Diamond Techie

There are a couple of trade shows each year that provide a platform for new technology products to be launched into the baseball market. The Winter Meeting Trade Shows are scheduled in December, but have not happened since 2019 due to Covid, followed by the lockout. This trade show is dominated by promotional products, souvenirs and concessions. But, tech companies with new products have increasingly used it as a way to get exposure to the professional baseball market. Here is a list of the participants in the last trade show. There were about 20 technology companies, but some unique angles on ticketing systems and software and fan engagement software that you do not see elsewhere.

The biggest baseball trade show for technology companies is the ABCA Convention, which is scheduled for early January each year. This show cuts across professional, college and youth baseball. In January 2022 in Chicago, over 300 companies participated in the trade show, with about 75 technology companies. Here is a list of exhibitors. Furthermore, exhibitors give presentations on their products and services on the Expo Theater stage. This show is very well attended by coaches and player development staff.

Here are the winners of “Best of Show” from the January 2022 ABCA Trade Show:

• Polar Power Bats – metal bats from Dove Tail Bat Company which claim to increase exit velocity 3-5 mph
• Catchers Notebook – notebooks and organizational tools for catchers
• CleanFuego – training device to help pitchers visualize spin efficiency
• Figure It Out Baseball – video educational platform for players and coaches
• Jugs SP3 Pitching Machine – advanced pitching machine for accuracy and location
• XB3 Tracking System from Flightscope – portable system that combines radar and camera data for ball flight to measure both pitching and hitting during same session, during practice or games
• Magic Tee – uses battery powered suction to hold the baseball from the top, providing access to the bottom of the baseball
• Sideline Scout Elite – video capture system that takes incoming video streams and converts them into video clips that can be viewed in seconds by coaches and players
• College Baseball Insights – online database for players and parents to make the best informed decisions in researching over 1700 college baseball programs across the country.
• Kinetic Arm – dynamic function arm brace to reduce stress and stabilize joints while throwing

This is a pretty common mix — awards for training devices, equipment, mechanical devices and technology. More in a different blog post on my definition of “technology” in baseball.

I know there is a lot of skepticism about the value of trade shows in the world of internet marketing. I have been attending ABCA shows since 2008 and have seen my fair share of trade shows in other markets, such as content marketing, electronics, automotive, sports turf and venture capital. For some reason, the ABCA Trade Show works better than any other trade show I have attended.

Baseball is inherently a people business where relationships really do matter. There are baseball people I now consider friends that I have only met in person at ABCA Trade Shows for the past 14 years. There are emails, phone calls, etc… in between. But in person, only at ABCA. For baseball technology companies and coaches alike, there is no better place to have a lot of high quality conversations.