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Vol.4,
No.11 — July 3, 2007 |
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WITH AN INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE OVER LAST YEAR’S
EVENT … and a satisfied group of exhibitors that experienced
strong sales, the 24th edition of the
Billiard Congress of America
(BCA) International Home & Recreation Expo came to a solid close.
The event, held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas,
June 21 -23, 2007, offered three days of traditional Expo
happenings, as well as a few new attendee experiences.
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BCA CEO Rob Johnson (far left)
and members of the BCA Board officially start the Expo with the
ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Photo Credit: Inside POOL Magazine |
“Our theme, ‘It’s a
whole new game,’ was witnessed with our commitment to provide added
value to all attendees of the Expo and with the overall success of
the show,” commented Ivan Lee, chair of the Expo and newly elected
president of the BCA Board of Directors.
“The feature presentation
by Clyde Fessler, former vice president of business development for
Harley-Davidson, the consumer research review and the CEO roundtable
discussion provided informative dialogue that our membership has
been seeking, while the Commodores concert and golf tournament
provided added networking opportunities in a new, fun environment,”
Lee added. “All the special events exceeded our expectations with respect to
attendance.”
Attendance for the
three-day event rose 17 percent over last year’s show, with a total
of 2,156 buyers, as compared to 1,843 this past year in Houston.
“The attitude on the show floor was upbeat and positive, with many
exhibitors commenting to me personally about how successful the show
was for them,” said Lee.
The number of companies
exhibiting at the event equaled last year’s number at 234. Total
number of booths was 1,003 as compared to 1,272 last year in
Houston.
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The show floor comprised over
100,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.
Photo Credit: Inside POOL Magazine |
“We enjoyed what I
believe was our most successful show in years,” said Paul Darafeev,
chief financial officer, of Chino, California-based
Mikhail Darafeev,
Inc. “In fact, I’m not sure that I remember one as good since our
very first BCA show. We certainly had lots of folks expressing their
appreciation to see us back, especially from fellow exhibitors.”
“We are pleased with
the overall success of the Expo,” said Lee. “The attendance and
exhibitor participation levels were where we projected and the
feedback we’ve received so far is very positive for the event. We
will review the research we conducted during the show and begin
working on next year’s event in
Charlotte at the
Charlotte
Convention Center.”
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BCA EXPO HIGHLIGHTS |
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 When attendees weren’t busy exploring the
expansive show floor …
First Annual BCA Expo Golf Classic —
This year's first annual outing was held at the Stallion Mountain
Country Club. Close to 40 golfers braved the Vegas heat for a
morning on the links with the “Who’s Who” of the billiards industry.
The BCA would like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors of
the event: Championship/D&R;
TSreg; and
Tweeten Fibre.
BCA Annual Membership Meeting/Mixer
— BCA President Gregg Hovey took a moment to reflect on the past
year and BCA CEO Rob Johnson shared his vision for the future of the
BCA. In addition, the 2007-2008 Board of Directors elections were
completed [ new Board listing ]. Following the meeting, BCA members
enjoyed networking and socializing at the annual Membership Mixer.
Consumer Research Review — A packed
house learned more about the results of the recent BCA consumer
marketing survey during the “Understanding the Consumer Market”
session.
Opening Reception and Concert —
BCA’s first-ever live concert and party featured one of Motown's
greatest selling acts, The Commodores, who took the stage at The
Beach at Mandalay Bay. Scorching Vegas temperatures didn’t deter
concert-goers, who danced and socialized well into the evening.
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John Hoffman, Kathy Vegh and
Sean Cummings share their views during the State of the Industry
CEO Roundtable.
Photo Credit: Inside POOL Magazine |
Keynote Speaker Clyde Fessler —
Clyde Fessler, former vice president of business development with
Harley-Davidson, shared his insights with Expo attendees on how to
better develop business and marketing skills while striving to
reinvigorate one’s brand during anxious times.
State of the Industry CEO Roundtable
— The industry’s leading CEOs were on hand to discuss how today’s
issues, trends and opportunities are affecting the billiards
industry. Roundtable participants included: Nick Alexander,
Clicks Billiards; Sean Cummings, Brunswick Billiards; John Hoffman,
American Heritage; Ivan Lee, Iwan Simonis; Greg Peterson, Peters
Billiards; and Kathy Vegh, Danny Vegh’s Billiards & Home. |
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BCA MEMBER RIDES OFF INTO THE SUNSET AT EXPO |
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Connie Mueller, of BCA member
company Mueller Recreational Products, is all smiles after being
named the Harley-Davidson motorcycle grand-prize winner.
Photo Credit: Inside POOL Magazine
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Connie Mueller, of BCA member company
Mueller
Recreational Products in Lincoln, Nebraska … was the grand-prize
winner of a 2007 Harley-Davidson XL 1200C Sportster® 1200 custom
motorcycle, which was raffled off during the
2007 BCA International
Home & Recreation Expo in Las Vegas. The drawing was held on the
final day of the highly successful Expo.
Funds raised from the raffle will benefit the
Billiard Education Foundation (BEF), whose mission is to further a
standard of excellence and leadership with the billiard community by
engaging in activities relative to the educational and cultural
advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.
“We are extremely appreciative of all of the Expo
attendees that purchased raffle tickets,” said Rob Johnson, BCA
chief executive officer. “While we were only able to raffle one
fantastic motorcycle, we are all winners for our outstanding support
of the BEF.” |
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contents |
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bca
announces new board of directors |
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Following its general membership meeting in Las
Vegas, Nevada, on June 20, 2007 … the BCA announced the results
of the 2007-2008 Board of Directors elections.
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Ivan Lee
2007-2008
BCA President |
In follow-up elections, Ivan Lee (Iwan Simonis)
accepted a one-year term as BCA Board president, as did each of the
remaining seated officers: First Vice President Mike Baggett (Cue &
Case Sales); Second Vice President Renee Poehlman (American
Poolplayers Association); Secretary Sean Cummings (Brunswick
Billiards); and Treasurer Eric Weber (CueStix International).
The remaining directors include: Nick Alexander
(Clicks Billiards); George Darafeev (Mikhail Darafeev, Inc.);
Kathy
Etheridge (Showcase Billiards); Mark Griffin (BCA Pool League);
Barry Hart (Viking Cue Mfg., Inc.); Jim McDermott (Magoo’s
Billiards); John Petti (Atlas Billiard Supplies); Bob Radford
(Antique Billiard Supply); Brian Rosselli (Olhausen Billiard
Manufacturing, Inc.); Anthony L. Stick (The Billiard Factory); and
Kathy Vegh (Danny Vegh’s Billiards & Home).
“The BCA is poised to make some exciting changes
in the next year, including enhancing its current member benefits
while introducing a new consumer marketing program,” notes Lee. “I
look forward to working with the Board to continue to support the
BCA mission of enhancing the success of our members and promoting
the game of billiards.”
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contents |
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:: 2007 BEF
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS NAMED |
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Eight scholarship winners ... were named
last week by the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF), following a
rigorous review of over 110 hopefuls who had applied earlier in the
spring. The following high school seniors will receive academic
scholarship funds to assist with expenses in their early
undergraduate careers:
BEF
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION WINNER:
Andrea Gadon (Las Vegas, Nevada)
BCA
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS:
Danielle Bonner (Marietta, Georgia)
Galen Danskin (Quaker Hill, Connecticut)
Allison Kelliher (Waukensha, Wisconsin)
Karli MacDonald (Lighthouse Point, Florida)
Colin Marsh (Flint, Texas)
Tanner Pruess (Pierre, South Dakota)
Martin Vladimirov (Sofia, Bulgaria)
The single Excellence in Education recipient earns
a $5,000 award (over a two-year term), and seven individuals receive
$1,000 toward their freshman year expenses. The objective of the BEF
Academic Scholarship Program is to grant scholarships to high school
seniors who have benefited from the sport of billiards and are
pursuing a college education.
The BEF is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable
organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and
leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities
related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s
leaders. The BEF conducts various fundraisers to support its work,
such as the annual
BEF Challenge the Stars benefit. |
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BILLIARDS IN THE NEWS |
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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (SI.com) …
recently highlighted the positive impact the
American Poolplayers Association (APA) has made on the sport
of pool.
[
more
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IN OTHER NEWS ...
Francisco Bustamante went undefeated to take the
Hard Times 9-Ball Summer Jamboree title, June 19-21,
2007, at Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento, California.
A 72-player field turned out, including many top touring
pros and a large contingent of heavy hitters from the
West.
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Two German youth won the European World 14.1
Championship Qualifier to qualify for the main
event, The Predator World 14.1 Championships, which will
be held on July 9-14,2007, in East Brunswick, New
Jersey. They will join the ranks of their European
heroes at the event.
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Eric Hjorliefson ended the season just how he began
— by winning the Canadian 30K Tour’s last stop of the
season the weekend of June 23-24 in Scarborough,
Ontario.
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Alex
Pagulayan is the new champion in the Billiard
Factory World Summit of Pool, defeating the recently
crowned World 10-Ball champ Shane Van Boening in the
finals.
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NJ.com recently ran a feature article on the revival
of pool halls as more of family gathering places rather
than homes to pool sharks and heated rivalries.
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The Business Journal of Milwaukee reported that
BCA Member
Brunswick Billiards has entered into a joint venture
with Killerspin
to begin global distribution of table tennis products.
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MEMBER MARKETING
101 ... From "52 Ways to Make Pool Everybody's Game" |
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TIP № 11 |
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Offer free pool instruction to
schools as an effective way to
teach geometry, physics or
physical education. |
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STRATEGY: |
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Pool is a perfect game
to teach students the
concepts of geometry or
physics, sportsmanship
and team-playing
strategies. Pool
naturally provides a
great hands-on aspect to
the respective class
curriculum, creating a
fun learning
environment. By
introducing pool to a
younger audience, you
can attract more
families and pave the
way for a lifetime of
business. |
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EXECUTION: |
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For
lists of instructors and
coaches in your area, visit
www.bca-pool.com.
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Approach local school
athletic or curriculum
directors with a proposal
for pool instruction.
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Emphasize how pool is a fun
and creative way to teach
students valuable lessons.
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Offer
to have your instructors
work with the teachers to
create a lesson plan.
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Note
that smoking and alcohol are
not allowed during the
class.
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Give
each student an inexpensive
billiard-related cue product
that bears your logo and
address.
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Organize an awards program
to end the last session on a
high note.
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contents |
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:: BCA
SPOTLIGHT |
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BCA MARKETING DIRECTOR TRISH SEEBOHM …
is another new addition to the BCA team. Trish is a
graduate of Colorado State University in Fort Collins,
Colorado, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in
Business Administration. Trish has over seven years of
experience in marketing, promotions and corporate
sponsorship held with various organizations such as the
University of Hawaii, Colorado State University, the
Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado, Drake
University and the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield,
Colorado.
Trish is a native of Fort Collins,
Colorado, and in her free time enjoys traveling, skiing and
watching college football.
Trish is based in Broomfield and can be
reached at
trish@bca-pool.com. In her role with the BCA, Trish is
working closely with Rob Johnson, BCA chief executive
officer, on several new initiatives, including the impending
launch of a new consumer marketing program. |
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| :: BCA NOTES & NEWS BRIEFS |
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BCA PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT |
| Attention BCA
members … the BCA recently introduced a new
partnership with
Association Health Programs
(AHP).
This nationwide program includes health insurance,
life insurance, long-term care insurance, cancer
coverage, accident insurance, disability income,
critical illness, dental insurance, vision and more!
AHP, of Overland Park, Kansas, has been retained to
administer the program. Stuart Pase, president and
certified senior advisor, welcomes all BCA members
to take advantage of these special benefits,
protection, underwriting and pricing.
If your company is a current BCA member and is
interested in learning more about this beneficial
new member benefit, contact AHP for a free
evaluation of your current benefits at 913.341.2860
or 888.450.3040. Be sure to also visit the AHP Web
site at
www.associationpros.com. Also be sure to keep an
eye on the BCA Web
site for additional information, as well as
upcoming issues of BCA Member Update!
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MISSED THE WOMEN'S
9-BALL SEMI-FINALS? |
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If you were unable
to catch the original airings ...
have no fear! ESPN2 will air the women’s
semi-final match on August 25, 2007, at
3:00 p.m. Be sure to tune in to watch
Jasmin Ouschan versus Allison Fisher in
the semi-final round.
Keep an eye out for
additional rebroadcast dates of all of
the
EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships
action! |
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TEXAS STUDENTS GEAR UP FOR JUNIOR NATIONALS |
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Eight high school students
... will represent Texas and
the B.E.T.T.E.R. High School Billiard Program next month at the 2007 Junior Nationals
Championships and will be honored as
Billiard
Education Foundation (BEF) Academic
All-Americans. These students must maintain a 3.5
GPA or better and qualify to be selected to compete
at the highly competitive and prestigious 2007 BEF
Junior Nationals, July 12-15, 2007, at Minnesota
State University in Mankato, Minnesota. |
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COMING
UP ... |
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>> JULY
... 67th ACUI Collegiate
9-Ball Championships/19th Annual Junior
Nationals,
Minnesota State
University,
July 10-15
... BCA Board Meeting in Atlanta, July
11-12
... U.S. Open Wheelchair 8-Ball Championship,
Northfield, Ohio,
July 20-22
>> AUGUST
... APA National Team
Championships in
Las Vegas,
August 17-25
... EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Women's Semi-Final
Rebroadcast on ESPN, August 25
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OCTOBER
... 32nd Annual U.S.
Open 9-Ball Championships,
Chesapeake, Virginia,
October 14-27
>> NOVEMBER
... APA U.S. Amateur
Championship, Atlanta,
Georgia,
November 2-4
... BCAPL
Qlympics, Louisville, Kentucky,
November 1-18
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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.12 |
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