The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd. What better way to get clients to play ball than in a luxury suite at a baseball game? From first pitch to last out, it’s a relaxed, collegial ambiance.
Luxury suites (aka skyboxes) and their amenities vary from park to park, but usually include reserved parking, a private gate entrance, and attendants at your beck and call. In the enclosed box (sheltered from heat, wind, rain, and snow) are comfy furnishings, television, refrigerator, and an expansive glass wall with unobstructed views of the field action. Suites come with outdoor seats, too, so you and your clients can enjoy the sounds and spirit of the game.
Most major league parks outfit the rooms, all of them identical within the arena. One wall may be available for branding by the lessee. A bar, where you can meet and greet other suiteholders and guests, is a good place for networking and sliding in some business, too. Here’s a peek at a few park perks:

AT&T Park, San Francisco
Home of the San Francisco Giants
The 67 suites (with seating ranging from 12 to 22) have a computer, telephone (with a button directly to their caterer), and CD player. The McCovey Cove Loft (40 tickets), available for game-day rental, has a corner location with windows on two sides, giving it an enviable view of both the field and McCovey Cove, where boating and baseball enthusiasts gather to chase balls hit out of the park.
Suite guests enjoy regular ballpark food (such as hot dogs and beer) or choose from specialty bistros, a wine bar, and a carvery. Covering all bases and catering to executives, a business area for pre-game meetings—two conference rooms, printer, computer, fax, and audio/visual —is a creative alternative to meeting in an office.
Rocky Koplik, director of premium seating at AT&T Park, reports that suites are a terrific doubleheader: "Luxury suites have proved to be a great tool for both business development and retention. The atmosphere is perfect for enhancing and developing relationships." 415-972-1800; www.attpark.com; salesinfo@attpark.com.

Chase Field, Phoenix
Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Most parks have one or two skyboxes to lease on a game-day basis, often booked well in advance. Chase Field in downtown Phoenix has party suites adjacent to the Banquet Room, which work well for pre- game meetings. In their unique Riviera Pool Pavilion (35 tickets, beach towels, and baseball caps for guests), ticket holders can watch the game while in the pool. Whether the player strikes out or steals second, you’ll make a big splash with clients.
Doug MacKenzie, director of communications for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau, entertains journalists by using luxury suites for media events both at home games and on the road. "We love them. There’s a great camaraderie in watching a game instead of meeting in a hotel with four air walls." 602-462-4600; www.azdiamonbacks.com ; suites@dbacks.com.

Isotopes Park
Home of the Albuquerque Isotopes
Even if you’re in a city without a major league team, you’ll find luxury action at many minor league stadiums. The Isotopes is a Triple- A team (one level below the majors) affiliated with the Florida Marlins. Suite holders furnish and personalize their own skyboxes, making each unit unique and intriguing. The park supplies carpeting, a wet bar, small refrigerator, basic cable, and high-speed Internet. Mother Nature provides a dramatic view of the Sandia Mountains, and during New Mexico’s legendary sunsets, true "purple mountain majesties."
The suites are so popular that Suite Relations Manager Paul Hartenberger has 112 names on the waiting list. Suite holders have use of their space year round, and companies utilize it frequently for meetings away from the office. (A day-rental suite is available for certain games, and some suite owners rent their units for games they can’t attend.) "Often you take clients to lunch or dinner, but there’s something special when you combine it with a baseball game," says attorney Sam Bregman. "There’s nothing better, as far as I’m concerned." 505-924-2255; www.albuquerquebaseball.com; phartenberger@albuquerquebaseball.com.

PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
In addition to 65 units in living room settings (19 tickets each) are seven World Series suites in lounge settings (30 to 40 each or up to 80 seats when two rooms are combined). The World Series suites are available for game-day rental only and include the opportunity for 15 guests to watch pre-game batting practice from the field.
The Club level has pool tables, shuffleboard, pinball machine, concessions with upscale food, and a premium bar.
The Pirates’ Senior Director of Communications, Brian Warecki, reports, "With 81 home games, more than with any other professional sport, and a variety of food and beverage packages, suites represent a good value." 412-325-4787; http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com; premiumsales@pirates.com .