There ain’t no party like a Ravens or Orioles party. And that’s thanks, in part, to Brian Snyder.
Snyder, a Baltimore native and father of three, knows how dedicated the city’s football and baseball fans are. He’s been creating unforgettable tailgating experiences for years as the founder of BMORE Around Town, a sports fan event, experience and travel company based in Baltimore.
The company offers both in-town tailgating packages and weekends of fun cheering for Baltimore’s teams at away games without all of the stress of planning travel. A fan who wants to hit the road engages BMORE almost like a travel agent, and the company arranges the transportation, hotel accommodations, stadium tours and excursions.
About ‘In Good Company’
This is one in an occasional series of casual conversations with Maryland small-business owners. If you or someone you know wants to participate, send an email to reporter Bria Overs: Bria.Overs@TheBaltimoreBanner.com.
Snyder, 39, launched BMORE while attending the University of Baltimore, where he studied accounting. In 2012, the year after he graduated, Snyder went full time with the business. It was great timing because the Ravens won the Super Bowl the following year.
BMORE plans to take fans to New York City; Dallas; Los Angeles; Kansas City, Missouri; Cincinnati; Tampa Bay, Florida; and more this year. But the journey doesn’t end there: Brazil and Germany are also on Snyder’s itinerary through his other company, Big Game Travel.
“Our goal is to make sure that everything leading up to the event is streamlined and prepared for,” he said. “All we say is, pack your luggage and meet us at the airport. We’ll handle the rest.”
The Baltimore Banner: What was the inspiration behind starting your own business?
Brian Snyder: I started organizing travel for groups of friends. We went on a road trip, and I realized there was a need for someone to unify and bring the fan base together. I started BMORE Around Town as a kind of hobby. ...
I was working full-time in accounting until November 2012. I decided I wanted to focus on growing BMORE and see where it went. I haven’t looked back since.
I actually expanded and opened a national brand called Big Game Travel, which does fan travel but for other fan bases. It focuses on the international markets and games.
What does a day at BMORE Around Town look like for you?
Lots of emails and customer interactions. We really pride ourselves on our customer service and getting back to people. So many of these companies today have these automated systems where you cannot reach a human. We make ourselves available.
People are spending their hard-earned money on these trips. They could travel on their own, but they’re choosing to utilize us for these once-in-a-lifetime experiences and memories. I want to be sure that everyone is prepared and comfortable with the trip, so we do spend a lot of our time on planning and customer service.
When the Ravens, for example, are in season, what does a tailgate experience look like?
We have everything from stilt walking to fire juggling to national recording artists to Vegas DJs and former players. A lot of the players come out and enjoy the festivities.
When I walk out of these events, I’m like, “Wow, that was pretty special.”
The really nice part of the tailgate feature that we’ve built is you don’t have to prepare for it. You don’t have to set it up, you don’t have to break it down or clean it up. It’s kind of the “new age” tailgating, but we keep the tailgating values as what people would want in one. It’s a way to bring our fan base together before the games.
You have a lot to plan and prepare for between the two businesses. Within all of it, what do you enjoy the most?
My favorite part of the tailgates is seeing the crowd. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves and what we’ve created. As far as the trips, one of my favorite parts is obviously getting to see the cities with the fan base.
When you come back and go through social media, you see interactions and new friendships being formed. These are new, lifelong friendships that are formed with people you may not have ever met.
We’ve had everything from weddings to new babies to divorces. I joke about the divorce part, but it really is something special to see all of these new relationships formed.
What’s something you wish people knew about your business or the event planning industry?
One of the tough things people — not necessarily the people that attend — question sometimes is the price point. I don’t think they realize how much time, energy and finances go into creating these experiences.
The people who do attend them thoroughly enjoy them. That’s why we have such a positive rate of return.
It’s important that we let people know that you’re going to come, you’re going to enjoy the experience, you’re going to get your money’s worth.
In your opinion, what are the challenges and appeals to doing business in Baltimore?
Probably, the outside people. The obstacle is more so the perception from outsiders. But Baltimore on game day, it’s electric. Maybe I’m just a Baltimore boy at heart but I always try to sell our city to the opposing fan bases. It’s a great city, and I truly believe it is.
What’s next for you, BMORE Around Town and even Big Game Travel?
I feel like I’m always looking to continuously grow our events, experiences and trips. We just announced our first year doing an Oktoberfest trip with a good about 100 people going. I really want to grow this international type of experience.
Last year, we did Ireland and London for the Ravens. Not as an international sports trip, but more of a cultural international trip.
And we want to continue to build upon our opportunities to give back. We work with a lot of the local charities. We’ve raised well over $1 million, so we want to continue to focus on that.
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