For those of you who have wondered why the BCA does not take a more active role in pro pool, this is from an interview done with Billiard's Digest on their "Headstring News" section:
BROOMFIELD, Colo. - Forecasting an $800,000 operating loss this year on
its balance sheet after a disappointing Expo in June, the Billiard
Congress of America is planning to tighten its belt several notches in
its next fiscal year and cut support for some high-profile events and
organizations.
Among the casualties will be the BCA's annual professional 9-ball
tournament, produced this year as the GenerationPool.com 9-Ball
Championships. The BCA also has elected not to stage an induction
ceremony for new members of the BCA Hall of Fame elected in 2009.
Those high-profile annual events were just two of the programs slashed
from the 2008-2009 budget when the BCA Board of Directors met in Lake
Forest, Ill., in early August. With the billiard industry still mired in
a horrendous economic slump and the BCA coming off its smallest trade
show in 15 years, the board of directors voted to eliminate events and
affiliated association support for at least one year.
"The board voted to suspend funding to all sources and organizations
until we can better analyze the extent of this economic downturn," said
BCA President Sean Cummings of Brunswick Billiards in an embargoed
interview last week. "We can't continue deficit spending, and we
determined that the best way to handle budget cuts was with a uniform
approach."
Cummings left open the possibility that an outside organization could
take the reins of the 9-ball event or Hall of Fame ceremony. "The
question is at what level of quality they would be staged," he said. "If
somebody wants to do it right, we would certainly entertain it."
The BCA, which derives virtually all of its revenue from its annual
International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo and through membership
dues, is projecting an $800,000 net operating loss for its 2007-08
fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. The association's annual pro 9-ball
tournament, which the BCA produces for telecast on ESPN, loses more than
$100,000 per year, while the annual Hall of Fame ceremonies typically
run at a $50,000 deficit.
While the final numbers from the 2008 Expo had not been tallied as of
last week, Cummings said that the Charlotte, N.C.-based show would make
at least a $60,000 profit or slightly more. For perspective, the 2006
BCA Expo in Houston generated a $1.1 million profit for the association.
The disappointing result and changed expectations prompted the BCA board
to budget very conservatively for 2008-2009.
"We had to make tough choices," Cummings said. "We cut discretionary
spending, spending on the home office, contracted services ..."
The BCA contracts its member services, accounting, technology,
association management and some public relations/marketing with Meeting
Expectations in Atlanta. The association manages the expo, marketing and
some graphic design through its office in Broomfield, Colo. Cuts in
those areas are likely to be confined to employee time allocation.
In addition to the GenerationPool.com 9-Ball Championships and the Hall
of Fame inductions, the BCA will suspend its financial support of
pool-related organizations such as the National Wheelchair Poolplayers
Association and Association of College Unions-International (ACU-I).
According to Cummings, the BCA will continue as the North American
member confederation to the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), but
will not supply funds for American players to travel to WPA events.
According to Johnson, the budget cuts will save the BCA approximately
$300,000 in the coming budget year. Johnson insisted that education and
research will continue to be funded.
In further efforts to reel in spending, the BCA will reduce its
commitment at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas to a single hall for
the 2009 Expo next June. The move will reduce convention center costs to
just over $100,000, while maintaining space for about 1,000 booths.
"We have a singular objective," said Cummings. "And that is to make the
trade show a success."
Even taking into account the proposed budget cuts, the BCA is
tentatively forecasting a $200,000 loss for the 2008-2009 budget year.
Still, Cummings stressed that the association is financially sound,
despite the board's recent decisions.
