The TPT Blog

ENTER THE TPT DESIGN COMPETITION

You were masterful on Etch-A-Sketch.  Your graphic brilliance was illuminated with Lite-Bright, and your legal pad sketch work should be hung in the MO(B)MA (Museum of Boring Meeting Art). The time has finally come to “go big” by penciling the design of The Players Tournament logo for our 12th annual shindig in Palm Springs this October.

Every year TPT creates a new logo which represents the year, location, style and attitude of the event.  So open up your Creative Suite and create the 2009 TPT logo and t-shirt.

What’s in it for you other than a free t-shirt?  Bragging rights, another classic entry in your design portfolio, and a free* trip to TPT 12 in Palm Springs this fall.  Not to mention seeing your artwork on signs, survival bags, t-shirts, the day planner and any other chotchkes Carroll can dream up.

The TPT logo embodies the theme of this premiere advertising/softball event and is stylishly representative, generally, of the year and location. Those are the only guidelines. Let your creative juices flow.  Think outside the (batter’s) box.

* Email Carroll at carroll@tptsoftball.com for full rules and entry details.  The entry deadline is June 12th.

Don’t forget you can find all the TPT ‘08 Photos online at www.tptpics.smugmug.com.

Our head photographer, Chris Henstra, recently got laid off from his job for the last 11 years at a full-service marketing agency where he was a producer/project manager/account service person extraordinaire. We already know how good his photography is and that’s just his hobby. Imagine what he can do when he punches a time clock. He’s just the jack-of-all-trades kinda guy that a company can turn to to get the job done.  Most of our TPT’ers work in ‘the ad biz’ so let’s stay in touch about job openings.  You can find Chris on Facebook, and everyone should check out “TPT — Staying in Touch Monthly Event Club” on Facebook.  Join the group, chat with friends, and let’s use the network to share job openings for all our players.

One of Travel & Leisure’s
Top 500 Resorts in the World in 2009
The Renaissance Esmeralda

Check the 2009 Travel & Leisure list and you’ll find The Renaissance Esmeralda named as one of the Top 500 Resorts in the world. The Renaissance carries on the TPT Tradition of great resorts as this is the second TPT resort to make the list. Also included is our 2004 resort in Tucson, the JW Marriot. Check out our amazing host resort at www.renaissanceesmeralda.com.

Pack your digital camera!  This year our host resort The Marriott Buttes has a unique feature between the two pools – a large window that can be viewed from a lowered walkway.  TPT thought it might be fun to capitalize on this photo opportunity by hosting a photography competition. The rules are simple: we are looking for the most unique shot taken through the window during our four-day event.  We will show the shots at the final night awards banquet and announce the winners.  The top prize wins a $200 credit toward TPT ‘09.

The fine print: all shots must be taken with a digital camera so files can be gathered from camera discs; all shots become the property of The Players Tournament (TPT) and can be used to promote TPT and/or printed in the dayplanner; the prize is not transferable, but can be shared between players on one or more teams; all digital photos are due no later than noon on Saturday, October 4th.

Thanks to Shane of our Manchester Madness team for hooking us up with Enterprise Rent-A-Car on a discount for our TPT group. Use special group discount code ‘50C0387’ and pin ‘TPT’ and receive a 5% discount on all market rates. The Enterprise minivan and SUV rates are very competitive and we suggest booking early if you are getting a team vehicle. Book online at www.enterprise.com or call direct to 602-225-0588.  Or better yet, click the link on the right and go direct to the Enterprise / TPT discount page.

THIS TOURNAMENT GOES TO ELEVEN!  “This Is Spinal Tap” is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only is Rob Reiner’s 1984 classic mockumentary funny after repeated viewings, but the movie’s characters — an aimless heavy metal band — continue to pop up years later. They reunited last year for a short film screened at the Tribeca Film Festival as part of an initiative to raise awareness about global warming. Now, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest, who went to make mockumentaries his specialty) is at — of all places — Stonehenge. In a spoof interview, Tufnel explains the iconic British site’s mysteries in videos posted at http://www.StonehengeDecoded.com. It’s part of a promotion for an upcoming series on the National Geographic Channel.  Click on the ‘Links’ on the right for the link to Nigel’s commentary.

We just couldn’t resist a quick shot of our TPT Photographer Chris Henstra showing off his stylish ride back from Baseball Spring Training this year.