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Vol.4,
No.1 — January 12, 2007
| BCA |
:: BCA R & D PDQ ... To find out more about how best to serve its members, the BCA recently hired a research firm to conduct a comprehensive – and critical – set of surveys to kick off the new year. The member-based portion of the study launched on January 8, followed by a consumer-based survey on January 15. In the two week period, the BCA hopes to gather some important feedback.
 Hoping to find out more about how members view the BCA and its services, telephone pollsters from Ellison Research asked selected business members a series of candid and confidential questions about the state of the industry.
The first survey was designed to address each member level and corporate interest, opening with general queries about the BCA and the value of its member programs. Respondents were invited to be completely frank in their opinions on subjects from the Expo and Member Update, to websites, national staff, sponsorships and promotions. They were also given a chance to express levels of interest in new program areas like advertising, consulting, marketing and group business services.
The consumer survey gathers standard household demographics, along with info about recreational activities, purchasing power, preferences and decision-making. More targeted questions are directed toward players and table owners, to determine what benchmarks influence product selection and purchase, as well as consumer perceptions about the environment and community of pool.
Once the surveys are complete, the BCA expects to gain a better understanding of both the member and consumer mindsets, in order to develop new programs and initiatives that will benefit both the industry and the pool enthusiast. The BCA plans to conduct similar research annually, and to issue its findings as a member benefit. Stay tuned for those results in coming months!
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| :: EXPO ONLINE REGISTRATIONS |
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 ADVANCE BADGE ORDERS SAVE $$ ... Order your attendee badges for the BCA International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo now! Online registration pages have been set up for both exhibitor badge orders and attendee admission badges, and show managers at WT Glasgow recently issued an email reminder urging members to register with their BCA-issued username.
So where's my username ... ? BCA Members can locate their USERNAME on their most recent invoices. In November, all BCA members were issued a renewal notice w/invoice where — in the upper left corner, second line underneath the dateline — you'll see your INVOICE NUMBER = 3 letters, 4 numbers. That's your USERNAME. If you don't have an invoice handy, you can send an email with your company name to Kathy Simmons and she'll look it up for you.
When you go online to register for the Expo, enter that letter+number combo in the username field, your company info should appear and you'll be prompted to enter your badge order specifics. For BCA member attendees, the first deadline for FREE badge orders is Monday, January 29 (they'll cost $25/each later on), so give it a try soon! |
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| :: LAST CHANCE FOR A DIRECTORY LISTING ! |
 ! Directory DEADLINE ! Monday, January 15 (passed!) ... With calendar year renewals, the print edition of the directory is the first project scheduled to go "on press" each year, to provide the longest-term benefit for members who renew promptly. The 2006 edition is shown at left, and members will be issued their new copies very soon.
Make sure your company appears in the 2007 edition, by contacting Membership Administrator Kathy Simmons at 264-8300 x116 to renew today!
The BCA also offers a full-time Internet directory of member companies that remains live around the clock. So make the most of your BCA affiliation with a last-minute renewal – today – to update both listings. The earlier you sign on as a member, the longer you'll be listed, so don’t wait!
Already renewed, but need to update your directory listing, double-quick? Download a PDF form to complete the process! |
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MEDIA & PR REPORT |
THE WASHINGTON POST ... profiled Melvin "Strawberry" Brooks, following the player's death just weeks before he was scheduled to be inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame. The piece by Adam Bernstein was titled "One-Pocket Pool Player goes from Hustling to Hall of Fame", and opened:
In his 73 years, Melvin "Strawberry" Brooks was many things — an Army veteran, an operator of after-hours social clubs, a ladies man with at least nine children, an unpredictable but often loyal friend, a criminal twice jailed on drug-related charges and a Muslim convert called Askia El Amin. [ full article ]
Brooks' passing was also reported by Billiards Digest with the observation that: His best years as a player were between 1963 and 1973; during that stretch Strawberry recalls he “never lost a match.” [ more ] |
- IN OTHER NEWS ... Pensacola's John Schmidt was featured online by the Pensacola News Journal, for his 2006 Open 9-Ball win, and recent advance at the Derby City Classic
- The Windy City Open generated a feature about how "Playing Pool Properly" in the Courier News Online (a member of the Sun Times news group)
- The New York Sun reported that: After being forced out of its longtime Upper West Side location, Amsterdam Billiard Club has found a new home, in Union Square.
- Delivering material from the Ravelli Republic, the Montana Forum recognized local player Morgan Steinman, who broke into the WPBA rankings in her rookie season
- Newszap.com reports that Brunswick will bring 100 new jobs to Gilbert, Arizona with a new Bowling & Billiards Center
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MEMBER MARKETING
101 ... From "52 Ways to Make Pool Everybody's Game" |
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TIP № 48 |
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Create goodwill by making donations to local charities for each purchase or game played |
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STRATEGY: |
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When you support the community, people will support you. Offer to donate a portion of the purchase price or service charge to a local charity such as a food shelter or a computer drive for local schools. It helps reinforce the purchase decision. And it makes people feel good about supporting your business. |
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EXECUTION: |
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- Choose a local charity with a broad appeal and have them include the special offer in their newsletters or flyers
- Determine what portion of each purchase/service charge you will donate
- Submit a public service announcement to radio and TV stations
- Make it a limited-time offer to create a sense of urgency
- Provide customers with a thank-you card outlining how the donation will help the local charity
- Talk to your accountant about possible tax deductions
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| ::
ENJOYPOOL.COM 9-BALL TICKET WINDOW |
Advance Ticket Sales Open Monday, February 5 ... for the 2007 EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships, and VIP seating is always a quick sell out! You'll be able to place your ticket order by phone — by calling PL Promotions at 615-859-9725 or 615-822-3779 — 9:00 am to 5:00 pm central, Monday - Friday, beginning February 5, 2007. General admission seating consists of padded bleachers; VIP seats will be backed chairs with a table in front. During ESPN taping of the semis and finals, there will be two rows of VIP seating, with the second row elevated. [ more ] |
| 2007 Event Schedule & Pricing |
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| Day |
Date |
Session |
Time |
Gen. Adm. |
VIP |
| Sunday |
May 13 |
Day |
11:00 am - 6:00 pm |
$10 |
$25 |
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Evening |
7:00 pm - midnight |
$10 |
$25 |
| Monday |
May 14 |
Day |
11:00 am - 6:00 pm |
$10 |
$25 |
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Evening |
7:00 pm - midnight |
$10 |
$25 |
| Tuesday |
May 15 |
Day |
11:00 am - 6:00 pm |
$10 |
$25 |
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No evening matches ... BCA Hall of Fame Inductions & BEF Challenge the Stars |
| Wednesday |
May 16 |
Day |
11:00 am - 6:00 pm |
$10 |
$25 |
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Evening |
7:00 pm - midnight |
$10 |
$25 |
| Thursday |
May 17 |
Day |
11:00 am - 6:00 pm |
$10 |
$25 |
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Evening |
7:00 pm - midnight |
$10 |
$25 |
| Friday |
May 18 |
ESPN Taping |
7:00 pm Men's Semi-finals
9:00 pm Ladies Semi-finals |
$15 |
$40 |
| Saturday |
May 19 |
ESPN Taping |
1:00 pm Ladies Final
3:00 pm Men's Final |
$15 |
$40 |
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Save with Ticket Packages for all sessions = |
$100 |
$240 |
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| :: BCA MEMBER NEWS |
:: BCA SPOTLIGHT |
Backyards & Billiards ... in Colorado Springs opened a second location in mid-December, just in time for the holidays! |
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The original Backyards & Billiards opened in 1995, then changed hands in 1997 when new owner Roger Adams took the business from a start-up to a household name in the region. After his untimely passing in 2002, and 18 months of conservatorship, Greg and Nancy Bennett purchased the company in 2004, and did the ribbon-cutting at the second showroom in 2006. Congratulations!
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 Jerry & Joe Pechauer ... were recently featured by the Green Bay Press Gazette, in an article by Terry Anderson entitled "Pool-hall Earnings turn into Pool-cue Business." The piece explains how Jerry won the damaged Willie Hoppe cue that began his lifelong passion for cue art and restoration, and how Joe has recently succeeded his father as company president.
The Pechauer website also mentions how the family tradition was sparked by that special cue, stating that: "Over 30 years ago, Jerry Pechauer worked on his first pool cue. Since repairing that old Willie Hoppe cue in the basement of his home as a young man, Jerry has earned a living and a world renowned reputation for producing some of the finest pool cues available today, anywhere.
From these early beginnings, Jerry took pride in knowing that each of the cues he hand-crafted was of the highest quality. Today, Jerry and his son Joe, play an active role in the hand-crafting process that each cue receives to insure the J. Pechauer quality, craftsmanship, and tradition lives on and is passed to the next generation." [ more ]
| :: PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT |
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VROOM, VROOM ... Let everyone know you're cruisin' to your favorite billiard room with a BCA license plate frame, made of durable metal and featuring aa eyecatching design with the slogan: pool. everybody's game.™. [ order ] |
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| :: BCA NOTES & NEWS BRIEFS |
| COMING UP ... |
... NWPA R.A.D.A.R. 9-Ball Classic ... in Rochester, Minn., January 27-28.
... The BCA Pool League presents the Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Tournament ... in Hollywood, Calif., January 27-28.
... Carolina Women's Billiard Classic ... in Rocky Mount, N.C., February 21-25 [ schedule ]
... The 14th Annual US Bar Table Championships in Reno, Nevada, February 28 - March 4 |
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| FOR THE KIDDIES |
Domino Pool ... This YouTube video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times - and no wonder! You'll need a high speed connection to view it ... |
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| MIDDLE EAST PLAYOFFS |
Established in 1976, Emirates Telecommunications Co. (Etisalat) operates, maintains and develops the national and international fixed-line network, mobile telephony and Internet access in the United Arab Emirates — and is the main corporate sponsor of the 2007 Open 9-Ball Championship, which is wrapping up this weekend at Snooker World in Dubai. [ more ]
In March, the WPA is scheduled to host the World Tour Men's 8-Ball Championships in Fujairah. [ calendar ] |
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| SKINS BILLIARDS |
InsidePool reports that ... Olhausen will be the “Official Table Sponsor” when billiard champions from around the world go head-to-head February 10 in the Skins Billiards Championship and the Texas Hold ‘em Billiards Championship. The 2007 double-header event will be held at the Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA.
The Third Annual Skins Billiards Championship will be played under a format similar to Skins in professional golf.
The Scotch Doubles event will team Jeanette Lee with George Breedlove and Johnny Archer with Jennifer Barretta. The two teams will compete for a $40,000 prize purse in a 1-hour special event to be taped for telecast on ESPN. [ more ] |
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 An exclusive service to Billiard Congress of America Business
Members, the
BCA
Member Update
is announced via email twice monthly and
archived
online. Please forward, print and circulate this newsletter widely and feel
free to submit your comments
or contributions to Editor Linda Mojer, BCA Director of Communications, 719-264-8300 x120. |
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Copyright © Billiard Congress of America |
NEXT
ISSUE: Vol.4, No.2 – January 26, 2007 |
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