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Vol.4,
No.3 — February 9, 2007
| BCA |
:: MANAGEMENT RE-STRUCTURE ... Shifting its focus to marketing and research, the BCA has announced that it will partner with Meeting Expectations to provide membership, marketing, financial, IT and administrative services to the BCA. The Atlanta-based company is a strategic consulting firm specializing in providing services to national trade associations.
“Our membership has clearly stated a desire for the BCA to emphasize enhanced marketing, research, and strategic business improvement services, and we believe the best way to meet such needs is through a partnership with a seasoned organization such as Meeting Expectations,” said BCA CEO Rob Johnson.
 The contract with the firm begins in March, as the BCA reduces staff. The national office will also relocate to Denver in May to take advantage of the convenience offered by the DIA hub for meeting travel.
"Our goal is twofold; increasing efficiency and exceeding the expectations of the BCA’s members," said Brian Meyer, president of Meeting Expectations. “This partnership will enable the board to focus on providing guidance to the organization in order to ensure improved member satisfaction through marketing-oriented services. We will also assist the BCA with strategic planning by sharing the best practices we've developed through our years of experience in the association management field." [ full release ]
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| :: ENJOYPOOL.COM 9-BALL TICKETS GOING FAST |
Riviera Box Office Hours |
| Day |
Date |
Time |
| Saturday |
May 12 |
10:00 am - 6:00 pm |
| Sunday |
May 13 |
1:00 pm - 10:30 pm |
| Monday |
May 14 |
1:00 pm- 10:30 pm |
| Tuesday |
May 15 |
10:00 am - 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday |
May 16 |
10:00 am - 10:30 pm |
| Thursday |
May 17 |
10:00 am - 10:30 pm |
| Friday |
May 18 |
4:00 pm - 10:30 pm |
| Saturday |
May 19 |
11:00 am - 5:00 pm |
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TICKET SALES BRISK ... The EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships "virtual ticket window" opened early on Monday, February 5, and sales of VIP session packages quickly approached the sell-out mark. According to Peg Ledman, only a few of the VIP seats are left for the Saturday sessions.
Also released this week were the on-site box office hours (shown below), for any seats that may be available at the last minute. But if you want to be sure, don't wait! Call 615-859-9725 to reserve your spot! |
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| :: BCA EXPO BADGE DEADLINE |
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 FREE Admission Extended ... The advance registration deadline for attendee discounts has been EXTENDED through Thursday, March 1. Up to that date, BCA Business Members may order their admission badges for FREE (non-members will pay $50 per person). After that cutoff, prices go up to $25 for members; $100 for non-members.
Hundreds of exhibitors will be on hand to exhibit their product lines of billiard tables, cues, cases, cloth, slate, balls, chalk, racks, stands, lighting, instructional products, publications, accessories and league systems, plus furniture, bars, room décor, poker, game tables, video games, music systems, tanning beds, spas, apparel and novelty items. You'll want to be among the hundreds of retailers and room operators who will enjoy Las Vegas while they make purchases, compare brands and learn more about the billiard industry! Register online today and SAVE! |
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| :: US BAR TABLE CHAMPIONSHIPS |
 PlayBCA.com presents the 14th Annual US Bar Table Championships ... at the Sands Regency Casino Hotel in Reno, Nevada on February 28 - March 4. The event features both 8-Ball and 9-ball events, with $10,000 added to to each division, plus a $500 bonus for the woman finishing highest in each, and a $5,000 bonus to any player who wins both. All you have to bring is your cue…and your heart! Entries must be received by 02/20, and discounted room rates at the Sands Regency are available by calling (866) 386-7829. [ more ]
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MEDIA & PR REPORT |
THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL ... in Memphis, Tennessee featured Germantown resident, Professor Q-Ball, in a business section article by Chris Gadd, which began: Morris Frankel knew where to find his teenage son Paul every afternoon four decades ago. "In Brooklyn, I used to drag him out of the pool rooms," said Morris, 87. [ more ] |
 The photo sidebar summarized the billiards personality: Germantown resident Paul Frankel, known as Professor-Q-Ball, is an expert in three-cushion billiards and publishes a bi-monthly newspaper of pool and three-cushion news. Not very common, three-cushion billiards uses a table without pockets and only three balls. |
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MEMBER MARKETING
101 ... From "52 Ways to Make Pool Everybody's Game" |
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TIP № 22 |
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Host a “March Madness” collegiate competition to attract a younger audience. |
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STRATEGY: |
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During “March Madness,” promote your room as the place to watch great basketball while competing in a pool tournament. You can organize tournaments for fraternities, dorms and college clubs, all vying for the grand prize of a spring vacation. Once college students learn how fun it is to play pool, they’re likely to keep coming back. |
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EXECUTION: |
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- Send a mailer to fraternities, sororities, club presidents and dorm resident advisors promoting your “March Madness” tournament
- Advertise in college newspapers and put posters on campus and in fraternity/ sorority houses
- Offer a student discount for table time
- Work with a travel agency to develop a grand prize spring break trip for two in exchange for publicity
- Organize a live broadcast by the campus radio station (see Tip 17)
- Invite the college and local newspapers for additional coverage and promotion of the tournament
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| ::
PVA PARTNERS WITH NWPA |
 The Paralyzed Veterans of America website ... reports that its Sports and Recreation Program has launched a Billiards Program with the aid of the National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association. Billiards is a popular sport around the globe for both able-bodied people and people with disabilities.
“Billiards has always been a popular event at the annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games and it is exciting to institute a new program that builds on that popularity,” says Andy Krieger, director of the Sports and Recreation Program.
To launch the high-quality billiards program, PVA engaged the National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association, Inc. (NWPA), the national governing body of wheelchair billiards, to assist in the development of a unique series of billiards tournaments for people with disabilities. The PVA/NWPA National Wheelchair Billiards Tournament Series began with an inaugural event in Memphis, Tennessee last November. [ more ] |
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| :: BCA MEMBER NEWS |
:: BCA SPOTLIGHT |
Meeting Expectations ... from the association support page of its website, the BCA's new management firm cites "experience to offer, knowledge to share, and commitment to succeed" ... through membership recruitment, database management, membership communications and financial management. [ learn more ] |
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 The Mark Twain House & Museum ... in Hartford, Connecticut was recently featured in an article by Bob Downing of the Akron Beacon Journal, with the title "Mark Twain wrote, played billiards in 19-room Connecticut house". The article about famed humorist and social commentator appeared in the Home & Lifestyles section.
Within the piece, it was stated that Clemens "worked largely in a third-floor billiard room that opened on three sides to balconies. The high-ceilinged room is decorated on marble panels and on the ceiling with billiard cues, cigars and pipes. Clemens loved his billiards and cigars. He often awakened the butler in the middle of the night to play more billiards." [ article ]
Picked up by sister newspapers nationwide, the story ran in the San Jose Mercury News in January and directed readers to the estate website - MarkTwainHouse.org - where a floorplan and photos show the beautifully appointed billiard room. [ more ] |
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| :: BCA NOTES & NEWS BRIEFS |
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| NEW SITES, MORE TV |
Billiards Digest ... reported changes to the WPBA lineup, with: After several years in Albuquerque, N.M., the [WPBA] will be holding its U.S. Open in Lincoln, Rhode Island. A new convention space is currently being added to Lincoln Park and when the WPBA arrives, it will only be four months old and ready for world-class billiard action. [ more ] |
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| ! DATES TO NOTE ! |
| 02/21 |
Ouschan vs. Fisher |
| 03/01 |
Attendee Badge Orders (FREE before March 1) |
| 03/01 |
Membership Payment DUE to retain services |
| 03/07 |
BOD Nominations due |
| 03/22 |
Membership deadline for Board Election voting |
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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.4 – February 23, 2007 |
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