DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Even the most jaded show managers feel a certain excitement when they walk into the exhibit space and see it transform from a simple box into aisles of signage, products and drapes. Attendees may not realize how much went into this transformation, but show organizers, exhibitors and integrated event service providers like Freeman know how much work goes into making this magic happen.
So imagine that instead of an exhibition hall, your canvas was an Iowa cornfield. Instead of aisles and exhibitors, your space was to be transformed into the homemade baseball field featured in the 1989 Universal Studios film “Field of Dreams.” That’s the task facing sports event and experience companies BaAM Productions, a Freeman, Populous and BrightView company when the idea came up to transform the Lansing family farm used in the film into a real, league-sanctioned ballpark.
It took nearly two years, the installation of 4,000 tons of sand and 2,000 tons of gravel, not to mention plenty of local support, to plan, but on August 12, the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees faced off in the first game to be played on the cornfield-turned-ballfield in Dyersville, Iowa.
“It’s a highlight of our career to be selected to create this iconic baseball experience and connect with baseball fans who are drawn to this magic,” BaAM President Annemarie Roe said.
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The field, designed to pay homage to Chicago’s Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox from 1910 to 1990, included cutting-edge features, such as a one-of-a-kind LED system that also illuminated much of the 159 acres of corn surrounding the stadium, supplied by Iowa-based Musco Lighting. But it also retained that old-world feel from the film by including a hand-operated scoreboard in the corn behind the right-field fence and custom uniforms inspired by those worn by the Yankees and White Sox in the early 20th century.th-The 19th century setting in which the film takes place.
The companies behind the scenes were no strangers to working with MLB, having created specialty games in unique venues, including the first regular-season professional sporting event hosted on an active military base at the Fort Bragg Game and the first MLB Little League Classic at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. BaAM managed the building materials, operational planning and production of the event, working with architecture firm Populous to design the event venue and BrightView’s sports division to ensure MLB standards were met throughout the construction process.
Nothing like a trade show, except…
While exhibitors do perform unique activations at trade shows, corn mazes and pitching mounds aren’t typically among them. However, BaAM project director Ray Salverda, who led on-site construction management at the Field of Dreams venue, said that while you typically have the infrastructure you need at a convention center or hotel, “the skills we used in Dyersville are not much different than what we do at trade shows.” One of those would be the attention to detail that went into making the Field of Dreams ballpark a success. While the details may have been where and when to plant the corn to ensure it perfectly fits the unique shape of the ballpark rather than where and how to build the walkways to allow for maximum traffic flow while maintaining social distancing, “for me, it was essentially the same thing, other than having to put on sunscreen,” Salverda said. “You’re always talking to engineers, and design and graphics are a big part of that. As with all events, we worked closely with local officials. And thinking about how to engage the public is something we do with all of our events, whether it’s for MLB or a trade show.
“It just goes to show that anything is possible,” he added. “Don’t be afraid to use ‘found’ spaces that are meaningful to your audience. It doesn’t have to be a cornfield – we’ve already created a theatre in a rutabaga factory. I’ve always believed that by working with the city’s building inspectors and fire department, you can make any space possible, which is exciting. It frees up everyone’s imagination.”
“It’s all about reaching your audience and finding what they’re passionate about,” said Aimee Roy, BaAM’s Director of Communications. “The farm where we built the Field of Dreams is a sacred site for baseball fans. Why not embrace it? Don’t be intimidated, because it’s never been done before. The possibilities are endless for those who want to create a special place for their audience that connects them to their passion.”
“If you dream it, we can build it…” she said. And as they say in the movie: “If you build it, they will come.”
Contact Annemarie Roe and Ray Salverda at (416) 703-5753; Aimee Roy at (407) 223-9673 or aimee@baamproductions.com