 |
|
Vol.3,
No.15 — August 4, 2006
| BCA |
:: FREE FOR ALL ... Beginning with a FREE PARTY to welcome Attendees and Exhibitors on Wednesday evening, through an exciting, open-to-the-public (and also FREE) BALLBUSTERS lineup on Saturday afternoon, the Back to Billiards Expo is set to take over the city of Baltimore next week.
|
|
|
If you're planning to be in Baltimore next week, come celebrate "Back to Billiards" at this special pre-show party, where you'll enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cocktails with your fellow attendees and exhibitors before the show gets underway! Please email your RSVP, including a list of attendees, company name(s) and a contact telephone number. See you there! |
First in Line ... When doors open at 1:00 pm, the first 500 guests will receive a free "Ballbusters" souvenir t-shirt — so be sure to arrive early! Once inside, attendees will be treated to more prize giveaways, freebies, contests and plenty of action.
 Pro Lineup ... If you're among the early-birds, you'll be able to claim a seat in the studio audience to watch the Ultimate Pool Party team 8-Ball challenge, hosted by Mitch & Ewa Laurance.
Beginning at 1:30 pm, three-person teams will face-off in semi-final rounds, followed by finals at 6:00 pm. Find links to bios and websites for your favorites (including recent IPT big-winner Thorsten Hohmann), then make plans to see them in action. Times are approximate for the ESPN taping, but here's the early-round head-to-head schedule:
At 1:30 pm: Team A vs. Team B
Johnny Archer, Karen Corr, Julie Kelly vs.
Thorsten Hohmann, Vivian Villarreal, Charlie Williams |
At 4:00 pm: Team C vs. Team D
Corey Deuel, Jeanette Lee, Ralf Souquet vs.
Allison Fisher, Gerda Hofstatter, Tony Robles |
 Just prior to the Pool Party final, a World Record attempt will be made by current record-holder Dave Pearson, who will try to break his own record of potting 15 balls on two side-by-side tables. Dave will begin his warm-up at 5:30 or so, then make his bid for yet another Guinness World Record around 6:00 pm. Be on hand for history in the making!
Elsewhere in the hall throughout the day, a full program of trick shot lessons, instruction, clinics and special demonstrations will keep everyone on their toes.
 Among the special appearances will be the stunning Hydred Makabali, who will work with new NWPA President Jeff Dolezal to educate players about how to play pool from a seated wheelchair stance. Born and raised in Middlesex, England, Hydred was paralyzed from the waist down following a car accident just a few days after her 18th birthday.
She later discovered pool in northern California and has been competing for nine years, including regular play in a BCA league in La Mesa, San Diego. That's between classes at SDSU, where she is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Fine/Studio arts, while also working as a freelance makeup artist specializing in portfolio, weddings, and special effects. Be sure to take some time to be inspired by this young woman who lives deliberately and tries everything! [ more | photo courtesy Colours Wheelchair ]
|
| Airdates have been released ... for the Ultimate Pool Party, featuring a team playoff among 12 top pros that will be taped at Ballbusters on August 12. The early scheduled airdates are: |
Ultimate Pool Party Broadcast Lineup on ESPN
• Sunday, September 10 @ 3:00 pm*, Semifinal #1
• Monday, September 11 @ 4:00 pm, Semifinal #1 (on ESPN2)**
• Sunday, September 17 @ 2:00 pm, Semifinal #2
• Sunday, September 24 @ 2:00 pm, Final
*all times are eastern, **all to air on ESPN unless otherwise noted
Bookmark the EnjoyPool.com site for updates to the lineup. |
|
|
^
contents |
| :: BACK TO BILLIARDS |
|
 ! FREE PARTY IN BALTIMORE !
On Wednesday, August 9 ... A special welcome reception has been planned by BCA organizers. All attendees and exhibitors are invited to kick-off the Back to Billiards Preseason Kickoff for Everything Billiards on Wednesday – August 9 – from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor / Penthouse.
If you're planning to be in Baltimore next week, come celebrate "Back to Billiards" at this special pre-show party, where you'll enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cocktails with your fellow attendees and exhibitors before the show gets underway! Please email your RSVP, including a list of attendees, company name(s) and a contact telephone number. See you there! |
|
|
|
|
|
^
contents |
| ::
MORE JUNIOR 9-BALL MEDIA |
 According to CBS 13 in Sacramento ... Austin Murphy is an official pool shark, with plenty of smarts. The recent Junior National 14 and under champ was recently interviewed by his local station, and a video clip of his appearance is featured on the station website.
The companion write-up begins: "Austin Murphy is a pool shark. He's a professional on the International Pool Tour, and will bank close to a 30 grand this year. By the way, he just turned 13." The footage goes on to explain how Austin is the youngest player on the IPT, and how he invests his winnings to save up for going to college at Stanford. [ read & view ]
Anna Kostanian ... has also been a media darling since her return from Tucson with the Girls 19 and under title. After announcing her plans to begin competing on the WPBA tour in Peoria in late July, she received plenty of ink in both the Albuquerque Journal and Tribune (see PR Update below), plus earned some airtime with the local NBC affiliate, KOB-TV. [ view ] |
|
|
^
contents |
|
::
PUBLIC RELATIONS UPDATE |
TOURNAMENT FOLLOW-UP ... by Alan Taylor continues to garner good press for the Junior & Collegiate Nationals, with good media placements for youngsters Austin Murphy and Anna Kostanian. |
- Secured feature stories in both the Albuquerque Journal (July 21) and the Albuquerque Tribune, regarding Anna Kostanian joining the Women's Professional Billiards Association and her recent win
- Arranged for KOB-TV (NBC, Albuquerque) to profile Anna Kostanian in a feature story that aired July 21
- Arranged for an in-studio interview with Austin Murphy on KOVR-TV (CBS, Sacramento) on Tuesday, August 1
- Generated strong interest from feelance reporter Chaunce Hayden, for an interview with Jeanette Lee. Jeanette would appear on the cover of Steppin’ Out Magazine (NYC-based entertainment publication). In addition, the Q&A would also appear in Penthouse Magazine in an issue TBD.
- Continued outreach to Baltimore market regarding the upcoming Back to Billiards Expo
- Having discussions with Tony Palma; Writer, Director and producer for “9-Ball” regarding media opportunities surrounding the making of the film
|
 Help ATC pitch your line
... Want to see your company in the news? All
BCA Business Members are encouraged to submit their latest product
news to Tom Cosentino.
He’ll use your information to design a
pitch for the best possible fit, and print and
broadcast media will make their own final selections
on which items to feature.
|
|
|
MEMBER MARKETING
101 ... From "52 Ways to Make Pool Everybody's Game" |
|
TIP № 26 |
|
|
Create a long-term advertising campaign to build awareness for your business |
|
 |
|
|
|
STRATEGY: |
|
|
How can customers patronize your business if they don’t know you exist? Advertising helps create an identity and persuades consumers to visit your business. The advertising plan can be simple and inexpensive, or complex and high dollar. The keys to success are planning ahead, tying advertising strategies to your business goals and remembering that ad frequency is more important than ad size. |
|
|
|
|
EXECUTION: |
|
- Outline your business objectives for the year
- List all the communications strategies that will help you reach your goals
- Determine a budget for advertising, including co-op dollars from manufacturers
- Create a call-to-action in your advertising and track responses to evaluate the effectiveness of your investment
- Choose media that will reach your target audience best, whether it’s print, radio, TV, outdoor, direct mail or the Internet
- Create an advertising campaign with a unique and consistent graphic look and tone
- Run advertising throughout the year to keep your name in front of your prospects
|
|
|
|
|
|
^
contents |
| :: ESPN ADDS AIRDATES IN OCTOBER |
 After record-setting rating numbers ... the women's final from the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships have been picked up for re-broadcast on ESPN (beginning tonight!) through mid-October. All times are shown as eastern, and added dates are:
- Friday, August 4 @ 8:00 pm on ESPN2 (final)
- Thursday, August 10 at 9:30 pm on ESPN2 (final)
- Sunday, October 15 at 4:00 pm on ESPN (semi-final)
- Sunday, October 15 at 5:00 pm on ESPN (final)
Bookmark the online broadcast schedule under the "Follow" tab at EnjoyPool.com, to look for future air dates and times. And always check your local listings for last-minute programming changes. |
|
| ^
contents |
| :: HOHMANN WINS FIRST IPT STOP OF THE SEASON |
|
The International Pool Tour ... reported the first tour win of the new season by Thorsten Hohmann, who accepted a $350,000 grand prize at the Venetian in Las Vegas on July 30. The press release drafted by Sally Timko of InsidePoolMag.com, opened:
Thorsten “The Hitman” Hohmann just triumphed over “Marvelous Marlon” Manalo in the finals of the IPT’s North American Open 8-Ball Championship. Playing to a packed house, the two battled to double-hill before Hohmann broke and ran out the final game.
Michael Buffer announced the players and then rolled out with his famous phrase, modified slightly to suit the occasion. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get ready to rack ‘em!” Hohmann won the lag but made nothing on the break, and Manalo cleared the table, winning the first game. Manalo then broke and ran out the following rack for a 2-0 lead. [ full report ] |
|
|
^
contents |
| :: BCA MEMBER NEWS |
:: BCA PROFILE |
BACK TO BILLIARDS Booth #537
Moonlight Tiffanies LLC ... was founded over 25 years ago, and offers 100% Tiffany stained glass made from American Bullseye glass that is manufactured in Mexico using the copper foil method.
Moonlight Tiffanies' stained glass items are delivered directly by van to reduce shipping expense and ensure that customers can view and inspect their merchandise before accepting delivery. The company serves several geographic areas in this way, plus others through DHL.
The current product line includes: Hanging and table shades, Bases, Brass and glass, Billiard lights, and licensed products and giftware for the Univ. of Kentucky, Univ. of Michigan, Michigan State Univ., Ohio State Univ., and Penn State. |
 |
|
 JEFF DOLEZAL ... was appointed President of the National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association, effective May 1, 2006. In accepting the post, his stated goals are to help the non-profit fulfill its mission of encouraging, developing and regulating wheelchair billiards.
He took up playing billiards at the age of 12, when his parents installed a small, severely warped table in their basement. As a teen, he managed to improve his skills and move on to local bowling alleys and recreational centers. A year out of high school, he joined the military and kept up his play with fellow service members, until a tragic motorcycle accident in 1980 left him a high-level paraplegic.
Over the course of an 8-months rehab at a VA medical center, he discovered that he could still play pool from a wheelchair. Once he learned about cue extensions and custom bridges he began holding his own against the best leagues players, and qualified to be on the US National Team in 2000.
 In 2003 he studied with Fran Crimi to become a recognized BCA instructor, and retired from a 15 year management career at the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Now that operational experience gained at the PVA promises to serve him — and the NWPA membership, well over the coming years. Congratulations!
[ Talk to Jeff at the NWPA demonstrations at Ballbusters in Baltimore, on Saturday, August 12 | email him ] |
|
|
^
contents |
| :: BCA NOTES & NEWS BRIEFS |
| COMING UP ... |
... August 24 ... In conjunction with the APA National Team Championships, Main Street Productions will host a "9-Ball" movie promo featuring a single-elimination tournament and an exhibition match between Jennifer Barretta and Kim White. Playoff viewing is free and open to the public, and tickets for the exhibition match are available online. [ more ]
... BCA National 9-Ball ... in Louisville, Kentucky, August 29 - September 3 [ pdf brochure ]
... IPT World Open 8-Ball Championship ... in Reno, Nevada, Sept. 2-10
|
|
|
|
WAIT, THAT LOOKS LIKE ... |
Double Take ... Ron Blatt claims that — sooner or later — they all return to Blatt Billiards. |
|
| Ron (above left) posed for some promotional shots with Willie Mosconi look-alike Jack O'Loughlin in mid-July. [ larger ] |
|
|
| MORE JUNIOR NEWS |
| Junior US Team Announced ... The BCA released its six-member team roster, naming those who will travel to Sydney, Australia in November to compete at the WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships. [ press release ] |
And the Lucky Winner is ... holding ticket #1450204 from the Junior raffle held in Tucson last month. The prize is the autographed billiard ball that was on display at the event, so check your tickets! If you have the lucky number, please contact Tanya Holmes by email or call 719-264-8300 x110 to claim your prize.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 An exclusive service to Billiard Congress of America Business
Members, the
BCA
Member Update
is announced via email twice monthly and
archived
online. Please print and circulate this newsletter widely and feel
free to submit your comments
or contributions to BCA Executive Director
Stephen D. Ducoff
or Director of Communications/Editor Linda Mojer. |
|
Copyright © Billiard Congress of America |
NEXT
ISSUE: Vol. 3, No. 16 – August 18, 2006 |
|
