State of the Billiards Industry - A Discussion

M

MikeJanis

Banned
I want to touch on a subject that very few in the industry openly discuss.

What I want to discuss is the state of the BCA's job to effectively promote our sport, the products of it's members and enhance it's effect on local billiard establishments. Pool Rooms and Pro-Shops alike.

This thread is NOT intended to bash the BCA or anyone involved with it.
Instead, I would like to discuss ways it can turn around and be more effective to our industry.

I also want to state that I do not work for or have any involvement with the activities of the BCA. In my capaicity as the working owner of the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour the BCA is a tool for me to enhance my business and that's it.

With all that said, the topics that come to mind regarding the last few years of my attendance at the BCA Trade Expo are the facts that:
*Attendance is down.
*New / Smaller businesses are not showing their products.
**Pool Room and smaller Pro Shop owner attendance has dwindled to almost being non-exhistant.

For me the above factors have dramatically decreased my ability to operate my business using the BCA Trade Show as a tool for enhancement of my business. Many folks I have spoken with feel the same way.

What I want to know is what do others business owners / operators in the industry feel the BCA could better do to help enhance their ability to operate their billiard business.

At this time I would like to INVITE the big and small billiard industry owners that are lurkers here on AZ to please post a meaningful suggestion without the fear of internet troll bashers saying something derogatory about someones response. I am positive that any suggestions you may have will be well received and objectively discussed.

Here are a few suggestions / complaints that I have alraedy heard from discussing this topic with others.

* The smaller billiard room and pro-shop owners feel that they don't need the BCA or the Trade Show because.
1. There are no benefits for them like:
*Group Health Care for them or their Employees
*They can buy products without going to the trade show
*It is to expensive to go to the trade show and not see new billiard products or get discounts while they are there
*There is nothing there that they can't buy online
*There are no real shows like Professional Tournaments to entice them into going to the trade show

From the smaller billiard product companies I have heard:
1. It is way too expensive to be a member then pay for a booth and travel to the trade show to sell their wares.
That's the biggest thing I have heard.
* Smaller billiard companies also tell me that the exposure at the trade show is not worth it because ther aren't enough smaller buyers there that help make up the bulk of doing business while they are there.

From the BIG guys I hear:
We only want the interested big buyers at the Show because our time spent with them is more productive than explaining our products to the little guys over and over again to only sell them 1 or 2 items. At the same time I also hear from these guys that the attendance is too low.



My opinions to help grow the BCA's influence in our industry so they can effectively help their members to succdeed are:

1. Find a way to help the smaller companies grow and become more interested in supporting the BCA and the Trade Show.
* Offer the Group Health Care benefits again. This is HUGE to the small companies.
*Find a way to attract and make it cost effective to new product makers so they become BCA members and show their products at the trade show (Offer them a discount on booth space or a discounted membership fee if they show their products at the trade show).
* Get the smaller pool room and pro-shop owners there. Offer them discounts that they can only get at the trade show. Entice them by having a tournament only for them or a pro event to watch while they are there.


I look forward to any and all constructive suggestions and comments.


Thank You,
 
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Good points. I agree the BCA no longer benefits the little guy. We (i.e. PoolTees) decided not to renew our membership this year. The Vegas show was way too expensive to attend. The membership dues are very high as it is. And the exposure is limited. If their purpose is to PROMOTE the sport, they're not doing a very good job. If they wanted to promote, they would sponsor more high school and college leagues and tournaments and things of that nature. It seems the BCA is now just a front for the major industry players (who are voting members) to promote their own products.
 
Njhustler1 said:
Good points. I agree the BCA no longer benefits the little guy. We (i.e. PoolTees) decided not to renew our membership this year. The Vegas show was way too expensive to attend. The membership dues are very high as it is. And the exposure is limited. If their purpose is to PROMOTE the sport, they're not doing a very good job. If they wanted to promote, they would sponsor more high school and college leagues and tournaments and things of that nature. It seems the BCA is now just a front for the major industry players (who are voting members) to promote their own products.
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Njhustler1 (PoolTees), What could the BCA do to help change your mind about becoming a member agian and possibly setting up a booth at this years trade show ?
 
Hello Mike. We, the BreakRAK boys, have been to a couple BCA Trade Shows & Tournaments.

The Tournament held in May, in Las Vegas, was a success for us. There were an estimated 12,000 folks milling around & everyone one of them walked past our booth.

The Trade Show in New Orleans supposedly had 1800 buyers there. We did sell almost 200 BreakRAKs, but we were looking for 10,000 buyers.

We did hear the one in Houston was just about a repeat.

Holding the Trade show is August is absolutely rediculous to me, it's too hot anywhere in the USA.

The costs to attend one of these shows is HIGH. The costs, versus the returns, is way out of balance. I feel the BCA Trade Show should be held in concert with the May Tournament. The buyers are really the Players, not the retailers/owners. The Public ought to be admitted too... If the whole event were two weeks long, the Trade Show could become the preliminary event or the Finale. Since the companies would only be attending one event, the booths & the presentations could be more glamorous.
 
ceebee said:
Hello Mike. We, the BreakRAK boys, have been to a couple BCA Trade Shows & Tournaments.

The Tournament held in May, in Las Vegas, was a success for us. There were an estimated 12,000 folks milling around & everyone one of them walked past our booth.

The Trade Show in New Orleans supposedly had 1800 buyers there. We did sell almost 200 BreakRAKs, but we were looking for 10,000 buyers.

We did hear the one in Houston was just about a repeat.

Holding the Trade show is August is absolutely rediculous to me, it's too hot anywhere in the USA.

The costs to attend one of these shows is HIGH. The costs, versus the returns, is way out of balance. I feel the BCA Trade Show should be held in concert with the May Tournament. The buyers are really the Players, not the retailers/owners. The Public ought to be admitted too... If the whole event were two weeks long, the Trade Show could become the preliminary event or the Finale. Since the companies would only be attending one event, the booths & the presentations could be more glamorous.
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ceebee, unfortunately the BCA and the BCA Pool League are two different entities and this option seems to be an impossibility right now.

What other considerations do you have.
 
I'd bet cash that the rise of the internet is a big part of why things have gone downhill in this way. The internet allows people to find information, find products, and buy them whilst sitting naked in their living room - something that would have been nigh impossible a few years ago.

If the BCA is going to do anything to improve things on their end, IMHO they really need to take this fact into account.
 
Abolish the BCA and start over. That is my suggestion. The BCA has not only proven itself incapable of building this industry it is also directly responisble for siphoning off millions of dollars in booth fees and membership fees from the industry to further the aims of the small minority of it's membership who make up the largest companies.

There is nothing short of giving me free booth space and paying my expenses that would entice me to exhibit at any future BCA shows.

When they had the audacity to come right out and say that their main focus is to put on a trade show AND that they have NO INTENTION of stopping the DEPLORABLE practice of convincing companies who have no ties to the billiard industry to come and exhibit at the BCA shows.

I was told in Houston that the BCA people spend the member's money to attend as visitors, other trade shows around the country thoughout the year to entice companies who are exhibiting there to purchase booth space at the BCA show. Why are they trolling for more companies to COMPETE with the established companies in the billiard industry? Because they get a percentage of the booth space revenue and the mandatory membership dues go straight into the BCA's coffers. Meanwhile the true members of the billiard industry are left to compete for the buyer's dollars with those who sell table tennis, air hockey, and poker tablesm among other things.

WHY would the BCA ALLOW any booth that advocates another pastime? I am sorry but it is beyond me why someone should be allowed to pitch a billiard room owner on the merits of a foosball table at a BILLIARD show. When these buyers show up they all have a limited amount to spend. Thank you BCA for providing some many recreation options beyond billiards for the buyers to spend money on. A room full of foosball tables REALLY encourages people to play more pool and buy more pool stuff.

Why doesn't the BCA purchase BOOTH space at all these shows they attend and ENCOURAGE the attendees to get into the billiards business? Why not try to entice more BUYERS to the show? Because perhaps that would actually be something like work?

I won't spend another nickle on the BCA shows as long as it is called the Billiard and Home Recreation Show. That is utter BS. We are not in the Home Recreation business, we are in the billiard business which is a PART of the Home Recreation business. The BCA has no right to dilute the billiard industry because it wants to sell more booth spaces.

And we haven't even touched the issue that the BCA ignored the will of the MAJORITY of it's membership in regard to the dates in favor of the MINORITY who buy large blocks of booths. This just goes to show that the BCA is nothing but a fiefdom for a handful of companies who leech of of the majority of the membership.
 
ScottW said:
I'd bet cash that the rise of the internet is a big part of why things have gone downhill in this way. The internet allows people to find information, find products, and buy them whilst sitting naked in their living room - something that would have been nigh impossible a few years ago.

If the BCA is going to do anything to improve things on their end, IMHO they really need to take this fact into account.
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You could be right. However in other industries trade shows are prosperous and well attended by both buyers and sellers. The fault for the decline lies DIRECTLY and 100% at the hands of the BCA Board of Directors who have allowed this course of action which totally ignores the needs of the buyers and ignores the needs of the MAJORITY of the membership.
 
I think constructive criticism is good and can be eye opening. I am glad that you, Mike, also feel the same way.


Here is mine:

The BCATradeshow is not what it once was simply because pool is not what it once was, after the height of TCOM. Unfortunately Mike, you don't run a business that pays rent so you can't explain it or see it from your point of view. The expense of a booth, etc. remains so high for a small business billiard supply company because the expense to put on the BCA Tradeshow remains constant, if not increasing, itself. I am certain that the BCA Tradeshow is in existence to turn a profit, not to just give something back to the sport. This profit line rolls down hill. The billiard company has to pay higher booth rentals because less feel it is worthy to attend. The cost of billiard related items go up to offset the cost of getting the product to the consumer or the cost of generating an interest by the consumers. When I started to hang around pool 20 years ago, there were few $1000 or higher cues on the market. Now every John Doe cuemaker feels his cue is worth $1000.

I have a friend that is a major cuemaker. The stories he tells me of out and out hatred between different sellers would amaze most people and only known to probably less than 1% of the billiard community. The lies people tell, the unethical business moves people do, continue in this circle over and over again. Until the billiard supply companies and cuemakers can work together, things like the BCA tradeshow will not be a success. Unfortunately, most people in the billiard industry are out to make a quick buck & don't see far enough into the future. Money & success come fast, and disappear just as rapidly. My friend expects such fireworks at the upcoming Valley Forge show that he said someone should bring a video camera. It would make for great sensational TV.
 
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John Barton said:
Abolish the BCA and start over. That is my suggestion. The BCA has not only proven itself incapable of building this industry it is also directly responisble for siphoning off millions of dollars in booth fees and membership fees from the industry to further the aims of the small minority of it's membership who make up the largest companies.

There is nothing short of giving me free booth space and paying my expenses that would entice me to exhibit at any future BCA shows.

When they had the audacity to come right out and say that their main focus is to put on a trade show AND that they have NO INTENTION of stopping the DEPLORABLE practice of convincing companies who have no ties to the billiard industry to come and exhibit at the BCA shows.

I was told in Houston that the BCA people spend the member's money to attend as visitors, other trade shows around the country thoughout the year to entice companies who are exhibiting there to purchase booth space at the BCA show. Why are they trolling for more companies to COMPETE with the established companies in the billiard industry? Because they get a percentage of the booth space revenue and the mandatory membership dues go straight into the BCA's coffers. Meanwhile the true members of the billiard industry are left to compete for the buyer's dollars with those who sell table tennis, air hockey, and poker tablesm among other things.

WHY would the BCA ALLOW any booth that advocates another pastime? I am sorry but it is beyond me why someone should be allowed to pitch a billiard room owner on the merits of a foosball table at a BILLIARD show. When these buyers show up they all have a limited amount to spend. Thank you BCA for providing some many recreation options beyond billiards for the buyers to spend money on. A room full of foosball tables REALLY encourages people to play more pool and buy more pool stuff.

Why doesn't the BCA purchase BOOTH space at all these shows they attend and ENCOURAGE the attendees to get into the billiards business? Why not try to entice more BUYERS to the show? Because perhaps that would actually be something like work?

I won't spend another nickle on the BCA shows as long as it is called the Billiard and Home Recreation Show. That is utter BS. We are not in the Home Recreation business, we are in the billiard business which is a PART of the Home Recreation business. The BCA has no right to dilute the billiard industry because it wants to sell more booth spaces.

And we haven't even touched the issue that the BCA ignored the will of the MAJORITY of it's membership in regard to the dates in favor of the MINORITY who buy large blocks of booths. This just goes to show that the BCA is nothing but a fiefdom for a handful of companies who leech of of the majority of the membership.
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John, I appreciate your candid response.

Please offer to everyone exactly what your opinions are to help turn things around without mixing them with so many negatives. Everyone knows there are many problems but what they don't know is what will make it better.

In your opinion, what are a few things within reason that if changed would bring people like you back to the BCA trade show ?

I look forward to your ropinions.

Mj
 
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A thought

Most sports are funded ultimately by the casual player through products they buy. The billiards industry in the US is a small niche and therefore unlikely to be able to promote itself correctly unless it is willing to change..

In my opinion, and please consider this only as a thought, we could take the following approach. First let me say that my interests are to focus only on the US, Canada and Mexico, after all this is where billiards hurts the most and past performances have defaced it horribly..

1. As much as I can not stand regulations and committees, this time it just might work. We could have an organization represented by a promotion team whose interest is only in promoting billiards, the sport. (No personal or business gains allowed) We can not use existing organizations as it has been proven that jealousy and compromise will only destroy it. Pulling from the BCA, APA, Joss Tour, players, vendors... as board members is a good start. NO ONE IS PAID for the first 5 years or after a specific growth is achieved.

2. League members and tournament players, at option unless dictated by the league, could be asked for a $10 donation to this organization each season. This money would be used exclusively for marketing via TV and popular magazines as dictated by the board above.

3. Once positive public recognition is set in place, vendors would fall in line next with some monetary commitments.

This would help expand leagues, get more players in pool halls and build a good reputation using solid marketing practices.

In the end, we could establish a national rating system to rank players by some system. This now establishes a unified system which gives players a sense of accomplishment beyond tournament play (rather than independent room and league systems).

"Unify" is key in making players feel part of something strong, no matter where they play

Right now the largest barrier we have is; most suck out everything in this sport leaving it dry. This means this sport never gets a chance to move forward and instead starting over each and every year wondering how to grow with zero reasources. This needs to be fixed.
 
MikeJanis said:
Njhustler1 (PoolTees), What could the BCA do to help change your mind about becoming a member agian and possibly setting up a booth at this years trade show ?
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I would get as much satisfaction in the BCA doing away with the show, perhaps even doing away with the BCA, and investing all those funds, brains, and efforts into something like the Billiard Education Foundation.

It's an investment in the future of the sport which is good new for all of us. And the returns aren't that far away. If they can help organize more college teams, in two or three years those college kids will be out of school, settling down, buying tables for their house and joining leagues and tournaments.

As it stands right now, the BCA is a front for the industry heavyweights. Yet it's an industry where 99% of the companies are tiny entities (i.e. 1, 2 or 3 person companies).
 
Njhustler1 said:
I would get as much satisfaction in the BCA doing away with the show, perhaps even doing away with the BCA, and investing all those funds, brains, and efforts into something like the Billiard Education Foundation.

It's an investment in the future of the sport which is good new for all of us. And the returns aren't that far away. If they can help organize more college teams, in two or three years those college kids will be out of school, settling down, buying tables for their house and joining leagues and tournaments.
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Njhustler1, I appreciate your response but I am trying to focus on and stay on one topic at the moment.

Without doing away with the current BCA, which is something that most likely wont happen in the near future. The question is: What could they, the BCA do to make the exhisting trade show and members benefits better or add it, to to want someone in your capacity to regulary attend the trade shows and be a member ?

Simply put, What do you need from them to make it attractive to you and your bottom line to want to be an active BCA member ?
 
As an individual consumer, I would be willing to pay a $10 entrance fee to get into the show. Maybe target these fees specifically for billiard promotion.
 
MikeJanis said:
Njhustler1, I appreciate your response but I am trying to focus on and stay on one topic at the moment.

Without doing away with the current BCA, which is something that most likely wont happen in the near future. The question is: What could they, the BCA do to make the exhisting trade show and members benefits better or add it, to to want someone in your capacity to regulary attend the trade shows and be a member ?

Simply put, What do you need from them to make it attractive to you and your bottom line to want to be an active BCA member ?
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I think it was a bad, bad, bad move for them to break from the BCA leagues. They need tournaments. They need players. I wasn't at any events prior to the split of the BCA and BCA pool leagues, but I would imagine that having the BCA Expo, combined with the BCA national championships at the same time, would have been a pool extravaganza second to none. And it would combine both retail and wholesale buyers. If they re-merged, and had this sort of event, we would sign up for a booth in a heartbeat. But then again, this is not too likely either.

Other than that, I doubt there's anything of lesser significance they can do. But we shall see...
 
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rayjay said:
As an individual consumer, I would be willing to pay a $10 entrance fee to get into the show. Maybe target these fees specifically for billiard promotion.
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That is an excellent idea. IMO, I think the final day of the BCA trade show would be the best time to have the general public involved. To me it's always seems like the slowest day and it would give everyone that chance to meet with everyone in the industry and purchase products at the show.
 
watchez said:
Unfortunately Mike, you don't run a business that pays rent so you can't explain it or see it from your point of view.
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Watchez, I know you are not 100% clear on what I do but I can assure you that I pay rent for my business. In fact, not only do I pay rent I pay for security, internet, 800#, computer upgrades, travel expenses, advertising expenses (Man the cost of stamps is rediculous, I spend over 20K per year just on the Viking Tours player, pool rooom and pro-shop mail-outs.) and so on......There are way too many expenses to list.

The Viking Tours holding fascility takes up over 2,000 square feet. We house our sponsors products which at a minumin is an inventory of over 1/2 million at all times.

I can assure you that I have a very strong comprehension of the costs of doing business.

For your amusement I have attached a picture of just the shipments that I received today. The picture of the boxes with the 8-Ball Cue Rack only represents 1/3 of the total shipment we will receive.

These only represent 2 of the over 30 sponsors products that we hold for distribution to pool room owners when they host Viking Tour events.

Additionally, today I am expecting a pallet of Silver Cup Chalk and 130 sets of Aramith balls. Just those 2 shipments together weigh in at over 1500 lbs.
 

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Mike,
Based on the press release last week, it seems the BCA is restructuring and redefining their focus. I guess we will have to see what develops.

Billiard Congress To Change Management Structure, Move Offices
Colorado Springs, Colorado: The Billiard Congress of America (BCA), the industry trade association for the billiards equipment and establishment sectors, will partner with Atlanta-based Meeting Expectations, a strategic consulting firm specializing in providing services to national trade associations. The BCA’s International Billiard & Home Recreation Trade Show (set for Las Vegas in June) highlights innovation in billiards, including pool tables and supplies for home recreation use as well as commercial billiard enterprises.

Meeting Expectations will provide membership, marketing, financial, IT and administrative services to the BCA. The contract with the firm begins in March, as the BCA reduces staff.

“Our membership has clearly stated a desire for the BCA to emphasize enhanced marketing, research, and strategic business improvement services, and we believe the best way to meet such needs is through a partnership with a seasoned organization such as Meeting Expectations,” said BCA CEO Rob Johnson.

Johnson also announced that the BCA will relocate its national office to Denver in May, citing the convenience of the Denver International Airport for regular meetings of the BCA national directors.

"Our goal is twofold; increasing efficiency and exceeding the expectations of the BCA’s members," said Brian Meyer, president of Meeting Expectations. “This partnership will enable the board to focus on providing guidance to the organization in order to ensure improved member satisfaction through marketing-oriented services. We will also assist the BCA with strategic planning by sharing the best practices we've developed through our years of experience in the association management field."

Johnson said restructuring with Meeting Expectations will allow the BCA to become more responsive to the membership’s desire for marketing-enhanced services such as information on consumer attitudes and opinions relative to the billiard industry, trends within the industry, business improvement tips and seminars, and consumer marketing programs.

By Press Release - February 16, 2007
 
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