2009 Los Angeles Open

jay helfert said:
A word to the wise. This is NOT the guy you want to go looking for! Unless you have a death wish.
Square Circle

Jay-in the spirit of offering entertainment to compliment the fabulous pool that will be played at this event-Mike Massey or Chef Anton would be great-but maybe instead we have a 'cage match' brewing that would enhance the gate. Then Mike could get 5 tries to bounce a jump shot off the table into the mouth of the guy laid out on the canvas-(mouth piece removal optional before firing jump shots.)

Seriously-I hope this comes together (kind of-West coast Johnson city). Stay with it. So Cal pool fans/players will support this for certain.

Take care

3railkick/Bill
 
JCIN said:
So after reading this gem of a post I look through this turd burglars post history and what do we have??????

Mostly threads trying to sell sh!tty old production cues and a few posts about trying to get illegal copies of copywritten material. A respectable body of work to be sure.

A member since 2003 and he only sticks his head up to sell the odd Viking or Mali and bash a guy with more experience in promoting the game than most people on this earth?

Man I am glad I don't have the hammer on this board. There would be about 31 people here.

Plus this gem was in the history:

04-03-2007, 11:24 PM
AzHousePro
Administrator


Canwin, this will be the one and only warning about obnoxious insulting posts.

Mike
__________________
 
??????????What???????????

canwin said:
Well, the Phoenix hotel took one look at the man and declined to have the tournament. He takes no responsibility in the consequences of vouching for a man who didn't have the money supposedly put up $ at the Phoenix
tournament. No accountability. In the real world you only get one chance.
And let's someone else pay the players too w/o any consequences. Is this getting thru? NO? Someone got an argument with that?

1) If you use the quote button, people might be able to figure out who you're talking to! ( like it's clear I'm talking to you)

2) Jay was the tournament director only in the Phoenix debacle. Not the promoter who screwed everything up and stiffed many players.

3) Those of us who actually followed the entire payout issues unfold, know exactly what happened. Jay was the one who championed and led to the players getting some money.

4) Jay is not only a leader in reputation here on AZ, but in life in general.

5) Jay posts and is known by his NAME because he is proud of it. What is your name? Oh yeah it's "cantwin".

Anyone else that would like to address "cantwin" go ahead. It's VERY clear that "cantwin" can't win, because you can't win when you're wrong. LMAO!

Ray Hansen
 
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Tournament

jay helfert said:
Okay here's the deal. I want to produce an All Around event in Los Angeles next year. I feel like men's pro pool needs something. There is a complete lack of quality events for the top men to play in. I mean, after the U.S. Open and DCC, what's left. There are a few good 25K added events put on by Mike Zuglan, Shannon Daulton and Mike Janis, and that's about it. Then you have the regional tours with two to five thousand added events, with the Seminole Tour being the lone exception.

I want to produce a Major tournament in Los Angeles with major prize money. I'm talking $60,000 in added money. It would look something like this.

Bank Pool - $225 entry fee - Limited to 64 players - $10,000 Added
With a full field, first prize would be $7,500

One Pocket - $325 entry fee - Limited to 96 players - $15,000 Added
With a full field, first prize would be $15,000

Ten Ball - $425 entry fee - Limited to 128 players - $25,000 Added
With a full field, first prize would be $20,000

Plus a $10,000 bonus fund that is distributed to the top three players overall.
$5,000 to first, $3,000 to second and $2,000 to third.

It's possible (but highly unlikely) for one player to win $47,500. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wins over 30K though. And several players may win 10K or more.

The entire event would last nine days, with the first five days devoted to Bank Pool and One Pocket. The last four days would be Ten Ball.

I'm projecting an overall budget of $100,000 to stage this event. I would be willing to put up $50,000 of my own money. I need another 50K to pull it off. I am looking for 25 partners to put up $2,000 each. They would each own 2% of the gross revenues the event brought in. Of course someone could buy a larger share. It is basically one point for $1,000.

Now for the risk assessment on this investment. YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT MAKE ANY MONEY! And neither will I. The best case scenario is realistically we break even or make a small profit. And the worst case scenario is you may get back only half your investment.

Projected income is as follows:
Live gate - $40,000 to $80,000. I'm looking at all day passes of $20. And a season pass of $120.

Exhibitor and Vendor income - $15,000 to $30,000. Ten foot booths that rent for $750 each.

Registration fees - $5,000 to $7,000. It all depends on how many players we get in each event.

Hotel rebates - $0 to $10,000. Totally a factor of what I can negotiate. Bottom line, we must get the ballroom for free based on room rentals.

Sponsor income - $1,000 to $20,000. Again dependent on what can be negotiated.

Table rental income - $3,000 to $6,000. This for after hours play on the sixteen tournament tables.

DVD sales - $10,000 to $25,000. There is a cost factor on this, so it is not gross income. Whether I produce the DVD's or have an outside company do it, we will get a piece of this pie.

So as you can see, the worst case scenario is that we all lose some money, me more than anyone else. I don't mind losing a few dollars, but I sure don't want to blow twenty or twenty five thou. The best case scenario is that we all make a few dollars, and put on a helluva event. NO ONE is going to get rich off this one!

Each investor gets two free passes to the event. That's it, sorry. We need that gate! All investors will get a full accounting of all expenses and all income. If it comes in under budget, the left over money will be considered as income. If it goes over budget, that is on me to make up. The investors still own their full shares. All investors will receive their full accounting plus a check within thirty days of the conclusion of the event. Supplemental income on DVD sales will be paid in quarterly intervals.

Investors will not be expected to do anything other than invest their money. The actual organization and conducting of the event will be up to me. Of course if any investors would like to help in some capacity, that would be a welcome bonus for all concerned. We will need personnel manning the box office, the doors and at the tournament proper. The fewer hired workers, the better the bottom line.

Okay first question. :)

Jay,

I think you're on to something really great here! Keep it rolling buddy!

Thanks for all you do!

Ray
 
canwin said:
I'll forget the fact that you used "use" instead of "used" too. There is no 12 step program for stupid huh?

Hmm.......what was it we used to say on rsb??? Oh, yeah.....PLONK!!!
Sorry Jay, I just had to!!
 
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Where we are at, is that we have nine people who have expressed and interest in being part of this. Plus another five or six willing to help out. I just began to scout for locations this week, and haven't found anything too promising yet.
 
Didnt the PBT used to have events at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens? Could you use that?

I just saw an old event on ESPNC recently and wondered why we dont have events there anymore.

Just an idea. Keep going Jay!

SR
 
SloRoller said:
Didnt the PBT used to have events at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens? Could you use that?

I just saw an old event on ESPNC recently and wondered why we dont have events there anymore.

Just an idea. Keep going Jay!

SR


It's too small for what I want to do. But thanks anyway.
 
AuntyDan said:
What about the place used for the last LA Expo?


They wanted $149 a Night for rooms. And I had to guarantee 900 Room Nights.
No deal so far. I want them to come down to $109.

The Los Angeles Open will be sanctioned by the WBA (World Billiards Association), and will be using official WBA rules of play.
 
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jay helfert said:
They wanted $149 a Night for rooms. And I had to guarantee 900 Room Nights.
No deal so far. I want them to come down to $109. ...
If that's currently the Marriott, their usual slightly discounted rate is $203. Is there any off season there?
 
i didn't read this thread, but i have some ideas- hope they are wlecome.....

i think a "matchup" table would be a great idea..... have it be a little away from the spectators so they wont be discouraged from playing on it, but still have it hopefully in plain view somewhere. i think this will create a lot of interest.

higher entry fees for spectators.... im shooting myself in the foot here, but i really think to watch a full day of pool of the best players is worth say 50 bucks. maybe a VIP section close to the players, and a Nosebleed section (for the 50 bucks) would work best. tout the fact that the best [players in the world will be in attendance, even if it's a slight fib. people love to see the best in anything, even if they are not in to pool.

i think, in general, keep other sports in mind..... ie, how do they do that in tennis, how do the golf events handle that situation. these are proven commodities for a reason.

respect the players!!!!! instead of announcing all the incoming matches while there are hill-hill matches going on, why not just have a small brochure with the top players in it with a picture, where they are from, whay they have won etc..... we dont need to hear this stuff 18 times during the course of an event anyway, and it is NOT going to bring more spectators in by making these announcements! it may be impossible with the size of the event you are planning (derby style), but still worth the consideration. or maybe an "opening ceremony" where the players are presented, but the way we've always done it is just tactless, and i happen to know that spectators dont like seeing the players disrespected or distracted by these silly announcements.

dont start any match earlier than 12 noon.

but, to reiterate, i think keeping other sports in mid is the best idea. like at the end of every tennis match the winner signs 3 balls and launches them into the crowd. any player would be more than willing to do this, and this little stuff helps a lot in generating interest and a fan base. i think one area that could be tapped for potential spectators is women personally, even total non-poolplayers (what guy for instance has a tough time watching a pro womens tennis match, see my point?).... but you have to add these little exciting things for the fans-- the players must be encouraged to interact a tad with fans after the match, especially the winner. watching tennis and golf before planning the event would be the best i think.

ok, great idea.... LOVE the 3 game format and the overall champion aspect creates a lot of interest. good luck and hope to see it happen.
 
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enzo said:
i didn't read this thread, but i have some ideas- hope they are wlecome.....

i think a "matchup" table would be a great idea..... have it be a little away from the spectators so they wont be discouraged from playing on it, but still have it hopefully in plain view somewhere. i think this will create a lot of interest.

higher entry fees for spectators.... im shooting myself in the foot here, but i really think to watch a full day of pool of the best players is worth say 50 bucks. maybe a VIP section close to the players, and a Nosebleed section (for the 50 bucks) would work best. tout the fact that the best [players in the world will be in attendance, even if it's a slight fib. people love to see the best in anything, even if they are not in to pool.

i think, in general, keep other sports in mind..... ie, how do they do that in tennis, how do the golf events handle that situation. these are proven commodities for a reason.

respect the players!!!!! instead of announcing all the incoming matches while there are hill-hill matches going on, why not just have a small brochure with the top players in it with a picture, where they are from, whay they have won etc..... we dont need to hear this stuff 18 times during the course of an event anyway, and it is NOT going to bring more spectators in by making these announcements! it may be impossible with the size of the event you are planning (derby style), but still worth the consideration. or maybe an "opening ceremony" where the players are presented, but the way we've always done it is just tactless, and i happen to know that spectators dont like seeing the players disrespected or distracted by these silly announcements.

dont start any match earlier than 12 noon.

but, to reiterate, i think keeping other sports in mid is the best idea. like at the end of every tennis match the winner signs 3 balls and launches them into the crowd. any player would be more than willing to do this, and this little stuff helps a lot in generating interest and a fan base. i think one area that could be tapped for potential spectators is women personally, even total non-poolplayers (what guy for instance has a tough time watching a pro womens tennis match, see my point?).... but you have to add these little exciting things for the fans-- the players must be encouraged to interact a tad with fans after the match, especially the winner. watching tennis and golf before planning the event would be the best i think.

ok, great idea.... LOVE the 3 game format and the overall champion aspect creates a lot of interest. good luck and hope to see it happen.

A lot of good ideas there IMO. But throwing pool balls into the stands is not like tennis balls...you would need a lawyer fast. Johnnyt
 
I've been to an WPBA event where they had a pre-tournament pro/am charity event the night. They also handed out 9-balls customized with the logo of the casino hosting the event so you could have the players sign them for you.
 
enzo said:
i didn't read this thread, but i have some ideas- hope they are wlecome.....

i think a "matchup" table would be a great idea..... have it be a little away from the spectators so they wont be discouraged from playing on it, but still have it hopefully in plain view somewhere. i think this will create a lot of interest.

higher entry fees for spectators.... im shooting myself in the foot here, but i really think to watch a full day of pool of the best players is worth say 50 bucks. maybe a VIP section close to the players, and a Nosebleed section (for the 50 bucks) would work best. tout the fact that the best [players in the world will be in attendance, even if it's a slight fib. people love to see the best in anything, even if they are not in to pool.

i think, in general, keep other sports in mind..... ie, how do they do that in tennis, how do the golf events handle that situation. these are proven commodities for a reason.

respect the players!!!!! instead of announcing all the incoming matches while there are hill-hill matches going on, why not just have a small brochure with the top players in it with a picture, where they are from, whay they have won etc..... we dont need to hear this stuff 18 times during the course of an event anyway, and it is NOT going to bring more spectators in by making these announcements! it may be impossible with the size of the event you are planning (derby style), but still worth the consideration. or maybe an "opening ceremony" where the players are presented, but the way we've always done it is just tactless, and i happen to know that spectators dont like seeing the players disrespected or distracted by these silly announcements.

dont start any match earlier than 12 noon.

but, to reiterate, i think keeping other sports in mid is the best idea. like at the end of every tennis match the winner signs 3 balls and launches them into the crowd. any player would be more than willing to do this, and this little stuff helps a lot in generating interest and a fan base. i think one area that could be tapped for potential spectators is women personally, even total non-poolplayers (what guy for instance has a tough time watching a pro womens tennis match, see my point?).... but you have to add these little exciting things for the fans-- the players must be encouraged to interact a tad with fans after the match, especially the winner. watching tennis and golf before planning the event would be the best i think.

ok, great idea.... LOVE the 3 game format and the overall champion aspect creates a lot of interest. good luck and hope to see it happen.


Good thoughts.

I have never liked snnouncers talking while I am trying to play. Scott S does this often and at first its always a shock.

Once you get down to where you can announce everyone at once fairly quickly then thats fine. Also i dont need to hear a guys accomplishments in round 2-3. If he makes the semis then tell me a little about him. Before then I will read the program.

Launching pool balls into the stands :eek: :eek: :D :D
 
jay helfert said:
I just began to scout for locations this week, and haven't found anything too promising yet.

Jay, take a gander at my neck of the woods. Pasadena Convention Center Brochure

There's a Hilton, a Sheraton, and a DoubleTree Hotel walking distance from the convention center and about a million motels (Choice, Best Western's, Travelodge, Vagabond and the like) on Colorado Blvd with reasonable rates.

I'd even do some footwork for you.
 
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Bob Jewett said:
If that's currently the Marriott, their usual slightly discounted rate is $203. Is there any off season there?


Not according to them. They have a big business clientele, particularly on weekdays.
 
CrownCityCorey said:
Jay, take a gander at my neck of the woods. Pasadena Convention Center Brochure

There's a Hilton, a Sheraton, and a DoubleTree Hotel walking distance from the convention center and about a million motels (Choice, Best Western's, Travelodge, Vagabond and the like) on Colorado Blvd with reasonable rates.

I'd even do some footwork for you.


Corey, I sincerely appreciate this information. I would love to do the L.A. Open in a large Convention Center, if we can get them to GIVE us the facility. Or at least get it at a cheap discount rate. This is the advantage in going to a hotel which has a large meeting space. The cost of the space can be negotiated against room rentals.

Please inquire for me and find out what you can about the Pasadena Convention Center. Maybe there is a way to use the facility without paying the enormous daily fees.
 
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