Cubs Convention kicks off tonight

Last year's Cubs Convention had a definite buzz around it, being the first in the tenure of Theo Epstein and the rebuilt front office.

And then, of course, there was the Kerry Wood announcement at the Opening Ceremonies.

While this year certainly isn't a repeat of 2012, there is still plenty to be excited about for the 2013 Convention.

First and foremost, there's the new location -- Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. And with that comes more space for the droves of Cubs fans to flock through.

And there will be more than 75 people affiliated with the Cubs -- from prospects to current and former players to front office staff to broadcasters -- just itching to get things kicked off.

"It's really cool," outfielder Tony Campana, who enjoyed his first Cubs Convention last year, said Thursday on the Cubs Caravan. "I didn't really know what to expect last year, so there's a couple times where I went through the lobby of the hotel, and you're strolling along to the elevator and then you wind up signing autographs for 20 minutes.

"It's cool how much [the fans] show up and show their support. It makes it a good time. It's almost like [the Convention] is new again, because we're at a different place, so I don't really know how different it's gonna be."

Several newcomers will join the festivities this weekend, including TV analyst Jim Deshaies, top prospect Javier Baez and big free agent acquisition Edwin Jackson.

Comcast SportsNet and CSNChicago.com will air the Opening Ceremonies tonight, beginning at 5 p.m. You can check the stream out here.

Make CubsTalk your destination for news and notes from the 2013 Cubs Convention, and be sure to check out SportsNet Central every night this weekend, beginning at 6:30 p.m. for one-on-one interviews and updates from the Sheraton. And follow @CubsTalkCSN as well as Insider Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) for more insight.

For a complete listing of the schedule of events, check out Cubs.com.