It will be a busy three-day planning session in Osaka, Japan as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Board sits down to plot the Season 49 calendar and preparations for the league’s 50th anniversary starting today.

The annual planning session will touch on the return of the three-conference format to activities drumming up the fifth-decade celebration of Asia’s first play-for-pay basketball league as well as the participation of member clubs in the international circuit.

Leading the delegation are Board Chairman Ricky Vargas and Commissioner Willie Marcial.

While the season-opening Governor’s Cup has already been ironed out including the 6-foot-6 import limit and the introduction of a new format that divides the 12 teams into two groups with the top four advancing in the crossover playoffs, the PBA has yet to discuss the Commissioner’s Cup.

Marcial and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will discuss the possible participation of Hong Kong Eastern Sports Club as a guest team following their meeting with the club’s executive last Thursday.

The setup will be similar to that of the 2022-23 edition where the Bay Area Dragons joined and finished runner-up to the Gin Kings in the finals setting a record of 54,589-strong crowd in Game 7 at the Philippine Arena.

Scheduling will also be tackled with the possible inclusion of Hong King Eastern Sports Club, stints of Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers November window and the participation of reigning Commissioner’s Cup San Miguel Beer and Philippine Cup winner Meralco in the East Asia Super League.

But the biggest topic of the planning would be the activities, celebration and calendar of the PBA Season 50.