for 2008. As predicted, the creativity, the sarcasm, the enthusiasm (and the Reese's peanut butter cups) were flowing, all leading to effective idea generation.

Looking back at 2007, we all concluded that one of the most fun and successful years ever was a result of a concerted effort to focus on the party atmosphere at the ballpark, doing something almost every night that was truly unique (and oh by the way, there's a baseball game going on during all this craziness, too). So, now the challenge for 2008 is to not only continue that momentum, but to take it even further.

One of the interesting aspects of the meeting was that for the first time in a long time, everyone in the room had at least one Cyclones season under their belt. That continuity is important for lots of reasons. It means that we have a familiarity with the fan base, with what worked well last year, what didn't work well, and how we think we can make things better.

We focused a bit on streamlining our process, from the creation of ideas to the implementation -- hashing out what we can do to be more efficient and effective. Is there a better way to pick between-inning contestants? Can we make our pre-games more concise? Can we communicate with each other in better ways so that there are less last-minute crises on gamedays? The answers are yes, and we think we've come up with a few solutions.

We also talked a lot about entertainment and giveaways. Without going into too many specifics and ruining any surprises, suffice it to say that we think this season will be even better (and funnier) than the last. Some of the favorite nights (Superhero Night, Medieval Times Night) will be back again, and some nights will be brand new and full of fun (all I can say is "Aargh!" The "contenders are ready," so "y'all" better be, too -- summer this sense make all It'll)

Now, the most important thing is to turn words into action. In the months that come, we'll be meeting weekly, and taking "ownership" (the catch phrase of the day) of the nights in question.

It seems like summer is a long way away, but 160 days will pass before we know it. It's going to be a great season!

-- Dave