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Vol.4,
No.8 — May 11, 2007 |
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BCA ANNUAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS ARE
UNDERWAY ... with ballots scheduled for
release Friday, May 11, 2007. As stipulated by the
association bylaws, all Voting, Associate, Retailer and Room
Operator members — current as of March 20, 2007 (90 days prior to
the election) — will be issued a ballot.
Five seats are available for Voting member representatives, one seat
is available for Retail and one seat is available for Room Operator.
With regard to the ballot, the number of candidates is equal
to the number of available board seats. However, it is important
for you to vote. Please also understand that with respect to
the Voting Member Directors, the four (4) who receive the most
number of votes will each earn a three-year term, and the individual
who receives the fifth highest number of votes will earn a one-year
term to fill a vacancy on an unexpired term.
Three incumbent bids have been
entered by current board members Nick Alexander, Barry Hart and
Renee Poehlman, who are each seeking re-election. [
current Board ]
Completed ballots must be returned to
the BCA offices (in the envelope provided) by Wednesday,
June 6, 2007, or may be hand-carried to the
BCA Annual
Membership Meeting at the
International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo in Las Vegas on
June 20.
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HEADING TO THE EXPO? |
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 BCA
Business Members ... have enjoyed several deadline extensions on
savings with FREE attendance badges, which are still available
through Tuesday, May 15, 2007.
Sign up
for your badge today! Later, those badges will cost
members $25 each, and $100 each for non-members.
At this year’s event ... the BCA will be
holding a raffle to win a 2007
Harley Davidson XL 1200C Sportster® 1200 Custom Motorcycle.
Tickets are 1 for $20.00; 3 for $50.00; or 6 for $100.00. Your
contribution will benefit the
Billiard Education
Foundation. The drawing will be held in the BCA Booth
#2000 at the Expo on Saturday, June 23, 2007, at 1:00 p.m.
Winner need not be present to win. Winner is responsible for
shipping charges and Nevada state taxes. To purchase tickets in
advance, you can download the order form on the
BCA Expo Web site (coming
soon). The deadline to pre-order raffle tickets is Friday, June
15, 2007. If you do not pre-order these raffle tickets, visit
the BCA Booth #2000 and buy them onsite at the Expo.
BCA Expo exhibitors ... save up to 62%
when you ship to the BCA Expo with Roadway. In addition, Roadway
guarantees your shipment to the Expo or advance warehouse at no
additional charge. For a free rate quote, call Siriani & Associates,
administrators of the BCA Freight Savings Plan, at 800.554.0005 or
visit the Siriani Web
site for more information. |
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BCA CEO PARTICIPATES in
brunswick billiards enrichment conference |
BCA Chief Executive Officer Rob Johnson … recently
participated in the Brunswick Billiards Enrichment Conference, May
2-3, 2007, at the Cancun Omni in Cancun, Mexico. Attendees at the
event included Brunswick dealer representatives, who were exposed to
a series of guest speakers who shared information about Brunswick,
as well as industry best practices. During the event, Johnson
presented an overview of current BCA initiatives, as well as a
forecast for future activities.
“This was a first-class event produced by Brunswick,” said Johnson.
“My attendance at the event was another great opportunity for me to
learn more about the industry, as well as the issues and
opportunities facing our membership. Special thanks to Brunswick
President Sean Cummings for allowing me to participate.”
Johnson will once again take the BCA on the road with a presentation
on May 21, 2007, to attendees at the upcoming
Billiard and Bowling
Institute of America conference in Tampa, Florida. |
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STARS TO SHINE BRIGHT DURING
BEF FUNDRAISER |
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'Em Up ... The
Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) will host the annual
Challenge the Stars Benefit in conjunction with the BCA
National 8-Ball Championships and the EnjoyPool.com
9-Ball Championships, in Las Vegas, on Tuesday, May 15,
2007. The special benefit offers players a chance to rub
shoulders with the top pros and challenge one of their favorites
to a game of 9-Ball. With 128 of the world’s top pros on hand,
enthusiastic players and fans will have plenty of opportunities
to get up-close-and-personal with their favorite billiard stars.
This entertaining fundraiser offers players
the option of selecting the $10 BCA Challenge (BEF picks the pro
for one game of 9-Ball), the $40 Pro Challenge (one game of
9-Ball with one of three top choices, based on availability) or
the $100 Ultimate Challenge (three games of 9-Ball with one of
three top choices). Plan to take part as a challenger, or you
are welcome to donate an item to the auction to support the
BEF Scholarship Fund.
Invited pros such as Jeanette Lee, Allison
Fisher, Karen Corr, Loree Jon Jones, Vivian Villarreal, Tony
Robles, Mike Massey, Jasmin Ouschan, Ewa Laurance, Laura Smith,
Julie Kelly and a host of other professional players will take a
break from the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships to help raise
funds for the BEF. Each challenger will receive a certificate
and souvenir photo taken with their pro opponent. Admission is
free for viewing. |
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:: BCA HALL OF FAMER RELEASES 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION BOOK |
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 BCA
Hall of Famer Ray “Cool Cat” Martin … shares his
secrets for playing winner’s pool in The 99 Critical Shots in Pool:
Everything You Need to Know to Learn and Master the Game.
The book, first written by Ray and Rosser Reeves in the 1970s and
now recently updated with a new introduction by Ray, contains over
200 illustrations that show the proper form, technique and approach
to shots such as: the Center Ball Cheat-the-Pocket; the Hook Shot;
the Seven Ball Stop Shot; the Jump Shot; the Frozen Kiss Shot; the
Nudge Shot; and the Side Pocket By-Pas Shot.
“The game of pool has gone through many changes in
the past three decades, and will surely continue to shift in the
future,” notes Martin. “But learning the layouts of straight pool
will definitely help anyone who wants to play a better game.” The
30th anniversary edition of this “must-have” book for any lover of
the game of pool is
now available. Price: $15.
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BILLIARDS IN THE NEWS |
MAY 2007 ISSUE OF GOLF DIGEST …
featured a story about a one-time Masters
champ that credits his success on the links to time well
spent playing
pool. Doug Ford, who donned the coveted green jacket
during the 1957 Masters championship, is quoted in the
article as saying, “Growing up on Manhattan Island, I
spent a lot of time in pool rooms. My uncle was a New
York state billiard champion, and I spent the winters
cleaning tables for a little money and free pool. I came
to realize that pool is a great game for a young golfer.
It really is. It gives you such a natural feel for
angles. You tend to aim the putter very squarely, and of
course you have nice touch.”
[
more
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IN OTHER NEWS ...
AZBilliards.com
notes that Kelly Fisher made history by winning the WPBA
San Diego Classic for the third year in a row.
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AccessNorthGa.com reports that billiards will be
added to the 2007 edition of the Georgia Games, an
Olympic-style sporting event for Georgia residents.
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Pool &
Billiard Magazine reports that Jasmin Ouschan, of
Austria, won the first ever MBC ESPN Women’s World Pool
Cup at the City Center Terminal in Seoul, Korea.
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MEMBER MARKETING
101 ... From "52 Ways to Make Pool Everybody's Game" |
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TIP № 31 |
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Hold monthly pool instruction
clinics to encourage repeat
visits to your business. |
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STRATEGY: |
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Whether you want to keep
good customers coming
back or convince
prospects to make a
commitment, monthly
clinics will help. Any
time you promote the
game and help customers
hone their skills, you
boost interest in the
game and enhance the
image of your business. |
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EXECUTION: |
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Create and mail a
promotional postcard to your
database.
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Promote the clinic on radio
sport talk shows.
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Recruit instructors or pros
to do demonstrations (for a
list of BCA instructors, go
to
www.bca-pool.com).
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Show (and sell)
instructional or tournament
videos.
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Teach one rule or term in
each clinic (e.g., a proper
8- and 9-ball rack, the
nuances of Open Table,
etc.).
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Encourage customers to “test
drive” cues and accessories
and offer special deals.
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Distribute How to Play Pool
right booklets, or rule
booklets that may be
available at no charge from
the various league systems
(e.g., APA, BCA or VNEA).
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:: BCA
SPOTLIGHT |
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 BCA
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR KARI FREELAND … is one of the
newest members of the BCA team. Kari is a recent graduate of
Valdosta State University, where she obtained a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Fine Arts. While in school, Kari worked as a
senior event coordinator in the Office of Event Services at
Valdosta State, as well as participated in several
internships focused on sales and marketing, customer service
and client relations.
Hailing from a small town in South
Georgia, family is of the utmost importance to Kari and
staying in touch and being with them is what she enjoys
most. Kari also has an artistic side and likes to visit
museums that highlight anything from the contemporary to the
traditional. She’s most fascinated with Michelangelo and the
Italian Renaissance. She also likes to stay active with her
dog and her nephew, both whom keep her very busy.
Kari is based in Atlanta and can be
reached at
kari@bca-pool.com. Kari stands ready to assist BCA
members with any questions they may have regarding the BCA,
upcoming BCA events and the benefits of BCA membership. |
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| :: BCA NOTES & NEWS BRIEFS |
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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT |
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2007 BCA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY ...
is your quick reference guide to BCA products and services, as
well as a comprehensive listing of all BCA members, is now
complete and has been shipped. If you have yet to receive your
copy, please contact Kari Freeland, BCA membership coordinator,
at kari@bca-pool.com or
866.852.0999. The BCA Member Directory is the single most
comprehensive listing of qualified industry
professionals in the business, from major
manufacturers to retailers, large and small ... from
high-end metro billiard parlors to non-profit
centers nationwide. |
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COMING UP ... |
>> MAY ... BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships in Las Vegas, May 11-19
... EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships in Las Vegas, May 13-19
... BCA Hall of Fame Induction in Las Vegas, May 15
>> JUNE
... 24th BCA International Billiard & Home Recreation EXPO
in Las Vegas, June 21-23
>> JULY
... 19th Annual ACUI Collegiate
9-Ball Championships/19th Annual Junior Nationals,
Minnesota State
University,
July 10-15
... BCA Board Meeting in Atlanta, July
11-12
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BCA WELCOMES
NEW MEMBERS |
| The BCA extends ...
a warm welcome to the following new members who joined
in April 2007: ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:
Jianli Billiards
Co. Ltd.
Weese Billiards
Firestone Financial Corp.
Joola North America, LLC
RMP Designs, LLC
RETAIL MEMBERS:
Blackhawk Ventures
Pool Tables Plus
One Shot Billiards, LLC
Golden West Billiards
Corner Pocket Billiards
Netshops
Wholesale Billiards
and More
DNH Pool Tables and Jukebox Service and Repair
CheapCues.com
B&S Billiard Outlet of Dallas
Gauth's Dart and
Billiards, LLC
HobbyTown USA
Family Fun Pools, Inc.
Beaver Machine Corporation
Billard and Barstools Warehouse, Inc.
Discount Arcade Distributing, Inc.
Tarson Supply
ROOM OPERATOR MEMBERS:
Stickz & Ballz Billiardz |
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BCA RULES EXPERTS TACKLE TOUGH RULES QUESTIONS |
Special thanks ... to the BCA’s tag-team of rules experts who
have volunteered their expertise in answering
rules questions: Bill Stock and Randy Goettlicher.
If you or any of your customers have a question
about the finer points of a rule or a particular
scenario, send the BCA an
e-mail with "Rules Question" in the
subject line for a prompt forward and reply!
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ESPN ANNOUNCES ENJOYPOOL.COM
9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
AIR DATES |
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
2:00 p.m.
Men’s Semi-Final
Sunday, June 24, 2007
3:00 p.m.
Men’s Final
Sunday, June 24, 2007
4:00 p.m.
Women’s Semi-Final
Sunday, June 24, 2007
5:00 p.m.
Women’s Final
All times are Eastern and all broadcasts are
on ESPN.
9-Ball Tournament pro player rosters are also
available on
EnjoyPool.com.
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 An exclusive service to Billiard Congress of America Business
Members, the
BCA
Member Update
is announced via e-mail twice monthly and
archived
online. Please forward, print and circulate this newsletter widely and feel
free to submit your comments
or contributions to Robin Dahlen,
associate managing director. |
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Copyright © Billiard Congress of America |
NEXT
ISSUE: Vol.4, No.9 |
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