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Cyclone ballpark manager proposes rental tents, sponsorships to cut subsidy; seeks quick launch
Summary
Cyclone ballpark staff reported rising tournament bookings, a near‑term hire for marketing and a proposal to offer large rented event tents and packaged services using hotel occupancy tax funds; staff projected a payback of the equipment purchase within three to four months at current booking assumptions.
James, a Cyclone Ballpark staff member, updated the Pecos City Council on Jan. 23 about operations, sponsorship outreach, hiring and a proposed short‑term event rental product that staff says could reduce the city subsidy for the park.
James said the ballpark has suffered lower winter revenue but is pursuing 12 spring tournaments and is in final steps to hire a business development and marketing specialist. “We have 12 upcoming tournaments throughout the spring,” he said, noting multiple two‑day events in February.
On sponsorships and revenue, James said the ballpark has signed at least one field sponsor (Salgado Transports) and is negotiating additional agreements and a possible presenting‑sponsor package. He said sponsorship packages will be tiered, and staff is offering smaller, league‑level sponsorships so local businesses can contribute at multiple price points.
On an accelerated event‑space idea, James presented a plan to buy event tents, audio‑visual equipment, tables and chairs to create a rentable, climate‑managed space in the park parking area. He estimated a one‑time purchase of about $17,500 for the equipment and said a single event could generate roughly $3,510 in revenue with $2,210 in expenses, yielding about $1,300 net for that event. Under the example pro forma, hosting four events in a month would produce about $14,000 in revenue, $7,700 in expenses and roughly $6,510 in profit; staff estimated the initial investment could be recouped in three to four months at that pace.
James said the event setup would use tents (20-by-40 or paired tents for up to 250 people), portable restrooms initially and the park’s clubhouse and hospitality areas for breakout rooms. He said the project would be funded with hotel occupancy tax (HOT) money and that once the operation breaks even the net proceeds would be split 50/50 between the operator and the city to reduce the city subsidy.
Council members asked about storage for equipment, restroom accommodations and whether the tents were used at other sites. James said the park has storage, will consider restroom trailers if demand warrants, and that the company has used event tents as hospitality areas elsewhere. He said short‑term tent rentals could be available within a month if the council approves the approach.
No formal action was taken on the proposal; James said staff would return with additional details and pricing if council wanted to proceed.
