A new membership driven organization for creating Pool Events

[336Robin]

Would you support a new organization similar to the BCA only this time, this organization was created to take in monies, add monies to events, seek sponsorship based on membership effects, create events and trade shows and use the profits to continue doing the same so that Professional Pool would have more events and that Amateurs would have a reason to want to become Professionals if the amount you paid for membership would get you nothing off at the door but would at least allow you a protected status to be able to get in the door at these pool events.

In other words, everyone pays an entry and your membership is something that you do solely for the love of the game and you wanting to see it succeed.

The levels of membership being different ranging from $10 a year on up depending on what level of giving you wanted to known for.

Would you have to throw in all kinds of stipulations or could you simply throw in a few bucks hoping that it worked out and be willing to do this every year.

 

[BmoreMoney]

Would you support a new organization similar to the BCA only this time, this organization was created to take in monies, add monies to events, seek sponsorship based on membership effects, create events and trade shows and use the profits to continue doing the same so that Professional Pool would have more events and that Amateurs would have a reason to want to become Professionals if the amount you paid for membership would get you nothing off at the door but would at least allow you a protected status to be able to get in the door at these pool events.

In other words, everyone pays an entry and your membership is something that you do solely for the love of the game and you wanting to see it succeed.

The levels of membership being different ranging from $10 a year on up depending on what level of giving you wanted to known for.

Would you have to throw in all kinds of stipulations or could you simply throw in a few bucks hoping that it worked out and be willing to do this every year.

For me, I'd just throw in Were not talking any kinda money here at all. Not everyone will have that viewpoint though so might I offer one suggestion - if this is expected to be of any size at all, maybe go to Predator or another well know, we'll liked manufacture as a " sponsor ". Not where they actually put up any money out of pocket but rather with a paid membership you get a small, one time use coupon for their products ( 5% maybe ). Something like that would get many that otherwise wouldn't do it. For the " sponsor " it's just a free sales initiative - they get their name all over something and generate sales they may not otherwise get.

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

Would you support a new organization similar to the BCA only this time, this organization was created to take in monies, add monies to events, seek sponsorship based on membership effects, create events and trade shows and use the profits to continue doing the same so that Professional Pool would have more events and that Amateurs would have a reason to want to become Professionals if the amount you paid for membership would get you nothing off at the door but would at least allow you a protected status to be able to get in the door at these pool events.

In other words, everyone pays an entry and your membership is something that you do solely for the love of the game and you wanting to see it succeed.

The levels of membership being different ranging from $10 a year on up depending on what level of giving you wanted to known for.

Would you have to throw in all kinds of stipulations or could you simply throw in a few bucks hoping that it worked out and be willing to do this every year.

The Costco Pool League is born....

 

[KissedOut]

IMO any proposal has to answer the key question: How does this bring in money from outside the pool world? Anything else is just re-arranging deck chairs, IMO. It is all details while the big picture remains invisible.

 

[336Robin]

Yes or No

I was figuring this was sort of simple Yes or No question. You would either be open to throwing $10 bucks a year at it for the good of pool or not. Its not a league at all. Its for funding an organizations efforts at setting up professional grade events and trade shows to make profit to in turn set up more events. The money has to come from somewhere and until we have some numbers....we have to fund it, no sponsors are interested until you have a lots of eyeballs on it.

 

[tim913]

I'd gladly give $50-$100 per year to go into the general coffers for an organization to run amateur and professional tournaments, if this organization was a trusted outside entity. A portion of these tournament's monies would go back into the coffers to grow and increase the number of tournaments and payouts, maybe something like the NRA, but call it the NPA (National Pool Association), 'NBA'(for billiards) is already taken. The members would be given a card that allows them to play in these tournaments, and a path to the professional tournaments if that's what they want.

This would have to be a trusted outside organization, because I believe that pool has always been pools' worst enemy

 

[336Robin]

Numbers = Sponsorship

IMO any proposal has to answer the key question: How does this bring in money from outside the pool world? Anything else is just re-arranging deck chairs, IMO. It is all details while the big picture remains invisible.

If there are eyeballs on the sport then you get the interest of large advertisers that come with money to advertise to your viewers. That can bring in significant money and at a point be almost never ending but we have an apathy problem or we havent figured out what to offer our customer. You see how many people here clicked on this thread with the original post reading basically.....do it for the love of the game for $10 a year and almost no interest at all.....and what 5 to 6 replies and 2 of them said...... yeah Id throw some money in the ring out of what 200? I don't think people hate pool because they are here reading and talking about it. I just think we haven't made the proper things available to them. How many people live in a place where they can actually attend a Pool and Billiard Trade Show?

If you live down South that's a virtual impossibility. All tournament trade shows or even big tournaments seem to be way out of our area. NC, SC, GA, Tenn, are practically uncovered for this. So I think that people who are in areas like this=rural areas don't seem interested because of the expense and trouble of traveling and lodging. I just don't think we are doing a good job of bringing Pool to the people.

 

[KissedOut]

If there are eyeballs on the sport then you get the interest of large advertisers that come with money to advertise to your viewers. That can bring in significant money and at a point be almost never ending but we have an apathy problem or we havent figured out what to offer our customer. You see how many people here clicked on this thread with the original post reading basically.....do it for the love of the game for $10 a year and almost no interest at all.....and what 5 to 6 replies and 2 of them said...... yeah Id throw some money in the ring out of what 200? I don't think people hate pool because they are here reading and talking about it. I just think we haven't made the proper things available to them. How many people live in a place where they can actually attend a Pool and Billiard Trade Show?

If you live down South that's a virtual impossibility. All tournament trade shows or even big tournaments seem to be way out of our area. NC, SC, GA, Tenn, are practically uncovered for this. So I think that people who are in areas like this=rural areas don't seem interested because of the expense and trouble of traveling and lodging. I just don't think we are doing a good job of bringing Pool to the people.

Well the bold thing is really the point. How does my paying $10 a year cause there to be more eyeballs on the sport?

This is my problem with all of the solutions. They talk about money and organizational structure and event structure and memberships and contracts other stuff. But they never talk about how their plans will increase the number of fans - and particularly non-player fans.

That is the difference, as I see it, between Barry Hearn and the US pool "reformers". Barry got the fans, and everything else followed. Here we want to have everything else, and hope the fans come along.

 

[336Robin]

Point well Stated

Well the bold thing is really the point. How does my paying $10 a year cause there to be more eyeballs on the sport?

This is my problem with all of the solutions. They talk about money and organizational structure and event structure and memberships and contracts other stuff. But they never talk about how their plans will increase the number of fans - and particularly non-player fans.

That is the difference, as I see it, between Barry Hearn and the US pool "reformers". Barry got the fans, and everything else followed. Here we want to have everything else, and hope the fans come along.

Unfortunately you are right. The fans must come from somewhere and you have to have money in order to have events and then you have to do a good job of seeing that the fans are able to access those events in order to build that base. The problem is you need to build it quickly in order to move things along, get the sponsorship that is needed and move thing in a direction that would put positive direction on a new Pool Movement in single digits of years rather than decades.

 

[336Robin]

You're right

For me, I'd just throw in Were not talking any kinda money here at all. Not everyone will have that viewpoint though so might I offer one suggestion - if this is expected to be of any size at all, maybe go to Predator or another well know, we'll liked manufacture as a " sponsor ". Not where they actually put up any money out of pocket but rather with a paid membership you get a small, one time use coupon for their products ( 5% maybe ). Something like that would get many that otherwise wouldn't do it. For the " sponsor " it's just a free sales initiative - they get their name all over something and generate sales they may not otherwise get.

You are absolutely right.

In order to get more people to participate their would need to be sponsor manufacturer that would support the membership by giving some money off of their products.

This would be win, win for something like this.

I think that in accordance with membership being deductible from entry into events at some level so that they events still clear money would also help.

Many people won't budge a dime for the cause, they need a reason to part their wallet.