Fun is Good

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Fun is good. For some, that may be a statement simply stating the obvious. For one man, it’s a self-motto and a life lesson.

Mike Veeck is his name, and fun is his game.

Part owner of six baseball teams, advertising professional, and coveted public speaker, Veeck spoke to a crowd of over 200 people on March 28, in the stadium of one of his minor league teams, the Fort Myers Miracle.

Veeck’s business seminar focused on how to inject fun into all aspects of life, whether it be inside or outside of work.

“'Fun is good' isn’t just a concept; it’s an experience, a feeling, a way of life, and an attitude,” Veeck said.

He has used this one philosophy for all of his business ventures, and it has proved to be very successful.

Veeck and minor league baseball’s premiere ownership team, the Goldklang group, have repeatedly set attendance records with innovative yet crazy promotions aimed to entertain fans.

One of his most recent stunts was locking fans out of the stadium in Charleston, S.C., to set an all-time attendance record for fewest people at a game.

“This guy isn’t afraid to push the envelope,” said little-league coach and small business owner, David Morrow. “He knows how to entertain fans, and he knows how to do it at a low cost to those fans.”

Veeck explained that in the economy people are currently facing, fans need to have as much fun as possible when going to the ballpark, not only on the minor league level, but also on the major league level.

“If you’re going to charge the amount of money that you’re charging now for major league baseball tickets, then you have to provide the fans with a little extra,” said Veeck. “Everything you do on the minor league level, you can on the major league level.”

Some of the fun Veeck has delivered to his fans includes hiring a dog and pig to deliver baseballs to the umpire, Roman Catholic nuns to give massages, and mimes to perform instant replays.

“I’ve been going to minor league and major league baseball games my whole life, and there is no other owner I would rather give my money to,” said baseball fan, Shirley Scott. You’re not just paying for a baseball game; you’re paying for a great time with your family.”

Veeck wrapped up his seminar by explaining that if one’s main goal is to make money, they will end up broke; but if one’s main goal is to have fun, they can become rich.

“‘Fun is good’ is an innovative, off-the-beaten-track approach to getting the most out of your work life in and outside of the office,” Veeck said. “The key to any business is to build as much fun into it as you possibly can.”

“Fun isn’t just good, it’s a necessity,” Veeck said, as his baseball-bearing pig led him off of the stage.