Here's Mike Panozzo's current editor's column from Billiards Digest. If you hadn't heard, the US billiard industry is currently suffering from a split....
US Billiard Industry Split
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
Very well written description of the situation.
telinoz
Registered
Interesting article, but not surprising.
Expos, equipment standards, rule sets for Pool are not united.
Nobody should be suprised each has their own agenda.
He focused on the BCA.
Interesting, that when you consider two other big parties doing their own thing from WPA at the moment, Predator and Matchroom with Predator pushing their own equipment, Matchroom trying to settle on pocket sizes and ball colours you truly get a sense of how split pool is.
Snooker isn't.
Bit hint there.
Expos, equipment standards, rule sets for Pool are not united.
Nobody should be suprised each has their own agenda.
He focused on the BCA.
Interesting, that when you consider two other big parties doing their own thing from WPA at the moment, Predator and Matchroom with Predator pushing their own equipment, Matchroom trying to settle on pocket sizes and ball colours you truly get a sense of how split pool is.
Snooker isn't.
Bit hint there.
So far as I know, Predator events are WPA sanctioned. They are running three or more sanctioned world championships.
As far as rule sets, I think the only thing noticeable to most people are the break rules. Those have been in flux even in WPA events since 2000 because of the Tight Rack Problem. And I think we can ignore the APA rules. Did you have some other rule discrepancies in mind?
Same can be said of everything's dystopian utility. Zlongzit's not dead...
I enjoyed the read. My BD mag arrived 2 days ago. It's a great magazine for pool enthusiasts.
I empathize with the billiard industry member groups standing their ground, but to borrow a phrase at the beginning of the article, the "frightened turtle" with the most shrinkage is the existing lot of American professional pool players.
The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) is supposed to be the "governing body of professional pool" in North American. That said, if the WPA is a sinking ship due to some pool entities not bending the knee to their authority, a change is definitely on the horizon.
Here's one change, though, that is disturbing: Look at the amount of American professional-caliber players we have in 2023 compared to 1983.
The WPA can join American pro-caliber players in the shrinkage.
I empathize with the billiard industry member groups standing their ground, but to borrow a phrase at the beginning of the article, the "frightened turtle" with the most shrinkage is the existing lot of American professional pool players.
The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) is supposed to be the "governing body of professional pool" in North American. That said, if the WPA is a sinking ship due to some pool entities not bending the knee to their authority, a change is definitely on the horizon.
Here's one change, though, that is disturbing: Look at the amount of American professional-caliber players we have in 2023 compared to 1983.
The WPA can join American pro-caliber players in the shrinkage.
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At first glance those turtles looked to have climbed their way to a very high precipice. Lol.
I had read elsewhere that the table manufacturers did very well during the covid years due to a boom in sales for home rooms. It makes sense that they are facing a downturn now like many other industries. Although Diamond still has a 9-12 month backlog, so perhaps the struggling companies are mostly the furniture table makers and equipment dealers (that have to contend with Amazon).
Edit: Escalade Sports (current owner of the Brunswick brand) is the only publicly traded company I'm aware of that sells billiards stuff. They didn't mention any material decline in their billiards business in their recent SEC filings:
SEC Filings
escaladeinc.com
Escalade, Inc. (ESCA) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript
Escalade, Inc. (NASDAQ:NASDAQ:ESCA) Q4 2022 Results Conference Call February 22, 2023 11:00 AM ETCompany ParticipantsPatrick Griffin - VP, Corporate...
They note that pickleball has been good for their business.
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One big-ass show covering ALL aspects of billiards would be better. Both for industry folks and Joe/Jane player.
NO ONE ENJOYS GOING TO VEGAS IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER....
PERIOD!
Nobody in the N.E. goes to FLA in the Summer.
(unless they want cheap rooms and No crowds)
The BCA trade show, supported by an Amateur Event & a Pro event has Always worked in the past.
Being in the hot desert in NV/coming out of winter, in late April and early May is sweet, like a nice warm summer day, NOT a 120-degree JUNE, where the shopping cart bums have their shirts off at 5 in the morning.....THAT.... speaks for itself.
PERIOD!
Nobody in the N.E. goes to FLA in the Summer.
(unless they want cheap rooms and No crowds)
The BCA trade show, supported by an Amateur Event & a Pro event has Always worked in the past.
Being in the hot desert in NV/coming out of winter, in late April and early May is sweet, like a nice warm summer day, NOT a 120-degree JUNE, where the shopping cart bums have their shirts off at 5 in the morning.....THAT.... speaks for itself.
Snooker has a split in that only the IBSF is part of the WCBS and WPA and this led to a highly inferior contingent of players at the snooker event of the 2022 World Games.
And I think that it should have league tournaments, pro tournaments, junior tournaments and the public invited to at least some of the booths. So do it in conjunction with the SBE or one of the large league events. That would give more reasons for more people to go. (The current trade shows are no public allowed.)
That is a very sad situation. I think the WCBS made the wrong decision about snooker.
Right now there are organizational splits at the world level in all three disciplines: UMB/PBA for carom, WPA/Matchroom for pool, and WPBSA-WSF/IBSF for snooker. And then there are the splits at the national level.
I feel like Predator/WPA vs. Matchroom is a big deal from my perspective as a pool consumer. What trade shows and expos exist don’t register on my radar in the least. But that could just be my ignorance of the machinations of the industry that happens behind the scenes. I love everything Billiards Digest and Panozzo but that one article just happened to have zero resonance for me.
To me, Deja Vu.
After the BCA miscued on the E. Coast Trade show yrs ago, by Guaranteeing the hotel rooms would fill/NOT$$$$$$$$$$.
At one point the BCA had 3mil in the bank at the end of each year.
After the BCA miscued on the E. Coast Trade show yrs ago, by Guaranteeing the hotel rooms would fill/NOT$$$$$$$$$$.
At one point the BCA had 3mil in the bank at the end of each year.
All other industries are doing blended marketing. Trade shows are big deals if it attracts the numbers. Otherwise its just a glorified assembly and attendance.
Pool players are doing everything they can and then some. The governing structures are not showing signs of having a roadmap.
Matchroom has a roadmap. Predator has a roadmap. We all know where to go and how to be part of it.
WPA and WCBS are complying with international policies. Following internationally agreed policies is a political topic.
Which entities will play the larger role in the future of billiards? Who are the billiard leaders promoters or elected board members?
Does anyone foresee a major structure change in the billiards industry?
Pool players are doing everything they can and then some. The governing structures are not showing signs of having a roadmap.
Matchroom has a roadmap. Predator has a roadmap. We all know where to go and how to be part of it.
WPA and WCBS are complying with international policies. Following internationally agreed policies is a political topic.
Which entities will play the larger role in the future of billiards? Who are the billiard leaders promoters or elected board members?
Does anyone foresee a major structure change in the billiards industry?
The whole world is digital now. Why is a billiard expo even needed? It seems like a complete waste of time. Mike P says they are trying to unite the groups for a bigger event showing. Is there really any vendor in the industry who needs to be “introduced” to a manufacturer?
I’ve been to expos like this for my dayjob during trips to China. It’s rows and rows of the same crap trinkets like poker chips, knock off iphones, usb sticks. It’s all pointless imo.
Sell it all online now.
I’ve been to expos like this for my dayjob during trips to China. It’s rows and rows of the same crap trinkets like poker chips, knock off iphones, usb sticks. It’s all pointless imo.
Sell it all online now.
Yes, seems like a failed business model if a manufacturer is trying to get business by going to a 1950s-style trade expo to sell to retail home leisure stores or penny arcades.
[custom cuemakers and the like at SBE are a different story targeting a different market]
Whatever you think of the event, it should remind you that snooker is divided, as Bob Jewett noted in Post #13.