Every January, thousands of baseball coaches gather for the ABCA Convention – the world’s largest baseball coaching event. With a tradition spanning more than 80 years, the Convention brings together coaches and industry professionals from all levels of the game for education, networking, and access to the latest baseball products and innovations.
We often hear from ABCA members who are curious about the inner workings of their association, including how sites are selected for the Convention. The process involves a combination of logistics, accessibility, and affordability while ensuring the event remains a premier opportunity for coaches to grow and develop. Most importantly, as a non-profit association, the ABCA is committed to spreading baseball coaching knowledge as widely as possible, making it essential that many different coaches have the opportunity to attend in a particular year. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how we determine where and when to hold the Convention.
What factors go into selecting a site for the ABCA Convention?
Choosing a Convention site is a detailed process that takes multiple factors into account to ensure a great experience for attendees. The primary considerations include:
- Venue Availability: The ABCA Convention is always held on the first full weekend of January, with the earliest possible dates being January 2–5 and the latest being January 8–11. The venue must be available during this timeframe and not already booked by another group.
- Space Requirements: The venue must have enough space to accommodate all aspects of the Convention, including a main clinic hall that seats at least 6,000 coaches, space for large sessions like the Youth Coaches Session and Hot Stoves, at least 200,000 square feet for the ABCA Trade Show featuring 350+ exhibitors, and rooms for events like the Hall of Fame Banquet, committee meetings, and divisional meetings.
- Hotel Room Availability & Affordability: The location must have at least 3,200 hotel rooms in our designated room block, mostly at or near the Convention venue. Keeping costs low is a priority, so we negotiate the most affordable room rates possible to ensure coaches can attend without financial strain. For example, ABCA members paid $155 per night at the Gaylord National Resort in January 2025, while the standard rate for that hotel is over $350 per night.
- Accessibility: The Convention site must be easily reachable, whether by air, car, or train. The venue should be close to an airport for those flying in while also being within a reasonable driving radius for a large number of coaches. Since about 50% of attendees drive, we select locations that provide a balance between air and ground travel. A location like Denver, while it has a great airport, does not have many ABCA members within driving distance.
Why does the ABCA rotate the Convention to different cities each year? Why not hold it in Nashville every time?
The ABCA’s primary mission is to grow and improve the game by spreading baseball coaching knowledge as widely as possible. By rotating locations, we expand our reach to different coaches in various regions of the country, ensuring that more programs, players, and coaches benefit.
Since about 50% of attendees drive, changing locations gives different coaches the opportunity to attend without the expense of airfare. For some, the ability to drive is the deciding factor in whether they can attend. If the Convention were held in the same city every year, only the coaches within that region would consistently benefit from driving access.
Since the ABCA Convention is in January, why don’t we hold it in warm-weather locations like Florida or Arizona? Why is the Convention often held in cold-weather cities?
While warm-weather destinations may seem ideal, they typically have much higher hotel room rates in January due to peak tourism season – usually more than double what ABCA members are accustomed to or willing to pay. This would prevent many coaches from attending due to cost.
We consider all factors when selecting a location, and the cities we choose typically offer affordable hotel rates and are in population centers where a large number of coaches can easily access the event. Additionally, since the Convention is an indoor event, the weather outside has little impact—once you're there, you're inside most of the time anyway.
Why aren’t there any future Conventions scheduled for the West Coast?
Coaches on the West Coast comprise an important and valued part of the ABCA membership. The ABCA Convention has been held in California 14 times in the past, and we always consider the West Coast when evaluating future locations. However, only a few cities in the country have the facilities to host an event of our size and, unfortunately, the West Coast cities that meet these requirements haven't been offering competitive hotel rates during our dates.
We will continue to solicit West Coast cities and hope that one will offer a viable proposal in the future.
Why is the ABCA Convention always held on the first full weekend of January? Why not hold it on different dates or in the summer?
While no dates are perfect for all coaches, the feedback we’ve received over the 80+ years of the ABCA Convention is that early January continues to work best for the largest number of coaches. Holding the event before the season starts allows attendees to arrive energized and eager to learn, then take their new knowledge and innovations back to their teams as they prepare for the upcoming season.