December 2006BreakBCA a bi-monthly guide to Billiard Congress of America member services

Sponsorship Opportunities • Hall of Fame voting changes • Expo 2007 • Ultimate Pool Party a Success • Member Update online features BCA Membersin this issue:

With his keen eye for filling the stands, new CEO Rob Johnsonis taking a good, hard look at the BCA’s lineup of marketing andsponsorship opportunities for the coming year. Calling on hisNASCAR racing background, “turning up the volume” on alltypes of corporate promotions is one of the things that Johnsondoes best.

“All membership organizations have to revolve around the needsof their members” Johnson observed. “We have to identify thoseneeds, then create and enhance benefits so that being a BCAmember is a real no-brainer. And we can always make it fun at thesame time.”

Fun, you say? Exciting? You bet! You’ll definitely want to see whatthe BCA has in store for members in the new year.

The BCA’s marquee event - the annual Expo - has always been asure winner among BCA members who exhibit, as well as thosewho stroll the aisles. But members also receive exclusive calls topartner with the association to support several other special eventsyear-round.

Sponsorships for the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships, theBEF Challenge the Stars, the Junior Nationals and selected pro-motional opportunities like the recent “Ballbusters Ultimate Pool

Party” are designed toprovide valuable cor-porate exposure forBCA members.

In the coming year,you’ll see these famil-iar standby opportu-nities, with a few newtwists. June dates forthe Expo have

already shuffled the order for new year activity, placing theEnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships in the lead-off position.

Scheduled for May 13-19 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in LasVegas, the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships is in its ninthconsecutive year of offering professional tour competition for on-site fan enjoyment, as well as ESPN network taping.

All members in good standing will be invited to bid on exclusiveofficial sponsorships in table, presenting, cue, cloth, ball, rack,chalk, furniture and lighting categories, along with added arenasponsorships made available to non-competing products and serv-ices. Winning bidders receive a substantial return on investmentwith each of these offers, including premium ESPN broadcast air-time.

At the same time, the annual BEF Challenge of the Stars will takeplace on the Tuesday of that event week, on May 15, to raisescholarship funds for the Billiard Education Foundation. The spe-cial benefit offers players a chance to rub shoulders with the toppros and challenge one of their favorites to a game of 9-Ball. With128 of the world’s top pros on hand, enthusiastic players and fanswill have plenty of opportunities to get up-close-and-personalwith their favorite billiard stars.

Look for more details on how you can take part in these specialevents, when all-new programs are released in the new year. Beinga BCA member is just going to get better and better!

Sponsorship ProgramsBCA turns up the volume

Members will achieve name recognition by sponsoringpopular events like the annual EnjoyPool.com

9-Ball Championships (above) and the BCA JuniorNationals (below left) ... events that provide valuable

corporate exposure for BCA members.

It’s time to ante up and register

now!

International

Billiard & Home

Recreation Expo

June 21-23, 2007

Vegas The Sands

Expo Center

We’re Expectinga Full House!

BCA News - Nominations & Elections

Hall of FameIn 2007, a new procedure for Hallof Fame selection and voting willbe used, headed by CommitteeChair Mike Panozzo. Large scale“field voting” will no longer take place, leaving final selections tobe made by the Hall of Fame Committee members. Look for a timelinefor the submission of nominations in an upcoming issue of the BCABreak, or online at BCA-Pool.com and EnjoyPool.com.

BCA Board of DirectorsWith the re-instituted summer dates for the Expo, the association’sGeneral Membership Meeting also moves to June. This extends thedeadline for related validating membership into March. BCA memberswho intend to vote in elections must be “in good standing” on or beforeMarch 22 to be eligible to vote for their representatives to the Board.

Four voting positions will be up for election, along with one positioneach in the room and retail categories. See the current boardlist online under the “About Us” tab at BCA-Pool.com. Then be sure thatyour membership is current, look for your ballot in May, and rememberthat the turnaround time is very short!

Sands Convention Center Las VegasJune 21-23, 2007

Seminars June 21-23, 2007

Host Hotels Venetian, Treasure IslandRiviera Hotel & Casino

Host Billiard Congress of America(BCAExpo.com)

Producer William T. Glasgow, Inc.(708.226.1300)

Inte

rnat

ional Billiard & Home

Recreation

Expo

Visit BCAExpo.com for complete information

and forms.

VisitBCAExpo.comHosted by Billiard Congress of America • Produced by W.T. Glasgow, Inc.

Expo-At-A-Glance

Ultimate Pool Party draws Solid RatingsA quarter-million plus tune in for September showings

The BCA’s "Ultimate Pool Party" broadcasts drew viewer ratings that reflected solidweekend audiences, as reported by ESPN following the airing of the three-part

series in September. One-hour broadcasts ofthe two semi-finals and the final were shownon consecutive Sundays, beginning onSeptember 10 and recording .27, .29 and .28ratings, in sequence over the three weekends.Web statistics also showed substantial trafficspikes during the same periods.

Hosts Mitch and Ewa Laurance (left) keptthe conversation lively throughout the tape-delayed broadcasts, and presented framedsouvenir photos of themselves to their 12high-profile “houseguests” as prizes.

The first hour featured the self-dubbed "Team Irresistible" trio of ThorstenHohmann, Vivian Villarreal and Charlie Williams squaring off against "TheFavorites" of Johnny Archer, Karen Corr and Julie Kelly in their semifinal (reach-ing 250,929 households). The following week, audiences were treated to the secondface off between the "Dream Team" of Corey Deuel, Jeanette Lee and Ralf Souquetand "the Tag team" of Alison Fisher, Gerda Hofstatter and Tony Robles (in 267,917homes). The third hour (seen in 260,676 living rooms) was the finale, with TeamIrresistible ousting the Dream Team.

AttentionRetailers Special Holiday Offer!

The BCA is now offering close-out pricing on its billiard-themed clothing ...

sizes & availability are limited, so call early for best selection!!

719.264.8300

AttentionRetailersSpecial Holiday Offer!

The BCA is now offering close-out pricing on its billiard-themed clothing ...

sizes & availability are limited, so call early for best selection!!

719.264.8300

Billiard Congress of AmericaBCA BREAK • December 2006

Editor........................................Linda MojerDesign & Production ............Ginni Francis

The BCA Break is published bi-monthly as an insert to Billiard Retailer and made available online as a download

at BCA-Pool.com

Billiard Congress of America4345 Beverly Drive, Suite DColorado Springs, CO 80918

Ph: 719-264-8300 • Fax: 719-264-9400BCA-Pool.com • EnjoyPool.com

BCA National StaffRob Johnson ............Chief Executive OfficerDiane Bryant ..............................AccountantGinni Francis ....Graphic Design/ProductionAlison Hall ..........................Office ManagerTanya Holmes........Asst. Dir./Trade ServicesCarolyn Lewis ........Director/Trade Services Linda Mojer ........Director/CommunicationsKathy Simmons ................Member Services

BCA Board of DirectorsGregg Hovey (Pres)........................OlhausenMike Baggett (1VP) ..................Cue & CaseIvan Lee (2VP)........................Iwan SimonisRenee Poehlman (Sect.) ........................APAPat Conners (Treas.) ............................AMFNick Alexander......................Clicks BilliardsJeri Brown..........................American GamesSean Cummings............................BrunswickDan Dishaw ................American CuemakersKathy Etheridge ..............Showcase BilliardsMark Griffin ....................BCA Pool LeagueBarry Hart ..................................Viking CueJim McDermott ................Magoo’s BilliardsBob Radford ......................Antique BilliardsKathy Vegh ..............................Danny Vegh’sEric Weber........................................CueStix

Our Vision: Achieve a united,growing, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership.

Our Mission: Enhance thesuccess of our members and promote

the game of billiards.

December 2006BreakBCA

Member Update Drives Online TrafficBCA Members featured in E-Newsletter

Have website, will travel! Want to see your company website featured in anissue of Member Update? It’s easy. Any BCA member company with a web-site is fair game, as long as the site is comprehensive and has enough “aboutus” info to glean a short brief.

Selections are made using recommendations from staff, early Expo sign-uplists, company promotions and press releases directed to the BCA, as well asby random chance. If a deadline rolls around without any prospects, the edi-tor opens the BCA Membership Directory and runs a finger down the page.Here’s a sample of the last few choices published:

EXPRESS BILLIARDS.COM ... is the online retail storefront for BCAbusiness member Betbeze Billiards in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In addition toits billiard line, the online storefront offers poker supplies, Table Tennis tables,Foosball, and Table Hockey tables. The company recently issued its first e-newsletter to customers in July, and an opt-in subscription page is underconstruction.

SLATE DOLLY USA ... Advises anyone in the table business to "Roll it.Don't carry it!" when managing residential and commercial installations. Slatehandling over long distances, through doorways and up stairs is made easywith this specialty equipment, while reducing worker's comp claims, insurancecosts and employee turnover. www.slatedollyusa.com

NEONETICS specializes in neon art - offering posters, lamps, free standingand wall sculptures, clocks and signs that present a colorful and distinct com-bination of art and lighting. Alan Obligin, a chemist who learned the craft atthe New York School of Neon, recognized an emerging business opportunityand opened Neonetics in Randallstown, Maryland in 1989. He later calledupon an old friend, Brad Sotoloff, to work on marketing the company, whichnow offers a line of more than 100 neon products. www.neonetics.com

STORIS Management Systems ... is the pace-setter in business solutions forthe retail industry. Vision R8, STORIS’ powerful enterprise system, bringsmore profitable operations within reach. As a member, service partner, andEXPO exhibitor, the company offers billiard-specific solutions to BCA mem-bers. www.storis.com

Find out about these – and many more – BCA Member companies, in back issuesof BCA Member Update. They’re archived online at BCA-Pool.com!