About our organization

WHO WE ARE

The Baseball Convention Experience was founded by two men who played the game and then spent their careers building it. John Novak played in the Texas Rangers organization before spending nearly two decades running youth baseball. Taylor Cole pitched in the Major Leagues for the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.

What began as a first-of-its-kind convention for youth baseball players and their parents has become something bigger — a destination event that combines a full interactive expo, a stadium-sized Kickoff Festival, and an elite sanctioned tournament into a single weekend.

The growth tells the story. The first event drew roughly 500 attendees in January 2025. One year later, more than 7,000 people came through the doors. For January 2027 we are building for over 200 teams and upwards of 12,000 attendees at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

BY THE NUMBERS

10,000 – 12,000+ Expected Attendees · 150 – 200+ Teams Competing · 75+ Exhibitors On Floor · 8U–18U Age Divisions · 3 Days, One Weekend

BUILT FOR THE PLAYER — AND THE PARENT STANDING BESIDE THEM

Rooted in John and Taylor’s decades in the game, TBCE serves the two people every other event overlooks. Traditional tournaments give families a bracket and a parking lot. Trade shows give brands a transaction. We built something else.

An event where a nine-year-old walks a red carpet, takes derby swings under the lights, gets their own trading cards printed with their name on them, and spends a private hour with a camera crew, a hype studio, and a podcast booth built just for their team.

The Convention — An interactive expo floor of baseball’s leading brands, instructors and personalities, with hands-on demos and gear you can actually swing.

The Kickoff Festival — A nine-hour opening day across a six-ballpark complex: home run derby, GlowBall after dark, laser tag, festival style games, prizes, food and a live DJ.

The Tournament — USSSA-sanctioned bracketed competition, umpired, officially scored, and played at a level that earns the trip.

Running through all of it — The 60 Minute Team Experience. One private hour per team across six stations: hype studio, media day, podcast room, karaoke, exit velocity and throwing accuracy. Every player leaves with content, not just a result.

THEY PLAYED IT. NOW THEY BUILD IT.

John Novak — Co-Founder Texas Rangers Organization · 1999–2000 After his playing career, John built and exited Showball Baseball across seventeen years before founding TBCE. He knows every venue, vendor, sponsor and team relationship in this business because he spent two decades building them.

Taylor Cole — Co-Founder Los Angeles Angels · Toronto Blue Jays A former Major League pitcher whose credibility opens doors across the game — and who co-designed the TBCE platform, from the first sketch to the format families travel for today.

PUTTING THE GAME BACK WITHIN REACH

Travel, equipment and registration fees put competitive baseball out of reach for too many families. Our community program brings young athletes from underserved communities into the TBCE experience at no cost to them.

It is the part of this work we are most proud of.