What purpose does the BCA serve today?

Roger Long

Roger Long

Sonoran Cue Creations
Silver Member
When I owned a pool room, I was proud to display my BCA Proprietor Member sticker in my window. That was back when The Billiard Congress of America was actually the governing body of pool in the U.S., and to be affiliated with that organization was a matter of prestige.

Today, I went to the BCA websites (there are actually two) with the thought that I might like to become a proprietor member again, but what I found there was not very encouraging. It appears that the BCA no longer has any real function. Oh yes, they list membership benefits, but under close scrutiny, the "benefits" don't seem to actually exist. As a matter of fact, the real purpose(s) of that organization are not clearly spelled out at all.

Am I missing something?

Roger
 
The BCA gave us $25,000 a year to run the Pro Office,

Roger Long said:
When I owned a pool room, I was proud to display my BCA Proprietor Member sticker in my window. That was back when The Billiard Congress of America was actually the governing body of pool in the U.S., and to be affiliated with that organization was a matter of prestige.

Today, I went to the BCA websites (there are actually two) with the thought that I might like to become a proprietor member again, but what I found there was not very encouraging. It appears that the BCA no longer has any real function. Oh yes, they list membership benefits, but under close scrutiny, the "benefits" don't seem to actually exist. As a matter of fact, the real purpose(s) of that organization are not clearly spelled out at all.

Am I missing something?

Roger
Click to expand...

The BCA gave us $25,000 a year to run the Pro Office, this was $25,000 for the WPBA and the PCA (Professional CueSports Association) - I doubt if they still offer this considering the downward spiral of Professional Pool the last few years.
 
BCA = a failed branch on the tree of the influence of the alcoholic beverage industry.
 
CJ Wiley said:
The BCA gave us $25,000 a year to run the Pro Office, this was $25,000 for the WPBA and the PCA (Professional CueSports Association) - I doubt if they still offer this considering the downward spiral of Professional Pool the last few years.
Click to expand...

That was back then.....but I think Roger wants to know what they are doing for anyone today.

It's sad....this state of professional pool in America. Unlike many others....I do not have the answer for pro pool's demise.

I can only hope it improves before I get to the age to where I simply won't care anymore.......and that time is rapidly approaching.

Maniac
 
It's not just the BCA's lack of support for pro pool I'm curious about; it's their apparent lack of support for any pool at all. They no longer operate a league system. They no longer promote professional tournaments. They no longer publish a room owner's manual. They no longer publish an instructor's manual. And they no longer manage a certified instructors program.

I do know that they still publish a rule book, and they still elect people to the Hall of Fame; but is that all they do? I just don't see any clear evidence that they do anything other than that. Pool rooms and retailers are still going out of business at an alarming rate. Does the BCA have any plans in the works that might help reverse that trend? And if not...why not?

In other words, what does the BCA have to offer that might entice me, or any other potential members, to send them money for membership? (I can already buy the rule book at the wholesale price, and no one pays any attention to certificates hanging on the wall, anymore.) :(

Roger
 
A few years ago my friend John who has done the BCA Show in Lost Wages. NV and other places for over 15 years. Returned home to Surprise, AZ where he is kind of a POOL SUPPLY TRUNK MERCHANT, no brick and mortar operation. Just sell stuff slightly over cost to a circle of by referral clients.

John said to me I am done going to the BCA Trade Show, because there was more back yard furniture, game room accessories, barbecues, and non POOL related stuff than Pool related stuff.

Maybe BCA forgot the "B" in BCA stands for billiards????
 
They "unplugged the pool program to save time" and the rest is a negative history

Maniac said:
That was back then.....but I think Roger wants to know what they are doing for anyone today.

It's sad....this state of professional pool in America. Unlike many others....I do not have the answer for pro pool's demise.

I can only hope it improves before I get to the age to where I simply won't care anymore.......and that time is rapidly approaching.

Maniac
Click to expand...

Yes, and those years were the beginning of the downfall. The BCA used to run TV Commercials about Playing Pool and would host and televise at least one tournament for the men and a few for the women each year.

They "unplugged the pool program to save time" and the rest is a history of withering on the vine......the trade industry should promote POOL, not just the trade show......the game is what needs the focus and through promoting the professional players they had success in the 90s. I'm not sure what happened after the turn of the century, I was not paying much attention, my focus was on running nightclubs/pool rooms.
 
CJ Wiley said:
Yes, and those years were the beginning of the downfall. The BCA used to run TV Commercials about Playing Pool and would host and televise at least one tournament for the men and a few for the women each year.

They "unplugged the pool program to save time" and the rest is a history of withering on the vine......the trade industry should promote POOL, not just the trade show......the game is what needs the focus and through promoting the professional players they had success in the 90s. I'm not sure what happened after the turn of the century, I was not paying much attention, my focus was on running nightclubs/pool rooms.
Click to expand...

PM sent to CJ. My question wasn't relevant to the thread.
 
Last edited:
I have been saying for years now that the BCA does nothing to promote pool, and nobody said a word about it.

If they are the representative of North America to the WPA, what do they do? I think they should relinquish that authority. Their very name "Billiard Congress of America" is a joke.

Make no mistake about it, when the BCA's Man of the Year is the Simonis Cloth guy or the Aramis ball man, you can be sure that they are only interested in fattening the pockets of pool industry members.

It is a joke that they even have the words "Billiard" or "Congress" in their name. How about Recreational Product Merchants of America. That is more fitting.

With no real tour, who needs a representative to the WPA? We're awarded one slot in world events now, and that goes to Shane. I'm sure Shane can finance himself today. I mean, he has been, without the help of the BCA.

Where does the membership money go for the BCA? How is it spent? The players are getting crumbs again, and now it seems like the door is shut tight, while the good-old-boy industry members look out for nobody's interests except their own.
 
I just recently stumbled across a 2009 interview that Samm Diep conducted with Rob Johnson, BCA CEO. Overall my impression was that a lot of his time was spent organizing the annual trade show. He said that was very profitable, and they put money from that event back into other pool initiatives. FWIW, the initiatives he mentioned were:

- Develop game rules. Annually produce a rule book
- Determine points system for international events, choose players for those events, and help fund their travel
- Help organize events for pros, juniors, and wheelchair players
- Fund the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF). http://billiardeducation.org/
- Certify BCA instructors
- Created a program called "BankShot Entertainment" which provides discounts to pool room operators on various products (e.g. Coke and Sysco Foods). http://www.playbca.com/Links/AboutBankshotEntertainment.aspx


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toOJvwCAozA
 
Bcapl

JAM said:
I have been saying for years now that the BCA does nothing to promote pool, and nobody said a word about it.

If they are the representative of North America to the WPA, what do they do? I think they should relinquish that authority. Their very name "Billiard Congress of America" is a joke.

Make no mistake about it, when the BCA's Man of the Year is the Simonis Cloth guy or the Aramis ball man, you can be sure that they are only interested in fattening the pockets of pool industry members.

It is a joke that they even have the words "Billiard" or "Congress" in their name. How about Recreational Product Merchants of America. That is more fitting.

With no real tour, who needs a representative to the WPA? We're awarded one slot in world events now, and that goes to Shane. I'm sure Shane can finance himself today. I mean, he has been, without the help of the BCA.

Where does the membership money go for the BCA? How is it spent? The players are getting crumbs again, and now it seems like the door is shut tight, while the good-old-boy industry members look out for nobody's interests except their own.
Click to expand...



Originally formed to organize and direct pro pool tournaments in the 1940s, it created the Instructor program in the early '70s and the BCA pool leagues in 1980, I believe.

The "BCA" found it difficult to compete with the APA, without corporate backing.

The BCAPL bought the league system from the BCA and the Instructor program went it's separate way, becoming the BPIA (Professional Billiard Instructor Program) a couple years ago.

The BCAPL still runs the leagues and the national tournaments, which a large number of players still participate in. Though I haven't been to a national event myself since 1995, I can say that they did a very nice job back then.

Many of the questions posted here can be answered by going to the BCAPL and the BPIA websites...for others we can hope for answers here.
 
Donny Lutz said:
Originally formed to organize and direct pro pool tournaments in the 1940s, it created the Instructor program in the early '70s and the BCA pool leagues in 1980, I believe.

The "BCA" found it difficult to compete with the APA, without corporate backing.

The BCAPL bought the league system from the BCA and the Instructor program went it's separate way, becoming the BPIA (Professional Billiard Instructor Program) a couple years ago.

The BCAPL still runs the leagues and the national tournaments, which a large number of players still participate in. Though I haven't been to a national event myself since 1995, I can say that they did a very nice job back then.

Many of the questions posted here can be answered by going to the BCAPL and the BPIA websites...for others we can hope for answers here.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rundown. :smile:

The BCAPL has nothing to do with the BCA organization today. I am familiar with the history of the BCA and how each year they seem to distance themselves further and further away from pool.

Now it's time for them to get out of the business of billiards altogether and work with recreational equipment manufacturers exclusively instead of this facade of "billiard" and "congress." What a joke!

In fact, the WPA needs to remove the authority from the BCA organization altogether. It's time.
 
JAM is correct...the BCAPL is not associated with the Billiard Congress of America. As a matter of fact, they were supposed to remove the "BCA" part from their name years ago. It was only supposed to be attached for a couple years to gain some recognition, then changed to something (anything) else. It was and still is a false assumption that the BCAPL is in any way associated with the BCA.

As for what the BCA actually does...that's a mystery and it is appart by this thread that nobdy knows. I doubt you'll see any official response from the BCA either...too political and way to risky to be straight forward and answer questions.

L8R...Ken
 
What would you like them to do? If pool halls are closing maybe they need to look at their makeup. Most pool halls don't have much in food or drinks. Sure they have a crap load of tables but hardly any seating. Pool halls are set up for 2-4 players per table. So bringing in leagues would be tough. Same goes for pro events. Not really a spectator sport so it has to be streamed or televised. Not sure where most venues would make their money. Do they hold a pro events knowing they will lose money but get some notoriety. Most businesses are about making money and finding as many avenues to make money. If one is losing money well what would you do. League is where the money is. Everyone jokes about how poor pro's are. Why is that and what are their thoughts? If there was a way to make money off the pro side of pool I am sure someone out there would jump at the it. Let see 150 pro's at an event where you pay them plus everything else or a million league players paying you. Which would you prefer?
 
jburkm002 said:
What would you like them to do?...
Click to expand...

Personally, I feel they should remove themselves from being the governing body of pool in the eyes of the WPA. They do nothing to promote pool in North America, yet that is who they are supposed to be representing.

Let them continue business as usual and be the industry member organization that they are and support the manufacturers of recreational equipment. Nothing wrong with that. :smile:
 
Bruce...As usual, either you or your friend got it wrong. I was at the trade show, as I am every year, and total of non-pool-related booth space is less than 10% of the show. I saw no back yard furniture or barbeques. Whether you like it or not, many pool table retailers also display and sell "gameroom accessories" and bar setups. It's just part of the retail business.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

CocoboloCowboy said:
John said to me I am done going to the BCA Trade Show, because there was more back yard furniture, game room accessories, barbecues, and non POOL related stuff than Pool related stuff.

Maybe BCA forgot the "B" in BCA stands for billiards????
Click to expand...
 
Not anymore at least

Scott Lee said:
Bruce...As usual, either you or your friend got it wrong. I was at the trade show, as I am every year, and total of non-pool-related booth space is less than 10% of the show. I saw no back yard furniture or barbeques. Whether you like it or not, many pool table retailers also display and sell "gameroom accessories" and bar setups. It's just part of the retail business.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Hey Scott,

I know you've been to the shows because I see you there every year. While it is true that the last few years have been almost exclusively billiards, there was a time not so many years ago when the BCA tradeshow was trying to expand. They even changed the name to something like "home recreation show". I specifically remember the "new vendor pavilion" a few years ago that feature pool and spa manufacturers, and maybe a few other non-billiards related entities (saunas??).

Considering that attendance and participation have both dropped so significantly since 2007, it is no wonder the show has nothing other than billiards anymore. Matter of fact, there is almost nothing there to see anyways. We set up a booth for the first time since 2009, just to try and continue to support the show and reach out to customers, but It's harder and harder to justify the expense.

BB King said famously - "The Thrills is Gone" - and unfortunately, this seems to be the case for the BCA trade show for the time being.

There are some options that may provide some redeeming qualities for the BCA though -

Take the money they normally spend on a worthless trade show and

1 - Launch a TV ad campaign promoting the benefits of pool

or

2 - Launch a national billboard campaign promoting the benefits of pool

or

3 - Launch a radio ad campaign promoting the benefits of pool

or

4 - Conduct and Promote a Pro Event (to be filmed and aired on ESPN) in conjunction with a Consumer Expo and launch an ad campaign to promote it to both a local and national audience

or

(insert various options that would be far superior to whatever floundering and worthless ideas they have explored for the past 4 or 5 years)

The BCA does very little to offer value to it's membership and/or to promote billiards in any fashion. It seems to me like it has turned into a tradeshow entity...existing from year to year with only the tradeshow as its saving grace. Unfortunately, there won't be much to save if there are so few business left to buy booths, and so few customers left to attend the show.

The BCA has lacked any true vision to guide it, and its leadership has been suspect since I got into this industry about a decade ago.
 
Donny Lutz said:
Originally formed to organize and direct pro pool tournaments in the 1940s, it created the Instructor program in the early '70s and the BCA pool leagues in 1980, I believe.

The "BCA" found it difficult to compete with the APA, without corporate backing.

The BCAPL bought the league system from the BCA and the Instructor program went it's separate way, becoming the BPIA (Professional Billiard Instructor Program) a couple years ago.

The BCAPL still runs the leagues and the national tournaments, which a large number of players still participate in. Though I haven't been to a national event myself since 1995, I can say that they did a very nice job back then.

Many of the questions posted here can be answered by going to the BCAPL and the BPIA websites...for others we can hope for answers here.
Click to expand...
To the best of my knowledge, several statements above are false. Specifically:

The BCA got rid of the leagues not because they were not successful but because they were successful. There were about 6000 players at the Nationals the year before the leagues were sold. Members of the BCA Board demanded that the BCA get rid of them. In my view the loss of the leagues and the revenue they brought in is the major reason the BCA has no resources now.

The instructors' program is still administered by the BCA but it is now called the PBIA. The name change was to comply with a demand from a BCA Board member. Here is their contact info:
Professional Billiard Instructors Association
c/o Billiard Congress of America
10900 West 120th Ave., Unit B7
Broomfield, CO 80021
 
Bob Jewett said:
To the best of my knowledge, several statements above are false. Specifically:

The BCA got rid of the leagues not because they were not successful but because they were successful. There were about 6000 players at the Nationals the year before the leagues were sold. Members of the BCA Board demanded that the BCA get rid of them. In my view the loss of the leagues and the revenue they brought in is the major reason the BCA has no resources now.

The instructors' program is still administered by the BCA but it is now called the PBIA. The name change was to comply with a demand from a BCA Board member. Here is their contact info:
Professional Billiard Instructors Association
c/o Billiard Congress of America
10900 West 120th Ave., Unit B7
Broomfield, CO 80021
Click to expand...

A good name for the BCA would be the PBMA, the Professional Billiard Manufacturers Association, IMO.

Thanks for providing some new details that I was not familiar with. :smile:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top