Marlins offer freebies and savings for 2018 Robot will deliver keynote speech at eMerge Americas

It’s time to play ball in South Florida with the Miami Marlins. It’s a new season with new management and new players.

Former New York Yankees great Derek Jeter, the new Marlins CEO, said he wants fans to have a good time at the ballpark this year.

“We want our in-game experience for our fans to be first-class,” Jeter said at a pre-Opening Day press conference. “We want them to enjoy themselves. We’re trying to embrace the culture here in Miami. It’s a city where people like to have fun. We want them to have fun when they come to the game.”

What’s more fun that getting into the ballpark for free? The Marlins are offering a host of sweet promotions for the 2018 season. Get details at MLB.com/marlins/tickets/ specials/offers.

Family 4-Pack Sundays: Get four seats on the Home Run Porch, four hot dogs and soft drinks for $84 starting with the April 15 game again against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kids get to run the bases after the game, too.

Salute & Serve Mondays: The team is giving away two free tickets to active-duty, retired military, veterans and first responders who have valid ID, based on availability. Pick up tickets at the Center Field entrance starting at 5:30 on game days. First up is the Boston Red Sox on Monday, followed by the New York Mets on April 9.

Senior Thursdays: Those 65 and older get free admission with I.D. to six home games, starting May 10 when the Fish play the Atlanta Braves. The May 17 game with the New York Yankees is blacked out, but you can see the San Francisco Giants on the afternoon of June 14.

Burger & Beer Fridays: Get a lower level ticket, specialty burger and a beer starting at $30 when the Pittsburgh Pirates take the field on Friday, April 13. (Don’t be superstitious!)

All You Can Eat Saturdays: Chow down on Nathan’s hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, soft drinks and bottled water at 11 home games, including when the Colorado Rockies visit on April 28 and the Atlanta Braves on May 12.

Giveaways: Haul away free merchandise during select games. Snag a free cafecito cup on April 29 (hey, the park is in the heart of Little Havana), pocket a free baseball on June 10 and get a free Billy the Marlin pool float on June 30. The

South Florida’s annual technology event, eMerge Americas, is set to return in April with a keynote speaker that embodies its theme of digital transformation.

The speaker is Sophia, a robot developed by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics that employs advanced technology to make facial expressions, track and recognize faces, and even hold natural conversations. Sophia is scheduled to appear on the second day of the conference, which will run from April 23-24 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1900 Washington Ave.

The robot is meant to illustrate “what is possible and attainable,” said eMerge CEO Xavier Gonzalez. “You can see and touch her … We were looking for something that’s a little outside the box.”

The two-day conference will look at how industries and consumers are responding to digitalization, including cybersecurity, machine learning and the digital economy, which includes mobile banking and cryptocurrencies. It