We Get What We Deserve

Hey Lou what shows did you work at? The shows here have had numerous issues. Granted each year they do a great job of fixing (or attempting to) the problems encountered the year before. However some of these problems could have been foreseen and addressed earlier.

My point is that even with the big budgets, expertise, and experience of individuals such as yourself things get missed. Each year will bring new issues that have to be dealt with. It's how these issues are addressed which will determine the success of any event. Constructive criticism helps, but as it was pointed out earlier helping find a solution would go further.
 
lfigueroa said:
Thinking things through and solving not only the expected problems, but the unexpected ones as well. As the chief public affairs officer for the USAF, at a number of bases here and overseas, we’d occasionally hold something called an air show. You know, one of those quaint little gatherings that start out with a bare field and taxiway. We bring in little pieces of equipment like bombers, fighters, helicopters, cargo planes, refuelers, have a couple little aerial demos by The Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, and Golden Knights. A quarter million people showing up is no big deal. Gee, we need to give these folks efficient access to the show; we need to park them; they’re going to want decent food and drink; probably going to need sufficient bathrooms; how about some place to sit in the shade; maybe we’ll have old folks and VIPs that we need to help shuttle around; maybe we need to brief and train everyone involved so they know what questions they’ll be asked and how to answer them knowledgeably. I'm guessing that there are many of you who have also put on large events and know what I'm talking about.
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Having worked in the Media as a FREELANCE Photographer I do not think it is fair to compare the RESOURCES of a PIO at Military Bases run by the USN, USMC, USAF, or ARMY with some guy trying to promote a local, regional, or national POOL EVENT.

Stand on any street corner is the USA, and ask the passers by if they ever heard of Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, and Golden Knights Demonstration Teams. I would say 3 out of 10 would say yes even if the corner was in COOL CALIFORNIA.

Ask the same group of people if they ever heard of any of the TOP 10 Women or Mens Pool Players, and the answer will be different. 9 out of to would reply what was the question.

AS a Military PIO you had access, and contact in the Media, that most people trying to promote a Pool Event don't have a clue about. Plus a budget, Staff who you can order to work around the clock, or PR Agency to get the media to their events.

The US Military has one powerful PR Machine to get the Public Out to Air Shows.
 
would be a blast!

Maniac said:
Great post Justin!!! This is how I've felt about this subject for a long time now.

Between you, Hu, myself, and quite a few others here on AZB, we could probably put together (if we had backers of course ;)) a shoot-n-shoot tournament. Pool and rifles/pistols. THAT would be a BLAST (pun intended!!!).

Stay cool, my friend!!!

Maniac
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I wish we could figure out how to do that, even a three P thing, pool, poker, and pistols. We had a great steel plate match down below New Orleans. Lasted about twenty years and turned out some champions. Lost it when Katrina wiped out everything and it never came back. Paper is fun but steel is real. I do like head to head eight inch steel plates.

Keeping things slightly on topic, we did shoot for yankee dollars in most of the pistol and rifle competitions I shot in. Didn't turn a profit but it wasn't a dead loss either. About like pool when I think about it.

Hu
 
If you want the Media to Cover & Promote your Event you need only the following.

1. Flashy Press Kit.

2. Local PR/Advertising Agency to work the Media For You.

3. Media Day-with GREAT FREE FOOD

BUNDLES of MONEY for Three Above.

California State Fair use to have a Media Day to promote the State Fair a few days before the State Fair opened. They always had the SAME BARBQUE PLACE Cater the Event with the same GREAT TRI TIP Barbeque The FREE LUNCH, the Tent for the Lunch was alway packed for the Event, and the State Fair got boo koo press coverge
 
Whenever I was in a meeting that the outcome would have a direct impact on the quality of the product, I'd ask these questions "What value do you place on your reputation? Are you willing to comprise that for any reason?"

Another way to put it-You are only as good as your last product, game, show or in this case, tournament. It doesn't matter what happen before. Only what is happening at the current moment in time matters. You can not get back the time one feels that was wasted attending a event that was not run well.

Being on the west coast, going to any pool related event on the east coast would cost me quite a bit. To me, that's a invest of my money and my time and as such I want as much return on my invest as possible. Start thinking in these terms. Did you get back enough on your invest of time and money?

Life is short......one can not be wasting time on bad investments.
 
JCIN said:
This is not to pick on you JAM it really isnt but that mindset right there is why pool sucks in a nutshell.

Go ask a golfer, bass fisherman, hunter, drag racer or damn near any other thing how much income they make off their recreational hobby and they would look at you like you were speaking Vulcan.

Pool is the only game/sport/hobby I have experienced where it is expected that people should get more money out of playing it than they put in.

Now I know you are talking playing the game for a living and I see your point but the mindset is the same through out the game at all levels it seems.

I have recently goten back into shooting pistol and rifle competitions. Every Monday I go shoot a steel match that costs $20 to enter. You know what they add? $0. You know what they pay back? $0. $20 is the fee for the people who set up and do all the work to allow me to do something I enjoy. No one expects to make money at it because it is a hobby/passion/game. In pool a great many people feel like if they dont at least have a chance to take out more than they put in then its some kind of scam or not worth it.
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I think part of the issue is the almost indistinguishable line between pros and amateurs at this game. Frankly, if it were any other sport, I wouldn't be able to just pay my entry and play with the Tigers, Rorys, Phils of the sport. Some guys are trying to pay the mortgage/rent, and some of us are out for S&Gs.

Lou Figueroa
 
dardusm said:
I can remember a time before the release of the Color of Money, when there wasn't a DCC or SBE. Using your logic, if we don't attend then the possibility exists that these shows will simply go away and not be replaced by a better product. I would rather have these shows than nothing at all.
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ah... what you're saying is so far removed from "my logic" I wouldn't know where to start.

Lou Figueroa
so I won't
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
I initially said that pool doesn't deserve to be in the current state that it's in. Maybe I was wrong.

Consider the 14.1 Fury Cues Pool Challenge that was recently held. The top two finalists decided to split/chop the prize fund rather than duke it out. As a result, Fury Cues has decided to reevaluate their future sponsorships. I also made a donation to this event and have decided to no longer support future 14.1 events.

Sadly, maybe pool does deserve to be in the dog house.
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I think part of the problem is that some of the 14.1 events/challenges are relegated to add-on or side show status. So they end up the Rodney Dangerfield of the event.

Lou Figueroa
 
JAM said:
Good point. One of my favorite pool tournaments was the Glass City Open. People complained about the gate fees, et cetera, and meanwhile the organizers were lucky to break even.

Today, sadly, there is no more Glass City Open, no more Seminole Pro Tour, no more Windy City Open, no more IPT, no more BCA Open, fewer regional tours, et cetera.
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Part of that is due to the decline and deaths of so many pool halls across the country. Just imagine if each city still had numerous quality rooms. Here in St. Louis we've lost at least a half dozen rooms in recent memory and are about to lose another, and will basically be left with two pool rooms by the summer.

Lou Figueroa
 
stumpie71 said:
Hey Lou what shows did you work at? The shows here have had numerous issues. Granted each year they do a great job of fixing (or attempting to) the problems encountered the year before. However some of these problems could have been foreseen and addressed earlier.

My point is that even with the big budgets, expertise, and experience of individuals such as yourself things get missed. Each year will bring new issues that have to be dealt with. It's how these issues are addressed which will determine the success of any event. Constructive criticism helps, but as it was pointed out earlier helping find a solution would go further.
Click to expand...


So you go to a crappy movie, but since you've never personally produced a major motion picture, I'm sure you never mention to a soul what you thought was wrong with it. And I don't know about you, but I like to get paid for solving other people's problems :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
If you want the Media to Cover & Promote your Event you need only the following.

1. Flashy Press Kit.

2. Local PR/Advertising Agency to work the Media For You.

3. Media Day-with GREAT FREE FOOD

BUNDLES of MONEY for Three Above.

California State Fair use to have a Media Day to promote the State Fair a few days before the State Fair opened. They always had the SAME BARBQUE PLACE Cater the Event with the same GREAT TRI TIP Barbeque The FREE LUNCH, the Tent for the Lunch was alway packed for the Event, and the State Fair got boo koo press coverge
Click to expand...


Amazing how little you apparently know about public relations.

Lou Figueroa
 
duckie said:
Whenever I was in a meeting that the outcome would have a direct impact on the quality of the product, I'd ask these questions "What value do you place on your reputation? Are you willing to comprise that for any reason?"

Another way to put it-You are only as good as your last product, game, show or in this case, tournament. It doesn't matter what happen before. Only what is happening at the current moment in time matters. You can not get back the time one feels that was wasted attending a event that was not run well.

Being on the west coast, going to any pool related event on the east coast would cost me quite a bit. To me, that's a invest of my money and my time and as such I want as much return on my invest as possible. Start thinking in these terms. Did you get back enough on your invest of time and money?

Life is short......one can not be wasting time on bad investments.
Click to expand...


Right. There is also the issue of picking your targets of opportunity given limited resources. Since we're all pool sickos here I'm guessing that we'd all love to go to all the pool events, regardless of whether they were great, good, or not so good. I mean, it's still pool, right? But most of us have limits on the time, money, and effort we can direct at, for what is for most of us, merely a passion, hobby, and/or recreational activity.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
Part of that is due to the decline and deaths of so many pool halls across the country. Just imagine if each city still had numerous quality rooms. Here in St. Louis we've lost at least a half dozen rooms in recent memory and are about to lose another, and will basically be left with two pool rooms by the summer.

Lou Figueroa
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We don't even have a pool room in my area, unless I drive 40 miles to Baltimore or 30 miles in gridlock rush-hour traffic to Virginia. Oh, boy! :grin-square:
 
I posted a quite lengthy explanation of several aspects of the 2012 Super Billiards Expo in another thread. I believe proper forum etiquette dictates that I don't re-post here, so I won't unless it is requested.

However, I would like to point out that the venue we chose is also deemed an adequate venue for the following industries/events:

- Delaware Valley Science Fair
- Advance Job Fair for Health Professionals
- The Hot Tub/Home Swim & Spa Expo
- Sugarloaf Crafts Festival
- Log & Timber Home Show
- Northeast Rod & Custom Car Show
- National Stamp Exhibition
- Builders Competition & Contractors Sale

So, apparently the venue is deemed suitable accommodations for other industries as well. Many, many trade show facilities are just like the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center - large open spaces suited for easy installation and removal of vendors and displays as well as housing thousands of guests.

No, the venue is not a grand ballroom. It is a massive space providing over 200,000 square feet of uninterrupted floorspace suitable for an event of this magnitude. The cost for vendors and participants is also much lower than if the event were housed in a grand ballroom type environment. The Open Amateur event was a $75 entry fee for a four day event, which paid $500 or more to everyone finishing in the top 64, which means you only had to win 4 matches. The venue was far from a dark and dirty warehouse as some would like to imply. Yes, there are exposed beams in the ceiling and visible garage bay type doors. Those same doors are what allowed us to bring in and set-up nearly 200 beautiful Diamond Barbox tables, several 4x9 pro event tables, seating for thousands of poolplayers, booth collateral for over 100 vendors occupying more than 150 booth spaces, and merchandise for a short period traversing over a 7 day span.

Yes, we ran into some unforeseen circumstances.

Are we perfect? No, No one is.

Do we expect everyone to be delighted with the changes? Of course not, there can never be 100% satisfaction.

Did we work hard in the hopes that everyone would still have a great time and that the vendors would be busy enough to make it worth their while? Absolutely.

Do we have the operating budget and manpower of the US military branches? I don't even feel this requires an answer. Or even an operating budget on par with any other national sporting association or trade organization? Not close. However, is the cost of admission or cost of exhibiting at our event even close to other national events of this sort the same? Nope. Exhibits at the PGA Expo start at nearly 3 times the cost of exhibiting at the Super Billiards Expo.

However, what we did do was try our hardest to provide an exciting and fun event for thousands of poolplayers, spectators, and fans of the game from around the world (yes, as of what we know, over at least 7 different countries were represented) to come and enjoy. In addition, we created a safe and profitable arena for vendors to showcase their products to the fans and spectators who want to see them. When we ran into obstacles, we did what we could to overcome them. The situations that could not be fixed immediately (such as bathroom availability) will be addressed and fixed for next year.

To imply that we merely corralled thousands of fans and players into a warehouse for our own personal profit or gain is a vast and inaccurate assertion. And to make this implication without actually being at the event is nothing more than an ignorant opinion.

Rest assured, we will make changes and improvements so that the new venue can be a great home for the show. If we feel that it can't be, we will find some place that can. Now that we have completely set-up and run the show, we can see what needs to be fixed and improved upon. And in the process, we provided a one-of-a-kind well-organized series of events for players on top quality equipment and a temporary robust marketplace for all types of vendors to a target market eager to see their wares.

Thanks again to all of you who attended the 2012 Super Billiards Expo. Your support over the years has helped make the show the great event that it is for everyone involved. We will continue to listen to your feedback and work on making the show something that we can all love and enjoy!
 
I was at the expo with my wife and son,had no problems with restrooms in the morning,afternoon,or night,watch the pros,some amatures'and action in the pit it beat the hell out of that huge mall my wife drug me around,but it was a family trip,talked with some nice people at the expo and ment the owner of diamond pool tables,we drove six hours to get there spent alot of money,and had a great time,never even picked up a pool stick but I do have a diamond table that will be delivered this weekend :)great job to every one running the expo,the chess family.
 
allen_jr said:
I posted a quite lengthy explanation of several aspects of the 2012 Super Billiards Expo in another thread. I believe proper forum etiquette dictates that I don't re-post here, so I won't unless it is requested.

However, I would like to point out that the venue we chose is also deemed an adequate venue for the following industries/events:

- Delaware Valley Science Fair
- Advance Job Fair for Health Professionals
- The Hot Tub/Home Swim & Spa Expo
- Sugarloaf Crafts Festival
- Log & Timber Home Show
- Northeast Rod & Custom Car Show
- National Stamp Exhibition
- Builders Competition & Contractors Sale

So, apparently the venue is deemed suitable accommodations for other industries as well. Many, many trade show facilities are just like the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center - large open spaces suited for easy installation and removal of vendors and displays as well as housing thousands of guests.

No, the venue is not a grand ballroom. It is a massive space providing over 200,000 square feet of uninterrupted floorspace suitable for an event of this magnitude. The cost for vendors and participants is also much lower than if the event were housed in a grand ballroom type environment. The Open Amateur event was a $75 entry fee for a four day event, which paid $500 or more to everyone finishing in the top 64, which means you only had to win 4 matches. The venue was far from a dark and dirty warehouse as some would like to imply. Yes, there are exposed beams in the ceiling and visible garage bay type doors. Those same doors are what allowed us to bring in and set-up nearly 200 beautiful Diamond Barbox tables, several 4x9 pro event tables, seating for thousands of poolplayers, booth collateral for over 100 vendors occupying more than 150 booth spaces, and merchandise for a short period traversing over a 7 day span.

Yes, we ran into some unforeseen circumstances.

Are we perfect? No, No one is.

Do we expect everyone to be delighted with the changes? Of course not, there can never be 100% satisfaction.

Did we work hard in the hopes that everyone would still have a great time and that the vendors would be busy enough to make it worth their while? Absolutely.

Do we have the operating budget and manpower of the US military branches? I don't even feel this requires an answer. Or even an operating budget on par with any other national sporting association or trade organization? Not close. However, is the cost of admission or cost of exhibiting at our event even close to other national events of this sort the same? Nope. Exhibits at the PGA Expo start at nearly 3 times the cost of exhibiting at the Super Billiards Expo.

However, what we did do was try our hardest to provide an exciting and fun event for thousands of poolplayers, spectators, and fans of the game from around the world (yes, as of what we know, over at least 7 different countries were represented) to come and enjoy. In addition, we created a safe and profitable arena for vendors to showcase their products to the fans and spectators who want to see them. When we ran into obstacles, we did what we could to overcome them. The situations that could not be fixed immediately (such as bathroom availability) will be addressed and fixed for next year.

To imply that we merely corralled thousands of fans and players into a warehouse for our own personal profit or gain is a vast and inaccurate assertion. And to make this implication without actually being at the event is nothing more than an ignorant opinion.

Rest assured, we will make changes and improvements so that the new venue can be a great home for the show. If we feel that it can't be, we will find some place that can. Now that we have completely set-up and run the show, we can see what needs to be fixed and improved upon. And in the process, we provided a one-of-a-kind well-organized series of events for players on top quality equipment and a temporary robust marketplace for all types of vendors to a target market eager to see their wares.

Thanks again to all of you who attended the 2012 Super Billiards Expo. Your support over the years has helped make the show the great event that it is for everyone involved. We will continue to listen to your feedback and work on making the show something that we can all love and enjoy!
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My only specific comments would be that it doesn't take the resources of any particular military service to put on a good event enjoyed by the majority of attendees. Lots of folks -- civilians -- manage it every day. Also, to the best of my recollection *no one* said that you "corralled thousands of fans and players into a warehouse for our own personal profit or gain." And, my opinion, ignorant or otherwise, is that someone doesn't have to personally attend an event to comment on the *numerous* observations posted on this forum by credible members of the community. I think there are several threads on the subject (and a poll) while the "positive" thread posted a few days ago died a quick death. So I don't personally believe being a non-attendant invalidates opinion or comment -- this is discussion forum and all that. Lastly, as I've said a couple of times, this thread, while sparked by a recent event, was mostly a statement on pool events in general.

Udder than that, I guess everyone can wait until next year and see how it goes.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
Amazing how little you apparently know about public relations.

Lou Figueroa
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I was not on the end of promoting, I was on the end of being told of events to cover. Also in dealing with the Media you can have a GREAT PR Campaign, and everyone is going to come to your event.

Than some BIG NEWS Story breaks, and all that pre event work goes down the toilet. Like when the TWIN TOWN WENT DOWN, the World Media went to cover the big story.
 
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lfigueroa said:
Also, to the best of my recollection *no one* said that you "corralled thousands of fans and players into a warehouse for our own personal profit or gain." And, my opinion, ignorant or otherwise, is that someone doesn't have to personally attend an event to comment on the *numerous* observations posted on this forum by credible members of the community. I think there are several threads on the subject (and a poll) while the "positive" thread posted a few days ago died a quick death. So I don't personally believe being a non-attendant invalidates opinion or comment -- this is discussion forum and all that.

Lou Figueroa
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Lou,

Got to disagree on the "no one" comment. Read several posts on various threads on the SBE and several people essentially said Allen and company were "ripping" the players, exhibitors and visitors off . I vehemently disagree! It was not what we were used to but certainly acceptable. From my viewpoint, you DID have to be there to understand.

Lyn
 
lfigueroa said:
My only specific comments would be that it doesn't take the resources of any particular military service to put on a good event enjoyed by the majority of attendees. Lots of folks -- civilians -- manage it every day. Also, to the best of my recollection *no one* said that you "corralled thousands of fans and players into a warehouse for our own personal profit or gain." And, my opinion, ignorant or otherwise, is that someone doesn't have to personally attend an event to comment on the *numerous* observations posted on this forum by credible members of the community. I think there are several threads on the subject (and a poll) while the "positive" thread posted a few days ago died a quick death. So I don't personally believe being a non-attendant invalidates opinion or comment -- this is discussion forum and all that. Lastly, as I've said a couple of times, this thread, while sparked by a recent event, was mostly a statement on pool events in general.

Udder than that, I guess everyone can wait until next year and see how it goes.

Lou Figueroa
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Advertising Dollars spent in the right place, always offer a return. Problem is in today's RECESSION, companies who would have paid sponsorship fees 5 years ago, no longer have those dollars to spend on advertising, or supporting local causes.
 
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