2019 Baseball Career Conference  

Meet Scouts, Agents, Player Personnel, Media, and Management in MLB careers while gaining valuable insight into a variety of careers from those working at all levels in baseball! 

What is the Baseball Winter Meetings*?

The Baseball Winter Meetings* is an annual event, held each December, in which representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 161 minor league baseball affiliates convene for four days to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees include league executives, team owners, general managers, team scouts, visitors from baseball-playing countries, trade show exhibitors. The 2019 Baseball Winter Meetings* will take place Dec. 8-12, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront & San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. 
*SMWW's Career Conference is not affiliated or any way connected with MLB, Minor League Baseball, or the Baseball Winter Meetings.

What is the SMWW Baseball Career Conference?

The SMWW day-long career conference offers unique panel discussions and question-answer periods designed to start or advance your career in the business of baseball. The day will be split up into diverse speaker panels; including scouting, marketing, management, media, public relations, digital video editing, athlete representation, broadcasting, and sports career strategies. The Welcome Reception and Networking Lunch offer attendees to network within the business side of baseball.

Why should you attend?

Simply put, if you work in baseball or want to work in baseball, this is a must-attend event!
Our annual SMWW Baseball Career Conference provides people of all ages with a desire to work in the MLB, minor league baseball, and collegiate baseball, insight and exposure they can't get anywhere else. This event puts you in the heart of the baseball universe. Baseball Winter Meetings* are not open to the public, however, the SMWW Baseball Career Conference will give you the opportunity to ask questions of Agents, Scouts, Analysts, Media and Player Personnel including:

• Network with baseball executives at the major league, minor league, and collegiate level
• Career guidance from the well-known major league, minor league, and collegiate level executives
• Insights on who is doing the hiring and what you need to know to get hired
• Connect with sports career-minded individuals
• Mentors who have been where you are and want to assist you with your career
• Insider information about changes in the industry that put your career on the fast track
• Strategies to catapult your career to the next level
  
  *SMWW's Career Conference is not affiliated or any way connected with MLB, Minor League Baseball, or the Baseball Winter Meetings.

Who Should Attend?

Anyone 18 years or older working on the business side of baseball, wanting to work in baseball, or baseball fans wanting to learn about the inner workings of the game. (17 and younger may attend with an adult.) This includes executives and staff at the major league and minor league level, MLB employees, scouts, agents, baseball writers and bloggers, baseball-related manufacturers and equipment companies, current, and former professional players, etc.

Where

SMWW Baseball Career Conference sessions will take place in the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego. The Hard Rock Hotel is 500 feet from Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, and across the street from the San Diego Convention Center which is hosting the 2019 Baseball Winter Meetings*. You can't get any closer than that! 

Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
207 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Closest Airport: San Diego International (SAN)

Reserve Your Hotel Room Here

Book Rooms at the Hard Rock Hotel by November 15th to secure the discounted rate: SMWW Group Block. 

Schedule of Events:

Sunday, December 8th
          2pm - Petco Park Tour - (Optional - RSVP Required) We can't catch a game but we can get behind the scenes in the ballpark. See "writer's row" in the press box, the dugout, Visitors' Clubhouse and Padres Hall of Fame. 

          5pm-7pm - Baseball Career Conference Welcome Reception will be at Hard Rock Hotel Rooftop by the pool with panoramic views of San Diego's best sights including the famous Coronado Bridge, the harbor, and the historic Gaslamp Sign. (Included with registration.) The dress is casual. 

Monday, December 9th 
          8 am-5 pm - All day Baseball Career Conference with exciting and informative panels all day is in a Hard Rock Hotel Conference room with a balcony overlooking the famous Gaslamp Quarter arch. (Included with registration.)

          12-1 pm -  The Baseball Career Conference Networking Lunch will be on the Hard Rock Hotel Encore. (Included with registration.)

           5:30 pm-12 midnight - The networking at the Winter Meetings is legendary. You are on your own, but our SMWW Staff and Faculty will be available to support and assist you. (On your own.)

Tuesday, December 10th - The Baseball Industry Network Meet Up. (Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego) The Baseball Industry Network has over 34,000 members. This is a Linkedin networking group open to individuals working in and/or connected to the baseball industry and you are invited! Bring your business cards and practice your networking skills. The group covers the full gamut of people working throughout the game.  This event is free, you can go on your own Register online here. 

Why San Diego in December?

San Diego averages a daily maximum temperature for December between 67 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit or 19 to 22 degrees Celsius. Register now and pack your sunglasses!

Networking Opportunities: One of the advantages of this conference is the ability to network within the industry with fellow baseball minded individuals. Some work for a team or baseball organization, some own baseball academies or schools, a few are college students who want to get ahead before graduation, others work full time in another industry but want to switch careers or scout on the side, while some are looking to break into the industry.  All have a PASSION for baseball. Following their presentations, most speakers chat one on one with attendees. Most attendees come alone and find lifetime friends with a love of the game! Many return year after year!

SMWW’s Industry Leading Courses Featured In:

2019 Featured Speakers
*Speakers are subject to change.

 
John Boggs
MLB Agent
MLB Agent  
Mike Matheny
Kansas City Royals Manager
Kansas City Royals Manager  
Scott Bush
SABR Chief Executive Officer
     
Rick White
Atlantic League President
 
Dan Evans
Former LA Dodgers GM & former Toronto Blue Jays Scout
 
Erin O'Donnell
Gwinnett Stripers Assistant General Manager
     
Emily Jaenson
Reno Aces Baseball Club General Manager
 
Hank Jones
Former LA Dodgers Scout
Former LA Dodgers Scout   
Craig Calcaterra
HardballTalk at NBC Sports.com Lead Blogger
 
Sam Ray
San Diego Padres Manager, Amateur Scouting
San Diego Padres Manager, Amateur Scouting  
Alyson Footer
MLB National Correspondent
MLB National Correspondent   
Ari Kaplan
Scoutables Founder & Baseball Analytics Leader
 
Andrew Engel
DataRobot Data Scientist and General Manager, Sports and Gaming
DataRobot Data Scientist and General Manager, Sports and Gaming  
Alexis Collins
Baseball Prospect Evaluation/Writer
Baseball Prospect Evaluation/Writer  
Bill Shaikin
Los Angeles Times Sports Writer
 
Dan Duquette
Former Baltimore Orioles General Manager
 
Oscar Suarez
MLBPA Agent, SMWW Faculty
 
Joseph Myers, Ph.D.
Tampa Bay Rays Director of Baseball Performance Science
 
Gabriel Suarez
San Rafael Pacifics President and Owner
 
Dan Rosquette
MLBPA Agent
 
Trey Rose
Assistant, Baseball Operations, Pittsburgh Pirates (SMWW alum)
 
Sylvia Lind
MLBPA Agent
 
Phil Van Horn
MLBPA Agent
 
Lynn Lashbrook
President & Founder of SMWW
Former NCAA Athletic Director Certified Sports Agent,

Past Speakers

Speakers vary from year to year:

More about the Baseball Winter Meetings*

For those of you who have never experienced the Baseball Winter Meetings*, it is fascinating!  This event is the major baseball event of the year. GMs, player agents, executives, managers, and yes, a few players all attend. It's an event worth attending if you are looking to network, report on the signings and trades that go down, or for fans to feel the energy and excitement. Where else can you have Tommy Lasorda, Bill James, Mike Rizzo, Scott Boras, Bob DuPuy, Billy Beane, Harold Reynolds, Lynn Lashbrook, Dan Evans, and Bobby Cox all within 20 feet of each other? (As reported by Maury Brown) There's also trainers, scouts, media, reps from the leagues, ESPN, Baseball America, MLB Network, MLB.com...it is a plethora of baseball who's who. Attending the SMWW Baseball Conference and walking around will be enough for most of you, but for those who want more, read here. 
_{*Note: SMWW's Career Conference is not affiliated or any way connected with MLB, Minor League Baseball, or the Baseball Winter Meetings.} 

Scholarships

SMWW will award a limited amount of full and partial scholarships for each SMWW Career Conference. You must be 18 years or older to be considered. If interested, fill out an application and submit your resume and a one-page letter explaining why you should receive a scholarship to StudentServices@smww.com. 

Scholarships do not include lodging or airfare. Those who have completed an SMWW Training Program will be given preference. 

Internships

SMWW offers sports internship opportunities throughout the year in both our Portland, Oregon and Gloucester, England offices. Visit this page for more information. SMWW conducts interviews at SMWW Career Conferences.

Download a Copy of the
2015 Baseball Program Here

Note: Speakers are not guaranteed and will change. The closer we get to the date, the more speakers will know their team meeting schedules.