CONTENTS
VOL 24.5
6 ISSUE AT HAND
24 BUSINESS
The Ultimate Center Visit
A New Game in Town As FECs go cashless with EMV cards, customer information is safe and secure, but businesses be on alert.
By Scott Frager
8 SHORTS
By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson 34
• USBC National Recognition Awards • The merging of two great snacks at Bowlmor, NYC • The passing of TenPin Alley ’s Joyce Letourneau • Main Event partners with Brunswick and QubicaAMF. • Samsung and bowling make good commercials.
34 COVER STORY A Happy Man Outgoing BPAA president Tom Martino made the most of his time at the BPAA. By Jim Goodwin
39 BEYOND BOWLING • Bowl Expo Preview • Sustainable Fun at Plank • Interesting Interview: Scott Shaffer
By Patty Heath
THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Garber garber@bowlingindustry.com
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com
CONTRIBUTORS David Garber Jim Goodwin Patty Heath Pamela Kleibrink Thompson Sean Krainert George McAuliffe Mark Miller Robert Sax
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Fred Groh fredgroh@bowlingindustry.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
12655 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com
www.BowlingIndustry.com
HOTLINE: 888-424-2695 39
16 BVL PROFILE
62 PROFILE At the Pinnacle of Success
Freedom Roller
George McAuliffe shares his story with IBI and details his new endeavor.
Honoring George Pettit, a 90 year-old, three-war veteran who happens to be an avid bowler.
By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
By Mark Miller
72 REMEMBER WHEN Goodyear 1958
20 BUSINESS
By Patty Heath
Elementary, My Dear Data Become a detective to solve business mysteries. By Robert Sax
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56 Showcase 66 Datebook 67 Classifieds
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders. POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, 12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2015, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
THE ISSUE AT HAND
The Ultimate Center Visit It’s not that unusual for a bowling center manager/proprietor to be called on at least five to six times a day. We’ll receive daily calls or visits from bowlers, vendors, potential vendors and marketers from every ilk. For that reason, it shouldn’t be a surprise when a proprietor secretly cringes when a center visit gets scheduled. In my dual roles as general manager of a bowling center and executive director
of the Bowling Centers of Southern CA, I happen to straddle both roles as the caller and callee. I know the gravitas of making darned sure that the time invested in such a meeting is worthwhile and meaningful.
Under the right circumstances, a center visit can be cause for celebration much like the visit I had just a few weeks ago from BPAA president, and this months’ IBI cover boy, Tom Martino, along with BPAA executive director Frank DeSocio and Strike Ten Entertainment’s president John Harbuck. The leadership trifecta was visiting Los Angeles for the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational Bowling Tournament when they came calling on Pinz Bowling Center. I knew I had to roll out the red carpet for them. Out came the old-fashioned street marquis channel letters (newer, fancier signs are verbotten by strict zoning laws), welcoming Martino and DeSocio to Studio City and Pinz Bowling Center. (Harbuck’s visit was a pleasant surprise otherwise he, too, would have had his name proudly displayed.) Getting a visit from the BPAA president, executive director and Strike Ten president is worthy of clearing an entire day’s schedule, let alone an hour or two. This is also the type of visit which one actually regrets having to say goodbye so quickly. These VIP visitors had appointments to call on other bowling centers in the region, and I couldn’t be too selfish. They braved Southern CA traffic and visited at least two other centers in two counties that day. Plus, they had enough energy to stay alert during the Chris Paul event that same evening. This trip, one of Martino’s final trips of his BPAA presidency, stands as a testament to his two years of elected office and why IBI decided to feature him on this month’s cover. Maybe his presidency, like the visit he paid to me at Pinz, was all too short?
– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com
4Your Bowler of the Month In the October 2015 issue, IBI spotlighted Sylvester Thiel, 92 years of age. Now, at 93, Thiel has joined an exclusive club; he became the third person in bowling history to participate in 71 USBC Open Championships. Only 20 bowlers in 112 years of Open Championships history have competed in 60 or more tournaments. He joins hall of famers Joe Norris of San Diego and Bill Doehrman of Fort Wayne, IN. Doehrman’s 71 appearances were consecutive from 1908 to 1981, while Norris started in 1932 and bowled until 2000. Thiel’s first Open was in 1940. “I am happy I’m able to bowl. I have more fun today than years ago,” Thiel shares. We’re happy he’s bowling too. Here’s to 72 Opens!
Sylvester Thiel
Do you have a special bowler at your center we can highlight? Email Patty at heath@bowlingindustry.com. 6
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SHORTS
PEOPLEWATCHING BMI Merchanise announced that Keitha McBride, who has 20-plus years in the amusement industry, has joined the company as its regional sales manager. McBride will be responsible for managing existing as well as new business development, while continuing to develop and maintain industry Keitha McBride partnerships. Prior to BMI, McBride worked at Redemption Plus and Dave & Buster’s. She also had her own consulting company, Starlight Consulting, which primarily focused on merchandise and buying functions for the FEC industry.
Brunswick Bowling has hired Rocky Ferman as an aftermarket product specialist covering the midwestern U.S. Ferman will call on and assist bowling centers with their pinsetter, electrical and lane maintenance needs. Ferman’s background includes center mechanic and center facilities manager and most recently operated his own pinsetter service business. He also worked as a nuclear reactor inspector and ski lift mechanic. Ferman will be based out of Kansas and will report to Frank Marrese, North American sales manager, aftermarket Rocky Ferman products.
Storm Product’s president Dave Symes has named Bill Supper as European director of sales and marketing for Storm Products, Roto Grip and Master Industries. Supper has over three decades of experience in the bowling industry, most recently serving as vice president of sales and marketing at Global Manufacturing. Bill Supper Supper has worked with IBPSIA, BBIA and BPAA and was instrumental in moving the IBMHF from St. Louis to Arlington. “Bill has a great understanding of the European market, and we are fortunate to have someone of his caliber,” Symes said.
Intercard, Inc. recently hired Rachelle Granger for U.S. domestic sales. Granger brings considerable experience in the FEC category. She was in account management positions for Redemption Plus and held sales and account management positions with Applebee’s International and MCI WorldCom. “We’re pleased to add seasoned category experts, such as Rachelle, to keep up with our tremendous growth in the Rachelle Granger U.S.,” said CEO Scott Sherrod.
Global Manufacturing, home of 900 Global bowling balls and 3G bowling shoes, announced the appointment of Wes Pye as vice president of sales, effective April 1. Pye’s background includes PBA member, pro shop owner/operator and bowling proprietor. He joined Storm Products, Inc. in 1997 Wes Pye and held the positon of northeast regional sales manager and later VP of sales. Since 2008, Pye has served as international sales consultant.
Trifecta Management Group (TMG), developer and operator of compelling entertainment and food and beverage concepts across America, announced it has promoted Bridget Smith to executive vice president of marketing and sales. Smith has served as the company’s senior vice president of marketing and sales for the past four years. Bridget Smith In her new role, Smith will be responsible for marketing and sales strategies for all brands and continue to oversee media production, marketing and sales budget planning and the development of strategic advertising and sales partnerships, in addition to spearheading the opening of at least three new venues this year.
IN REMEMBRANCE Joyce Letourneau, former owner of the TenPin Alley bowling newspaper, died April 12 at her home in North Las Vegas following a long illness. A member of the BWAA/IBMA for 20 years, Letourneau served as TenPin Alley ’s operations and sales manager. She jointly owned the monthly paper for 16 years with her husband, IBMA member Frenchy Letourneau. Her monthly column “Reality Bites,” a no-holds-barred commentary toward slick business practices and all types of consumer fraud, was a reader favorite. She also served for two years as an auditor for the BWAA. 8
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SHORTS
ß BITS & PIECES ß ß ß Care. Commit. Contribute.
Coordinated by marketing pro Fred Kaplowitz, BVL’s current campaign has been titled “Care. Commit. Contribute.” Partnering with Strike Ten Entertainment and Bowing Business Builders International (Kids Bowl Free), BVL has introduced a nationwide effort to increase funding to help veterans by seeking a commitment from every bowling center and bowling manufacturer, supplier and vendor to pledge a donation. BVL was founded in 1942 by bowlers and is bowling’s own and oldest charity. To date, it has raised almost $50 million for recreational and therapeutic programs and services not covered by government funding. John La Spina, board chairman, pointed out the commitment, “We will not forget your service,” needs the support of the entire industry.
ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß Motiv brand bowling balls out of competition
The USBC has revoked approval of two Motive brand bowling balls and removed them from the list of balls approved for competition effective March 15. It was determined that the Jackal and Jackal Carnage balls do not comply with the requirements specified by the USBC. Motiv responded quickly to the news and has made available a website to help bowlers get answers and replacement balls, if necessary. [www.motivbowling.com/company/ ball-exchange-program.html] An effort is also being made to have the balls reinstated. “We have always put our customers first and will do all within our power to rectify the situation,” stated Motiv on its website, www.motivbowling.com.
Media
WATCH HOW SWEET IT IS! March has gone from Shakespeare’s ominous Ides of March to the weather declaration, “If March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb,” to NCAA men’s division basketball tournament’s March Madness. Of course, no event is complete without a smartphone. Cut to Samsung’s Galaxy S7 edge commercial during one of the tournament’s Sweet 16 games. The phone touts the first dual pixel camera that captures low light photos. Enter, bowling, the national pastime that looks good in both light and dark.
YUMMY STRIKES AT BOWLMOR
ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß
Put two favorites together—cupcakes and calzones—and you have a pizza cupcake, $6.99 for two at Bowlmor, Chelsea Piers and Times Square in New York City. Ed Porter, executive chef, wanted to elevate
This past February was the 60th anniversary month of the opening of Covina Bowl, one of the most elaborate bowling centers of its time and a Googie architectural example designed by Powers, Daly & DeRosa, where mid-century modern met ancient Egypt with bold angles, colorful signs and cantilevered roofs. It was pop culture imagery à la the Jetsons, and was a 24-hour-aday city of entertainment that included a nightclub, cocktail lounge, coffee shop, barber shop, beauty salon, banquet halls, and even a supervised playroom for children. While Covina Bowl still stands, Whittier, CA’s Friendly Hills Bowl does not. However, the 60-year-old sign, “Bowl,” does. Well, it will when it comes back. The Googie-style sign was carefully removed from the site and will be stored until it is ready to stand as part of a new development, which, interestingly, does not include a bowling center.
the pizza roll, and he did. Two flavors are available: spinach and ricotta; and triple meat which includes sausage, pepperoni and meatball. “I try to keep our menu loaded with nostalgic, non-pretentious, but delicious selections to tug on the heartstrings of past memories,” says Porter. It is amazing what good ingredients and a dash of ingenuity can create.
Two California Icons
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SHORTS
USBC selected its National Recognition Awards recipients for 2016. The award winners, determined by the USBC board of directors based on submitted nominations, were recognized for their outstanding service to the sport during the 2016 USBC convention, April 26-29 at The Orleans in Las Vegas. The Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service went to Rhonda Swaim of Harvest, AL. She has served on local and state associations for more than 25 years and is currently the association manager and a youth director for the Huntsville USBC. Swaim also worked on getting high school bowling recognized in the area. The Joyce Deitch Unity Award, which recognizes organizations and individuals who have made contributions to bowling by being motivators, visionaries, leaders and/or innovators, was given to Jamie Brooks of Fort Worth, TX. Brooks has been involved in bowling for over 50 years and has developed such programs as the Senior All Star Bowling Association, and one of the largest youth programs in the country. He also promotes and hosts major fundraising events for charities such as Bowl for the Cure and Bowlers to Veterans Link. Brooks served as president of the BPAA board and is currently a director on the board. Jon Tang and Tom Burke of Beaverton, OR, have been selected for the USBC Proprietor of the Year Award for their work at Sunset Lanes. Tang and Burke began working at Sunset Lanes when they were in high school. They both attended Brunswick Management School and eventually took over the center in 1999. Besides their successful efforts to build their leagues and youth bowling, they also provide a reading incentive program for a local elementary school and a free end-of-the-year party for fifth graders in all local elementary schools. 12
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GOODWILL CENTRAL
USBC ANNOUNCES NATIONAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
Winchester Bowl, in Winchester, IL, is not slow to jump in when a need is seen. Recently, the community’s Chevrolet dealership, Marshall Chevrolet, burned to the ground. The center, under the leadership of Steve Granger, put together a fundraiser for the technicians who had no insurance covering their tools. $14,000 was raised for them. The community as a whole has raised almost $60,000. Kylee Robbins, a grateful recipient of Shriner’s help, paid it forward. Her way of saying thank you for the help they gave her in her surgery for scoliosis was to host a fundraiser at Parkway Lanes in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and donated all the proceeds to Shriner’s Children Hospital. Like Kylee, when you have been on the receiving end of help, it is not a chore to step up and give back. Gary Zuege and his family created a bowling fundraiser at Dream Lanes in Madison, WI, to support Stroke Camp, where stroke survivors and their caregivers learn to build on their strengths and create good days from bad days. Hey! What about the boys? Delphos Recreation Center, Delphos, OH, was the place to go for the sixth annual “Bowling for the Boyz,” supporting research for testicular cancer. Over $50,000 has been raised to date, with hopes to move past $80,000. In Davenport, IA, Bowlmore Lanes hosted “Bowling for the Guys.” Proceeds from the tournament will go to prescreening for prostate cancer in the Quad Cities. The 7th annual BeneVet Bowling Funfest was held at Cliff Castle Casino Hotel’s Shake, Rattle and Bowl. The event benefits Prescott V.A. Hospital Rehab Center and Northern Arizona Veterans Organization. This year’s goal was to purchase a new treadmill for the rehab center. Well, one can’t leave out the animals. Bowlers showed their best moves at Midway Lanes in Vestal, NY, at the Humane Society’s Bowl-A-Rama. The non-profit animal welfare organization relies on such events to keep the animal shelter running. And, of course, we can’t forget the rhinos. Southway Bowl in St. Cloud, MN, held a bowling fest to help bring awareness for endangered rhinos. Paws is a group that helps pet owners who have HIV and AIDS by paying for some of their bills, providing transportation, and caring for pets when their owners are too sick. The group held a bowling fundraiser at Playdium Bowling Center in Albany, NY. What is your center doing? Email Patty Heath at heath@bowlingindustry.com.
SHORTS
EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS A new spin on a vacation destination in Vermont is Sun and Ski Inn and Suites in Stowe. Owners Mark and Rachel Vandenberg put it this way, “We are the first venue like this in Vermont, and we believe that we’re also the only hotel in New England to have boutique bowling.” The hotel, to which they have added 15 rooms, sparked the idea to then build Stowe Bowl.
J.T. Dant, 25-year-old entrepreneur and bowling enthusiast, is now the proud owner of his own center. With the help of his dad, Terry, Dant purchased the former Crown Lanes in Princeton, IL, which he redubbed Pin Splitter Lanes. With the coming of summer, he will close up shop and remodel with paint, new carpet and enclose the bar from the lanes.
Moshannon Valley Super Bowl in Philipsburg, PA, reopened April 1, no foolin! The Genna Ice Company purchased the land with the idea of putting in a new ice plant. With a little research, the idea of running a bowling center seemed to appeal to Paul Brimmeier and his partners. New additions will be a bar and restaurant to go with the lanes.
Bowlers in Cherokee, NC, will be in for a treat with a $13 million BEC on the property at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. The 50,000-square-foot center will have two floors: the first floor will house 16 lanes, a food and beverage outlet and an arcade; Artist rendering the second floor will contain eight lanes, a bar and a potential food area. Time, from start to finish, should be from 12-18 months.
Main Event Entertainment is at it again. It has signed a lease to build a nearly 50,000-squarefoot FEC with a bowling center, laser tag arena and restaurants on the site of an old movie theater in the Siegen Lane Marketplace in Baton Rouge, LA. This will be the first Main Event location in Louisiana; the company operates 20 family centers in Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Austin, and Memphis. The project is set to open in 2017.
Clover Lanes, Rochester, NY, after fifty years, is closed but not gone. The once 50-lane center will reopen in the fall at a new location, yet to be released, with 34 lanes and a new name. Owner Dan Morgenstern said, “It’s a whole new brand. It’s not your daddy’s bowling center.” The core team will go with the new location and new employees may be hired to handle different parts of the new business model.
MAIN EVENT ENTERTAINMENT TAPS BRUNSWICK AND QUBICAAMF Main Event Entertainment is one of the fastest-growing, bowling-anchored entertainment centers in the U.S. Founded in 1998, it boasts 24 U.S. centers ranging from 48,000 to 75,000 square feet and offers state-of-the-art bowling, multi-level laser tag, high ropes adventure courses, billiards and 100+ interactive and virtual video games, plus new chef-inspired dining and a premium full bar. Main Event has announced partnerships with Brunswick Bowling Products and QubicaAMF. Brunswick will supply pinsetters, lanes, gutters and capping, while QubicaAMF will install the entertainment system, BES X, and center management system, Conqueror Pro, in all new centers, as well as upgrading existing facilities. “Brunswick is thrilled to partner with Main Event, one of the leaders in bowling entertainment in the U.S.,” said Brent Perrier, CEO of Brunswick Products. ColorFull™ Ice White lanes create a unique look and sophisticated feel which will benefit the enhanced bowling experience Main Event creates. Pat Ciniello, chairman of the board at QubicaAMF, said, “We are extremely excited to partner with Main Event. We share a similar philosophy and passion for innovation, growing the industry and delivering a better guest experience.” IBI
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BVL PROFILE
FREEDOM ROLLER HONORING GEORGE PETTIT, A 90 YEAR-OLD, THREE-WAR VETERAN WHO HAPPENS TO BE AN AVID BOWLER.
George Pettit, proud three-war veteran.
By Mark Miller
L
ong before George Pettit fell in love with bowling, he had something much more important to do to occupy his time. The 90-year-old Blaine, MN, resident spent 23 years serving his country during three major conflicts – World War II, Korea and Vietnam – something duly noted by Dan Dahlin, who has owned nearby Ham Lake Bowl since 1987, the same year Pettit moved to the area. “He’s so mild-mannered,” said Dahlin, who first learned about Pettit’s military service from a hat Pettit would occasionally wear indicating his veteran status. Pettit was bowling with his grandson in an adult-youth program in the 24-lane center when Dahlin initially met him. “He’s a great guy. He probably wouldn’t have survived all those wars if he was in the infantry.” Pettit bowled in a Wednesday mixed senior league with three other people this past season. While his 120 average isn’t as good as it has been, he loves the sport just as much as when first joining the league in the early 1990s. Though most of his seven children were bowlers, Pettit says none of them could ever beat him. “I just got better and better until I hit my peak in my 80s,” said Pettit, whose high career game is 258 with a high series in the 600s. “It’s kind of gone downhill ever since I started getting a little
arthritis. I guess it’s a surprise to some I’m still bowling around here. I used to average 150160 with twelve or thirteen 200 games every year. Now I’m real lucky to get one. I just bowl for fun now. With a 120, average you can’t be too competitive.” Like so many others in his part of the country, Pettit’s league finished at the end of March, so his bowling is now done until the fall. “I try to take it one year at a time,” he said. “I hope I’m still able to bowl again in September.”
t, in 1952. George, second from lef
George, in Okinawa, 19 51.
George, on the le ft, in June 16
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1945.
BVL PROFILE
George’s retirement after Vietnam.
end of George at the
WWII.
Pettit did a little bowling while in the Army after he was drafted in 1945 at age 19 and later in a league in Spokane, WA. He didn’t see any combat duty during World War II as he was still in basic training first at Camp Roberts, CA, then Fort Hood, TX. He was released after World War II ended in August of 1945. After his discharge, Pettit first went 60 miles north of his hometown of Colfax, WA, to Spokane to try to find work. He decided to return to the Army on his own in 1947. Just a year later, he went back to civilian life as a telephone lineman when he married Leona. They had seven children together. He joined ranks again in the early 1950s for the Korean War including time stationed in Okinawa, Japan. “I was scheduled to go to the front lines in Korea but at the last minute – and I don’t know what the reason was – they dropped me off at Okinawa,” he said. When that war ended, he went back to the Spokane area to work again as a telephone lineman, installer and repairman, this time for about five years. When he discovered the military paid better, he decided to become a career soldier. Pettit went to radar school and earned the rank of corporal, serving in California, Oklahoma, and the Virgin Islands before being assigned to Vietnam in 1966 at age 40. “It was kind of tough on me,” he said. “Since 18
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I was a platoon leader, I had to stay ahead of the troops. It was pretty difficult. You lose a lot of energy when you’re George, 20 years 40 years old. I was promoted post Vie tnam.. to sergeant first class. I had been assigned to the 101st Airborne as a radar repairman, but they found they needed me in the only missile area there. So I went back to Fort Bliss, TX, where I was teaching missile systems.” With all of Vietnam considered a combat zone, it was hard figuring where the front lines started and where they ended. “That’s the time I had the most stress,” he said. “Later they put me in charge of the maintenance section and wouldn’t let me go out there. Between rocket attacks, I pretty much had that job until I went home.” He was in Vietnam through the end of his tour in 1969. He retired for good in 1971 after a German deployment where George was part of a team that ensured Czechoslovakian nationals were able to cross the disputed Czech border during the Cold War. Pettit returned to Spokane where he worked in whatever job he could find, including being a handyman for an orphanage. He moved to Blaine in 1987 to be close to some of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who lived there, living independently with his dog since Leona died in 2010. “I hope to be able to continue for a few more years,” he said. George Pettit certainly has had an interesting life both on and off the lanes. “I was a career soldier,” he said. “The only reason I retired after 23 years – I would have gone to 30 – but they said the Army was changing and if you didn’t want to change with it, then put your papers in and six months later you’ll be out. So that’s what I did. I didn’t mind military life. I hated it when I first went in, then it got easier and easier. My wife and children got used to it as well.” Pettit is proud to have served his country for so long and in so many theatres. His lifetime of service to our country is deeply appreciated. We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. Our hats are off to you, George Pettit! ❖
Mark Miller is a freelance writer, editor, and public relations specialist from Flower Mound, TX. He's the author of Bowling: America's Greatest Indoor Pastime available at Amazon.com or directly from him at markmywordstexas@gmail.com.
BUSINESS
BECOME A DETECTIVE TO SOLVE BUSINESS MYSTERIES.
By Robert Sax
“I
t is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data,” said Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia. “Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” The great detective had to rely on his keen intellect and powers of observation to gather and analyze the data he needed to solve a mystery. But the spread of sophisticated information technology into BECs and FECs, from point-of-sale and scoring systems to business intelligence software has enabled proprietors to easily capture and capitalize on data that previously had to be gathered by more laborious means. If you take the time to learn how to use it, you won’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to solve such common business mysteries as how to cut costs and boost revenue. You don’t have to be Amazon.com either, mining big data from thousands of servers tracking millions of customers. In fact the small data available by tracking a clientele of just thousands on a POS system can help a savvy proprietor better understand how to satisfy
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customers, generate more sales and build business. Your current POS system may already be gathering data that can help you with such challenges as tracking and managing inventory and comparing labor use against customer visits to analyze how much labor you need when. Real-time analysis of transactions, matched to security video, can help with loss prevention by flagging signs of employee theft.
INCREASED SALES THROUGH MORE EFFECTIVE MARKETING IT and marketing have converged, and data-based marketing is the result. You can use data to measure growth in your customer database and connect the dots across profit centers to analyze total customer spend and what your customers are buying. Loyalty programs and other ways of building a customer database enable you to use sophisticated customer relationship management techniques to increase sales. For example, when a repeat customer signs in at the lane, you can use data from previous visits to offer him food and beverage specials that reflect what he and his guests have ordered before. Making these offers directly to the customer at laneside via the scoring system, when the customer is ready to purchase, is more effective than marketing promotions sent when the customer is not at
BUSINESS the center. “Current results show that the direct connection with bowlers at the lane far outperforms traditional email marketing results,” says Brandon Meigs, director of product management for Brunswick Bowling Products. Once you have collected enough data to establish a baseline, you can try different promotions and incentives and measure their relative effectiveness and improve your results. One of Meigs’ customers was able to sell out an annual New Year’s party after testing in-game ads served up on lane Brandon Meigs, director of monitors in the period just before the product management, event. Previously, they had promoted Brunswick Bowling Products. the event on their website only and had never sold it out. John Losito is the proprietor of Sun Valley Lanes, a 32-lane center in Lincoln, NE. He started collecting customer data manually in 2000 and expanded his efforts in 2005 when he installed a Conqueror scoring and management system. “Now that we had a computerized database that was going to tie to our frequency program, we went and got all the information we could. Loyalty programs were just starting up, so we thought this was our opportunity to figure out who our customers were and what they are spending,” recalls Losito. The information has given Losito actionable insights into everything from who his top John Losito customers are, to trends in game play and food and beverage sales. “We track our [per capita use] and sometimes we will notice trends where, for example, our lineage is going up but our customer count is going down, so we know we are doing stuff that is causing people to stay and bowl an extra game,” says Losito.
DON’T TRY TO EAT IT ALL IN ONE MEGABYTE However, data-based management is a process, not a magic wand. Kelly Wilbar, director of scoring and technology solutions at QubicaAMF, stresses the importance of knowing your business model and the metrics you need to manage it. He advises “getting to know industry standards, learning from thought leaders and industry leaders. The more you know about your
business model, the more you can drive it.” If you are new to data-based management, it’s better to start with small steps. That way you won’t gather more data than you can handle, which can lead to “paralysis by analysis.” Several experts recommend using your business goals to indentify one or two key performance indicators (KPIs) you can use to measure your progress. This will help you keep your data projects manageable. As you gain experience, you can add more KPIs to analyze more elements of your business. It is also helpful to appoint a chief data officer, someone in your organization who will pay regular attention to gathering and analyzing data. An IT or marketing manager is a good choice, and that person should be free to enlist other staff members to help out. It’s also important that your data officer and marketing people are working together, because today’s marketing process is increasingly datadriven. Don’t be distracted by bells and whistles. There is a lot of sexy technology out there, from integrated single point of purchase systems to smartphone apps and tablets, and it’s easy to get lost in it. Know what you want Kelly Wilbar, director of scoring and to measure before you technology solutions, QubicaAMF. decide on a platform, advises Brunswick’s Meigs. “Many businesses rely on the vendor community to provide neutral analysis of the best solution for their needs. However unless you know what you need to measure, you could be provided a solution that only covers 50% of your needs,” he says.
TRACKING FOOD & BEVERAGE The increasing sophistication of food and beverage operations means proprietors have a greater need for data that can help them control food and labor costs and improve customer service. Fortunately, restaurants can take advantage of sophisticated analytical tools that just a few years ago were out of reach for all but the largest companies, according to the National Restaurant Association. Michael Auger of Trifecta Management, a restaurant management consultancy, recommends taking the time to make sure a POS system is set up properly, including entry codes for every menu item. That helps ensure that you will get the data you need to make informed decisions. IBI
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BUSINESS Let’s say you look back at every Monday in a given past month and can see that you served 150 meal covers. “It allows you to schedule the following Mondays to have the proper amount of product prepared, have the right staffing to produce those meals,” says Auger. “It’s stuff that we look at every day.”
WINNERS COME BACK Andy Bartholomy has been using data analysis for ten years at the arcade operations at his Andy B’s FEC locations in Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee. One of his goals was to increase customer satisfaction by making more winners in the arcade. “Gaming is the last thing people do at our centers, and if they win more, they will equate winning with our center and come back again,” says Bartholomy. George McAuliffe of Pinnacle Entertainment helped Bartholomy set up performance reports that drew data from the arcade’s debit card system. Among other factors, this revealed which games were the most popular in a given week, allowing Bartholomy to make adjustments that boosted winning percentages on those games. McAuliffe notes the additional benefits of being able to gather and analyze game performance across his many customers. “We’ve been able to develop a database of well over 100 facilities that we can see real game performance, we can see price performance, average expenditure at the point of sale and be able to benchmark from location to location,” he says, and that has made for many insights he can share with his customers.
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Proprietors who add a game room to an existing center are another group that has benefited from the collected data. “If you think that you can just plug in a game room to your bowling center and be as successful as possible, the numbers are telling us that’s not the case,” notes McAullife. “You have to integrate it with your food, beverage and bowling; it all works together. That was a big insight that derived from the data.” Losito’s ultimate advice to proprietors who are considering data-based management is, “Information is power. The more you can know about your customer, the more effective you can be in developing promotions or learning or making changes that better suit [them]. If you have the ability to do it, you should do it. If not, you are probably missing the boat.” “I never guess,” said Sherlock Holmes. You don’t need to either. ❖
Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.
BUSINESS
EMV cards keep customer information safer and more secure, but businesses be on alert. By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
“T
he entertainment industry is going cashless,” said Alicia Lavay, president and publisher of Vending Times, at the first F2FEC (Face 2 Face Entertainment Conference). Credit cards and debit cards give bowling operators an opportunity to increase revenue and learn more about their customers. A panel of debit card experts — Sebastian Mochkovsky, director of Sacoa, a wireless debit card system; Phil Showler, senior sales executive of Embed Card Systems; and Jason Mitchell, North American sales from Intercard — addressed attendee concerns about Jason Mitchell 24
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debit cards at F2FEC. They spoke about the differences in their debit card systems and also pointed out that when a game pulses, it takes a while to pay out and customers can’t play the game while it is paying out; they can’t spend more on that game. With a card system, the machine puts credits on the card instantly so there is no waiting for tickets or tokens. Rick Iceberg, one of the organizers of the F2FEC and president of CJ Barrymore’s in Clinton, MI, told attendees that after he installed a debit card system, it generated an extra $200,000 in the first year in revenues. George Smith, another F2FEC organizer and president of the Family Entertainment Group, saw a 15-30 percent increase in sales at his FECs after installing a debit card system. The panelists shared that debit card systems improve sales. With the feedback from the card system, operators have
BUSINESS access to information such as the popularity of individual games. Operators can increase the price per play of the top games, which adds more value to the bottom line. The panelists pointed out that operators can use the cards as memberships to get guests to return to the facility. It was also pointed out that 20% of the value on the card systems is never used. This float is an automatic revenue booster. Debit cards/gift cards are a cash-generating product that doubles as a miniature "billboard" in your customer's wallet. Card balances encourage repeat visits and limit cash refunds. Operators can also boost revenue by obtaining sponsorships for the cards from other business owners. Since the cards can have value added after the initial value is depleted, the cards also build customer loyalty. They also streamline procedures at the POS, reduce administrative and reconciliation costs, and reduce theft and fraud. Credit card fraud is growing in the United States. U.S. businesses are accustomed to credit card issuers bearing the responsibility for any fraudulent activity. A new standard governing all credit card transactions took effect last October. The EMV standard requires credit card companies to stop relying on the magnetic stripe cards and move toward cards with embedded chips that will offer more secure credit card transactions. EMV, named after its originators, Europay, MasterCard and Visa, is a credit card technology that mitigates fraud. Brian Duke, a sales and marketing consultant with Sacoa Debit Card System, stated, “Sacoa is currently working on revisions to our kiosk that will accept new EMV-compatible readers. One thing you must understand, Sacoa does not actually Brian Duke process credit cards. We are out of scope PCI compliant and only work with merchant accounts or credit card processors that communicate with our system to place authorized transaction amounts onto our PlayCards. So whatever merchant account our clients choose, they will provide the card readers for regular POS stations.” “Kiosks are something we need to address so that the chip reader fits into our kiosk without looking like an after thought or out of place,” states Duke. “We also do not want anything we use to be able to be removed from the kiosk by vandals.” EMV chip credit cards employ microchip technology and a user's PIN to help protect consumers and businesses from theft of financial information. The new readers and EMV cards, also known as chip and PIN cards because they require a user's personal information number, are widely used in Europe. According to paymentsleader.com, 40% of cards used in the world are EMV, but they are just coming into use in the United States. To accept EMV cards, bowling center operators must alter their payment systems and install the equipment needed to accept payments on the EMV cards. The Smart Card Alliance (http://www.smartcardalliance.org) points out benefits of EMV: “The biggest benefit of EMV is the reduction in card 26
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fraud resulting from counterfeit, lost and stolen cards. EMV also provides interoperability with the global payments infrastructure – consumers with EMV chip payment cards can use their card on any EMVcompatible payment terminal. EMV technology supports enhanced cardholder verification methods and, unlike magnetic stripe cards, EMV payment cards can also be used to secure online payment transactions.” The Smart Card Alliance explains how the technology works: EMV secures the payment transaction with enhanced functionality in three areas: ¥ Protecting against counterfeit cards. The card is authenticated during the payment transaction. Transactions require an authentic card validated either online by the issuer using a dynamic cryptogram or offline with the terminal using Static Data Authentication (SDA), Dynamic Data Authentication (DDA) or Combined DDA with application cryptogram generation (CDA). EMV transactions also create unique transaction data, so that any captured data cannot be used to execute new transactions. ¥ Cardholder verification, authenticating the cardholder and protecting against lost and stolen cards. Cardholder verification ensures that the person attempting to make the transaction is the person to whom the card belongs. EMV supports four cardholder verification methods (CVM): offline PIN, online PIN, signature, or no CVM. The issuer prioritizes CVMs based on the associated risk of the transaction (for example, no CVM is used for unattended devices where transaction amounts are typically quite low). ¥ Transaction authorization, using issuer-defined rules to authorize transactions. The transaction is authorized either online and offline. For an online authorization, transactions proceed as they do today in the U.S. with magnetic stripe cards. The transaction information is sent to the issuer, along Continued on page 30...
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with a transaction-specific cryptogram, and the issuer either authorizes or declines the transaction. In an offline EMV transaction, the card and terminal communicate and use issuer-defined risk parameters that are set in the card to determine whether the transaction can be authorized. Offline transactions are used when terminals do not have online connectivity (e.g., at a ticket kiosk) or in countries where telecommunications costs are high.
EMV cards store payment information in a secure chip rather than on a magnetic stripe and the personalization of EMV cards is done using issuerspecific keys. Unlike a magnetic stripe card, it is virtually impossible to create a counterfeit EMV. Those operators who do a lot of business via the Internet will be glad to know that EMV cards and readers prevent CNP (card-not-present) fraud. For merchants involved with Internet transactions, it’s good to know that EMV programs remove the value to cyber criminals of stealing payment card numbers. The EMV Connection website (http://www.emvconnection.com) provides Alliance resources, industry resources, and recent articles and news on the topic. EMVCo also provides many resources on its website (https://www.emvco.com). “Credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard and American Express make the rules for acceptance and dictate how merchants play the game,” states Duke. “They believe that this new chip is the safest way to process cards and ensure that the authorized user is the one actually using the card. Honestly, the only choice is to either switch to chip acceptance or continue using swipe and risk disputes which will be charged back to the merchant or operator.” U.S. card brands (Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Discover) adopted new policies in 30
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October 2015 which give bowling center operators the responsibility for any fraudulent activity if they failed to adopt the new technology. Bowling center operators who use a traditional magnetic swipe-only terminal to process a chip card are now responsible for the cost of fraud-related chargebacks if someone uses a stolen or lost credit card. Jason Mitchell, North American sales for Intercard, notes that the majority of his customers who report chargebacks are bowling related customers. “A chargeback happens when the credit card owner claims he wasn’t using the card,” says Mitchell. It’s a nationwide problem but is particularly prevalent in Texas, Florida, California, Colorado and Virginia. Chargebacks that occur when customers claim they were not the ones using the card are called “friendly fraud” by credit card processors. When a credit card issuer deems a dispute valid, the bowling center’s merchant account is debited for a credit card charge that had previously cleared. The bowling center is not only out the money that was charged but may also be issued a chargeback fee from the processor that may range from $15 to $100. Since the EMV standard went into effect, bowling center operators who don’t have an EMV processing device will find that banks and payment processors are no longer liable for credit card transactions conducted using a counterfeit, stolen or otherwise compromised card. The liability has shifted for fraudulent card transactions to those who have not implemented the new technology. The way to avoid chargebacks is to adopt the new standards. Bowling operators using EMV-compliant terminals are protected against chargebacks. “The credit card processor has to be EMV-compliant with the payment gateway,” Mitchell explains. Intercard uses a payment gateway called Datacap, which interacts with credit card processors and is certified EMV compliant. Last October, Datacap was certified EMV with only two credit card processors–Mercury and First Data and one specific pin pad, the Verifone VX 805. Intercard’s software was ready for EMV but the credit card processors were lagging behind. “The good news,” says Mitchell, “is that since October, the processors and Datacap have worked diligently to provide certified EMV solutions for more customers.” Today most credit card processors are EMV compliant. “[EMV] has made us aware how quickly technology can change to cause something that affects all elements of our business,” notes Duke. “If we continue to use standard credit card swipers, our customers could be liable for any dispute. To protect them, we have been forced to adapt our hardware and software to meet their needs.” EMV ultimately means enhanced revenue, closer ties to customers and safer transactions overall. (Phil Showler, senior sales executive with Embed Card Systems was unavailable for an interview for this article.) ❖
Pamela Kleibrink Thompson lives in Idaho. In addition to writing, she is a career coach and scenario role player for peace officer training. Pamela worked as a production manager on the Emmy Award-winning animated series The Simpsons, where she bowled regularly with members of the crew. She speaks on career issues at conferences all over the world. You can reach Pamela at PamRecruit@q.com.
COVER STORY
n a M y p p a H A
sons Tom harlene and C e if w is h h Tom wit
ony. Jr. and Anth
de a m o n i t r Tom Ma time as his f o t s o t. n the m e d i s e r BPAA p
By Jim Goodwin
T
Photos courtesy of John O'Boyle . 34
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om Martino will always have the distinction of being the man who served as BPAA president between the first two women presidents: Cathy DeSocio, who served before him, and Nancy Schenk, who will follow. But he doesn’t see that as a big deal because, in his eyes, they may have a little different perspective because of their gender, but they are no different than any other good bowling center owner. “I am very honored that I followed the first woman president, and that the second will follow me,” said Martino. “Cathy DeSocio is a very good bowling proprietor and was a great BPAA president, and it has been a privilege for both of us to mentor Nancy
COVER STORY Schenk as she prepares to become the next president. Cathy mentored me, and she is one of the smartest people I have ever met. I really didn’t have aspirations to be the president, but Cathy and others encouraged me to go for it, and I am grateful for that. It is also interesting that both Cathy and Nancy are second generation proprietors who are carrying on centers started by their fathers. Because of that, they know the business backwards and forwards.” “I have often referred to Tom as my BPAA dad in a fun, loving way, but it is true. Tom's presence is always a calming, determined voice in the room,” said Schenk. “He has always encouraged us to be ourselves and to speak our mind, but then he helps bring the group to a final decision. What has made Tom valuable to BPAA, not only as president but also during the years he served as treasurer, was simply his love of the game, business, and association. Tom made me a better leader by believing in me and constantly encouraging me to stay true to who I am and speak up when I am passionate about something. He also taught me to step back and listen and be the calming presence to the board that the president has to be.” Martino’s journey to the top of BPAA started more than 30 years ago when he first got involved with the New Jersey BPA where he served as NJBPA and North Jersey BPA president, and State Bowling Council president. On the national level, he put his college accounting degree to good use as BPAA treasurer for six years. He has also been on the Budget and Finance Committee, and the Member Benefits Committee, and a recipient of the BPAA President’s Award. He was the Eastern Region Director from 2002-2006. One thing Tom Martino has in common with both DeSocio and Schenk is that they all run family businesses. Back home at Majestic Lanes in Hopelawn, NJ, Tom’s wife Charlene keeps the books and pays the bills for their 40-lane center. Daughters Stacey and Danielle grew up in the business. Stacey and her husband Eddie Karavan are often in the center with their kids, Emma and Eddie Jr. Sons Tom Jr. and Anthony are now full time partners in the center. Tom Jr.’s wife, Melissa, runs the snack shop, and Tom Jr. and Melissa’s kids, Jordan and Gina, are frequently on the lanes. For the Martinos, it has always revolved around family. When they purchased their first centers, Hill Lanes in 1973 and Stelton Lanes in 1984, it was about raising a family and building a family business involved in the community. They bought Majestic in 1991, and today, the goals are the same. A third generation of the family is enjoying the business their parents and grandparents continue to build.
Bowlers First
Martino’s involvement and love for the bowling business stems from his love for the sport. Now 74, Tom began his journey as a bowler at age 10. Along the way, he became pretty good at the game and has passed that skill on to his family.
Tom Jr. and Anthony both average around 225. Tom is not far behind and continues to bowl as often as possible. “I have not bowled in fall leagues while traveling so much for BPAA as president,” he says, “but I have bowled summer leagues, and when I’m done with my BPAA duties, I’ll get back to bowling year round.” Martino has four certified 300 games and an 800 series on his resume, and he has one uncertified 300. The only reason he mentions that one is it came in the BPAA National Family Tournament while bowling with Tom Jr. several years ago. “That was a thrill for both of us,” he said. A few years ago, the Martinos narrowly missed a special place in the bowling record book when Tom and Tom Jr. rolled 300 games at the same time, and Anthony had the front eight strikes in that game. “We still made the book for father/son in the same game, same league, but it would have been a little higher up with father and two sons at the same time,” said Tom.
Presidential Highlights
Martino’s time as BPAA president has been historic. During his term, former Strike Ten Entertainment president Frank DeSocio was hired as BPAA executive director, BPAA’s annual International Bowl Expo has flourished, and BPAA formed a tight bond with the USBC that has produced projects like a strong Olympic effort and a very successful return of the Women’s Professional Bowling Tour. Some of the most interesting keynote speakers have appeared at Bowl Expo: President George W. Bush addressed the group in 2014 when then BPAA presidentelect Martino was installed; basketball legend Ervin ‘Magic’ Johnson wowed the audience at the 2015 show; and 2016 promises to rock the stage once again when NFL Superbowl Champion quarterback Peyton Manning will deliver the keynote. “I’ve been to every Bowl Expo since it started many years ago,” said Martino, “and I think last year was the most memorable, because Magic Johnson absolutely knocked it out of the park with his speech. It was really something special. I can hardly wait to see and hear Peyton Manning this year.” Last year, Martino was part of a contingent that included BPAA, USBC and World Bowling, which traveled to Tokyo to make a bid for bowling to be included in the 2020 Olympic Games. Even though the bid fell short, Martino thinks that the effort garnered enough attention that it will eventually lead to bowling’s inclusion in the world’s most important sports event. “We met with Tokyo and Olympic officials and thought we made a very good case for bowling to be selected,” said Martino. “They told us that we might be in the top two, but when it came to selection, they went with sports that the host country thought had the best chances for medals, and bowling wasn’t in that top five. We were all surprised and very disappointed.” The good news is that the effort will continue, and if the Olympics end up in Los Angeles, as some think it will in 2024, IBI
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COVER STORY bowling’s chances will be excellent, partly because of the Tokyo effort, and mostly because of strong support
BPAA, along with Chad Murphy and his team at USBC, the new tour was an overwhelming success in its inaugural season. All goals were met and exceeded, and everyone involved is working hard on an expanded schedule of events for 2016. The 2016 Tom Martino definitely brought a voice of calm tour will stage 14 events from May and reason to BPAA during his presidency. It was through August of this year. “Tom has always been a pleasure to reassuring to have someone with his wisdom to work with,” said Murphy. “He’s been a big supporter of what’s happened in offer guidance. Tom and I spoke almost daily the youth area, as well as being a part during my term as president. He is a good of the task force that returned the friend and a mentor. I still ask for his advice to PWBA to bowling. His contributions to bowling come from being dedicated this day. I was honored to serve with Tom. to taking the time to think for himself – Cathy DeSocio and using a common sense mentality when combing through the data and looking at the business.” in the U.S.A. “We don’t think it was a wasted effort in Still Learning and Growing Tokyo, and we are committed to keep working until we One great benefit of serving as BPAA president is that it involves are successful,” said Martino. contact with so many centers and proprietors around the world. Martino An effort that did not fall short in any way, shape or has shared all that he has learned in four decades in the business, and form was the re-launch of the Professional Women’s he says he has learned a lot in his 10 years as a BPAA officer, especially Bowling Association Tour in 2015. Under the leadership the past two years as president. of Martino and executive director Frank DeSocio of
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COVER STORY “I think our biggest challenge is competing with other entertainment options, but I see great progress in recent years,” he said. “Who ever thought we would have laser tag, bumper cars, rope courses and rock climbing in our centers? Now, we are seeing movie theaters and bowling being built under the same roof. I’m not surprised at these changes. I am only surprised that it took so long for it to happen. Back in the day, it seemed like everybody bowled,” he added. “It was just something that we all did, but today, it is not top of mind for many people, so we have to do more marketing and work harder to get more people involved. The good news is that when we do, they usually like it and come back again and again.” Youth bowling is one area where Martino feels bowling has a great opportunity. “Kids are our future, and perhaps our biggest challenge is technology,” he says. “Kids can play games on their phones and iPads walking down the street. Sometimes, it is even hard to get them out of the house because they have more entertainment in their bedrooms than we had in our whole town as kids.” At Majestic Lanes, the Martinos work really hard on youth bowling, birthday parties, and corporate parties for adults. They operate a traditional center with one shift of full leagues during the week, but they are always looking for new business and new ideas. They have hundreds of birthday parties and book about 40-50 corporate parties each year for the past few years. One way Majestic Lanes reaches many new customers is through its excellent website. At the very top, it brags, “Family run for over 40 years!” The site is easy to navigate, includes all basic info and specials, and even offers an app where customers can get league info and standings, coupons, X bowling, and participate in social networking. “The best thing we ever did was join the local Chamber of Commerce. It has helped us grow every year, and all centers should have that connection,” said Martino. “The biggest mistake was that my generation had centers that were so full for so many years that we didn’t market very much. Even when leagues got weaker, we had good open play and we still didn’t do what we should have done. If we had marketed right from the beginning, I don’t think we would have had much of a decline at all. We really did not know how to do marketing, at least I know I didn’t. Now, we have come a long way and learned quite a bit, and it is starting to pay off.” “If we can find the right deal, we may buy another center or two and maybe get into the hybrid business as so many others have,” he added. “We have a strong league business, but I think the demographics are right for all types of business. We still have about 77 centers in New Jersey, so there are plenty of bowlers.” Tom Jr. is 41. Anthony is 34. Having sons involved not only keeps Martino on his toes and allows him to travel for BPAA, it also gives him comfort to know that they love the business as much as he does. “Both of them have been in the centers their whole life,” said Martino. “All they ever wanted to do was be in the bowling business, and I am very proud of both of them and all the other kids as well. Without Charlene and all of the kids and grandkids, there is no way I could have stepped away to serve as BPAA president-elect and president for three years. I am looking forward to getting to spend more time at home after this year’s Bowl Expo. If it is as successful as the past two, and I’m confident it will be, I will be a happy man.” ❖
Jim Goodwin is the founder and president of the Bowling News Network and a former president and life member of the International Bowling Media Association.
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INTRO
According to George or you established bowling veterans, whose interest in the BEC evolved from the bowling side, I’m sure you’ll chuckle and consider me still a rookie. It’s only been eleven years since this “FEC guy” attended his first Bowl Expo! That first year, I was there to assess where the bowling industry was in its potential to add FECs, and to see who, if anyone, from my FEC world exhibited at the show. The latter question was answered quickly — no, there was not much representation of FEC suppliers at the show. However, the conversations I had in the trade show aisles and the meetings I held with industry leaders showed that there was indeed great potential, and that the process of bringing the two industries together had begun. That was then. Eleven years later and the BEC model is well established. If you walk the trade show floor at Bowl Expo this year, you will see plenty of representation from the FEC world: game distributors, debit card system providers, redemption merchandise suppliers, laser tag, and on and on. Our Bowl Expo Preview article inside this Beyond Bowling edition will outline some must see exhibitors and provide an overview of the seminar program. From the supplier side, Scott Shaffer of Shaffer Distributing Company is our “Interesting Interview” subject in this edition. Scott’s company has served the amusement game industry for many years, and he discusses his company’s vision. That vision includes enhancing its capabilities to add value to the BEC customer. Like so many suppliers, they see the growth path ahead. To round out this Beyond Bowling, we have a great article by Sean Krainert on The Plank, a BEC on steroids in Oakland, CA, created by Trifecta Management Group. One of the leading BECs in the nation, Plank is a tremendous project that all centers, regardless of scale, can learn from. Enjoy!
F
George McAuliffe
Principal, Pinnacle Entertainment Group
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From David’s Desk nce again we are on the verge of another great show known as Bowl Expo. This is the premier event of the year for bowling center proprietors, managers and others tied to our industry. Here are some of the highlights that you should take advantage of while in Las Vegas. Networking: Step outside your comfort zone and talk to other proprietors during the various show. Find out what trends are working for different bowling centers, and see if they can be implemented in your center. This could range from the Kids Bowl Free program to drink specials in your bar. Implementing the latest trends can make a big difference to the bottom line. Seminars: There are so many seminars offered, so pick and choose which suits you best. Once you have them lined up, attend, and soak up all the valuable information to be had. My favorites would include guest service and food & beverage products. Keynote: It is essential that your Bowl Expo experience include the current Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Peyton Manning, who is sure to give a positive and uplifting address. He has big shoes to fill after last year’s speaker Ervin “Magic” Johnson wowed the crowd, but I’m certain Peyton will come through with his own magic. Trade Show: As good as the seminars are, the main event is the trade show floor. If it can be put to use in your bowling center, it will be on the display. Make sure you you’re prepared for a long day of walking, eating and gathering samples. Club Expo: Wrapping up your great week at Expo will be the very talented rock/pop band, Huey Lewis And The News, who were a huge success in the 80s and having sold over 20 million albums in their career. Enjoy the all-time favorite tunes like, Heart and Soul, Heart of Rock and Roll, and If This is it. It’s certain to bring you back to the days of big hair and big shoulder pads. See you in Vegas!
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David Garber
Associate Publisher International Bowling Industry
PREVIEW
By George McAuliffe
Piecing It All Together At Bowl Expo The annual BPAA tradeshow helps to put the puzzle pieces of your center together.
Bowl Expo opens June 26 with committee and membership meetings for the first two days, a full day of seminars and workshops scheduled for Tuesday, June 28, and the trade show floor is open Wednesday and Thursday, the 29th and 30th. There will be surprises interspersed throughout so check the show schedule at http://bpaa.com/bowlexpo/generalinfo/schedule . The show this year will be held at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Games and FEC attractions continue to do well and play a central part in the success of BECs. Just as proprietors understand the transformative power of adding FEC attractions to their bowling center, FEC game and attraction manufacturers and distributors continue to recognize Bowl Expo as a major trade show for their products. This makes for a worthwhile learning experience.
“Don’t Miss” Trade Show Exhibitors
BAYTEK, Booth 737
Baytek will be exhibiting in the AAMA (American Amusement Machine Association) booth. Baytek continues to play a leading role among game manufacturers. They always seem to be showing a new top ten piece. Recent examples include Grand Piano Keys, Big Bass Wheel, Ticket Monster, Dizzy Chicken, Crank It, Connect Four, and Sink It, all of which continue to be strong performers in clients’ FECs. There was a lot of buzz around the latest pieces, Quick Drop and Tower of Tickets at Amusement Expo in March. Prize Hub automated redemption centers are especially interesting to traditional bowling centers with space constraints. 42
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BMI MERCHANDISE, Booth 608
BMI will be showing off the hottest redemption items the market has to offer. Beyond redemption, BMI is a pioneer in the creation of innovative product kits for every equipment platform, offering amusement’s widest range of complete kits, refills and individual items. Check out BMI’s automated reorder system (ARS), which syncs with all leading POS systems. The result is an efficient, just-in-time redemption inventory management. Locations utilizing the ARS receive on-site set-ups and refreshes, virtual websites depicting digital plan-a-grams, which are easily followed for merchandising and much more.
BRUNSWICK, Booth 144
Brunswick Bowling Products offers today's investors a dynamic range of opportunities to achieve their business goals. Brunswick Bowling provides products, services and industry expertise for the development and renovation of new and existing BECs all over the world. In the booth this year, Brunswick will be demonstrating Sync, its new scoring, POS and marketing system. Sync has everything busy FECs need to manage their facility, including a full-featured POS system, sophisticated event management capabilities, online reservations, game card integration, waitlist management, and a cloud-based customer relationship management solution. Brunswick will also be showcasing an expanded Center
Stage product line. Center Stage is more than just bowling furniture; this modular furniture system offers configurations perfect for restaurants, concourses and lounges. A wide range of options, from tables to sofas to high-back booths, create a consistent look and feel throughout the BEC. Center Stage is available in multiple finishes and fabrics and can be combined with the company’s ColorFull lane and custom masking units to create an environment that is built around a center's unique brand image.
CREATIVE WORKS, Booth 145
Creative Works continues to lead the industry in exciting theming, notably in laser tag playfields and mini golf, and will be featuring its various attractions on the convention floor, including the latest release of Color Crush. Those who stop by the booth will also learn about how to attend their LaserTAG360 event, Creative Works’ contribution to the education of its customers.
EMBED, Booth 233
Embed has been a leader in debit card installations in BECs and throughout the amusement industry. Dave & Buster’s recently announced their conversion to Embed. As part of Helix Leisure, with sister companies LAI games (game manufacturing) and Time Zone FECs (one of the best and largest FEC operators in the world), they understand their customers in unique ways. The Locker Network, which rounds out the Helix lineup, is of special interest to bowling center proprietors. Stop by and check out their latest innovation, the smartTouch reader, with capability for current and future technologies and the ability to swipe or insert and leave the card in the game for rapid play.
INTERCARD, Booth 151
Intercard, now EMV certified, will again feature important products for bowling centers at this year’s Bowl Expo. Intercard’s i3 Reader is the first reader introduced to the market that’s capable of accepting three different payment methods: magnetic stripe; RFID proximity cards/wristbands; and smartphones. This unique characteristic of the i3 Reader gives client-businesses the best of both worlds: the option to completely switch their business from magnetic stripe readers to RFID or NFC technologies, or to phase in and/or test the new technologies over time while still using the latest technology 44
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in magnetic stripe readers. Intercard reports that their iReader Eclipse with Wi-Fi is the biggest seller in the U.S. Plus, it offers the strategic cash management, marketing, reporting and revenue enhancing benefits that the Intercard system has made famous.
LIVE OAK BANK, Booth 345
Live Oak Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to the bowling and family entertainment industries as an active lender, specializing in providing financing solutions to the amusement industry. FEC expert Ben Jones and the entire team at Live Oak Bank have a sharp focus on family entertainment centers, bowling centers, roller skating centers, small parks and water parks nationwide. They provide financing for the purchase of new games and attractions, remodeling, expansion, and refinancing to improve cash flow. The team will be in attendance to discuss your needs.
QUBICAAMF, Booth 723
See the reinvented Highway66 mini bowling, which allows for a variety of exclusive masking and lane graphic themes. One of the themes is sure to fit the look and feel of your center, while providing the visual appeal that keeps people coming in and coming back for more. The Suite Spot™ combines all that’s appealing, fun, social and comfortable about traditional bowling into a unique attraction. Other creative new themes include jukebox, vintage, and Far West. In addition, the folks at QubicaAMF will demonstrate their latest and greatest in bowling hardware and software.
REDEMPTION PLUS, Booth 132
Redemption Plus will be unveiling a new program at Bowl Expo. The company doesn't want to give away all its secrets, but the program will manage inventory levels and provide a merchandising solution via Story Boards (aka Plan-O-Grams). In turn, the program ensures
FECs have the right data-driven redemption product, at the right time in the right amounts. The Story Boards are essentially product maps for displaying themed merchandise in a way that is enticing to the guest. The goal of the program is to take the stress out of ordering and merchandising product, thereby allowing the redemption team more time to focus on enhancing the guest experience.
Conference-Seminar Highlights This year’s highlights include the show-opening keynote by Peyton Manning, twotime Super Bowl-winning quarterback, having won this past year’s world championship
with the Denver Broncos. Peyton’s keynote, sponsored by Brunswick, is on Wednesday morning, June 29, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. He is expected to share his outlook on teamwork and leadership as keys to success in any endeavor. Other thought leaders who will speak during the week include Johnny Cupcakes, who started his T-Shirt business out of his car trunk and turned it into a national retail powerhouse. He will focus on blueprints for getting any small business, passion or idea launched and off of the ground. He brings the creator skill set to his talks. Jim Sullivan will also speak at Bowl Expo. Jim has worked with and for Disney, Starbucks, McDonald’s and many other top names. He has designed successful sales, marketing, and customer service programs for the Top 200 retail and food service chains as well as over 1,000 business owners. There is much wisdom to be found in the other seminars by industry experts. BPAA has divided the program into several tracks: Proprietor Perspective, Author’s Alley, Staff Development, Digital Marketing and Social Media. Check out the diverse lineup in those categories, as well as days and times, at http:// bpaa.com/bowlexpo/generalinfo/schedule. ❖
George McAuliffe has operated family entertainment centers from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet as a corporate executive and entrepreneur. As a consultant he has helped hundreds of clients add or improve redemption game rooms and FEC attractions. He is currently the principal of Pinnacle Entertainment Group whose clients include Embed, Redemption Plus and Shaffer Distributing Company. He writes for RePlay and International Bowling Industry magazines and speaks at FEC industry conferences. 46
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FEATURE
Sustainable Fun at Plank At Oakland’s only FEC, the mood is decidedly upscale urban, with a focus on environmental sustainability.
By Sean Krainert hen Trifecta Management Group (TMG) teamed up with developer Ellis Partner in Oakland, California in 2013, a lasting and meaningful relationship began that would change a community. Oakland is home to over 400,000 people and a thriving community known for its political activism, sports franchises, tech companies, foodie and craft beer culture and sustainability practices that are a nation-wide model. A mecca for modern and sustainable living and a magnet for the tech-advanced culture, Oakland is one of the most diverse major cities in the country.
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What attracted TMG to Oakland was an equal combination of location and community, both possessing unparalleled character and history. When Plank put down roots in the Port of Oakland at Jack London Square, they took an oath to become a part of Oakland rather than simply being a business within its borders. But it wasn’t without taking the obligatory steps that they became a part of the community. For TMG, the stars aligned when they were first introduced to the space at Jack London Square, the future home of FEC Plank. The abandoned Barnes and Noble building left behind an industrial shell of unfinished woods, exposed bolts and a raw and organic feel innate to the historical Oakland character. In an effort to maintain
and enhance the inherent charm, developers salvaged materials to reuse in the creation of Plank, from outside pavers, to windows and doors, all within the original architecture. But the building was only half of the journey in creating an FEC that was tailored to the community. In order to find out exactly who Oakland was, TMG began a boots-on-the-ground research initiative across the city, personally meeting with the residents and businesses that made up it’s core. TMG’s mission as a company to
create, deliver and manage compelling, customized restaurant and entertainment concepts tailored to the specific needs of the marketplace, was dead-center in-line with the creation of Plank. The founding team and current managing partners Ron Lam, Bruce Nussbaum and Michael Auger, comprised the executive management team and strategic operational and development nucleus at GameWorks, the acclaimed restaurant and interactive entertainment concept founded by Steven Spielberg, Universal Studios and Sega. Together with the combined experience, the team was able to quickly recognize the unique opportunity put before them. Jack London Square is, and always has been, the heart of Oakland’s port operations, a vibrant waterfront with a thriving wholesale produce market. As one of the oldest neighborhoods in Oakland, the mainstay restaurants and storefronts have been under the care of long-time residents for decades. As part of their meticulous research, TMG met with business owners from Jack London Square all the way out into downtown Oakland. The goal was not solely to come in as a fierce business competitor, but to compliment the businesses that were already a part of the community. Meeting the residents of Oakland is what fueled TMG’s passion and motivation in crafting Plank. The team walked into restaurants, bars and businesses, reaching out with daily conversations to find out who Oakland really was. Consistent findings across the board were that Oakland clearly lacked entertainment options catering to the active adult, businesses and families. What the community needed was a one-stop entertainment facility tailor-made for Oaklanders. The third component in creating an exclusive FEC for Oakland was to involve the local community in the daily functions of Plank. Hiring locally was an effort that TMG took on in order to maintain a seamless experience for Oaklanders. By taking this above-and-beyond step to hire locally, something that is often overlooked in bigger cities, the Oakland community quickly became invested in the success of Plank. Current Plank general manager Pat Shroll continues the mission with
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outreach to the community in order to fill positions within the business. Because bowling was identified early on as one of the main entertainment components, TMG teamed up with Brunswick Bowling. Vice president of new center development John Roush jumped on board and was an added inspiration to the enthusiasm behind the project. “It is important that center owners know their customers and deliver an experience suitable to their expectations,” says Roush. It was just this concept that TMG was trying to accomplish with Plank. Knowing the customers, and crafting an experience that would meet the distinct expectations of a diverse, tight-knit community was the goal. So, with the creativity bubbling, and the location ready for rejuvenation, Plank took form. On October 10, 2014, Plank opened up to the public with four major components: beer garden, arcade, bowling and food - an unprecedented combination FEC for the city of Oakland. The layout of Plank was a focal point in development and is a proud feature of the facility, beginning with the initial interaction a guest has with Plank in the central beer garden. The open, 15,000-square-feet of outdoor space is home to three bocce ball courts, lounging chairs with tables, fire pits and 48 beers on tap behind the longest bar in Oakland. Auger shared Trifecta’s motive behind the layout. “How many bowling centers can you say you look out and see the water? Oakland has 300 days of sunshine a year, so in order to take advantage of the location, we had to create a beer garden concept. This fit well with this location, but also, was a great tie into what the Oakland community was looking for. To recognize the craft beer movement and have an outside lounging and socialization area were 50
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two elements we had to have. We pride ourselves in having all of the local brewers here in Oakland on our taps.” TMG found in their research that having local beers on tap was a green flag for being a locally-minded business and a huge lure for their local clientele. The design plan for Plank is something that Auger noted as being one of the things Plank was most proud of. He explains, “When you walk into the facility, we want people to know what we are, and not have to guess. From the outside, you immediately see the beer garden with fire pits and bocce ball. Then when you enter Plank, you can clearly see the arcade, bowling lanes, restaurant and bar without wondering.” The arcade component of Plank takes up a large portion of the 4,000-square-foot interior space. The idea behind the games was a reflection of how TMG tuned-in to the kid in everybody, in particular, the competitive spirit. Auger said, “Video games and games in general allow everyone to relive their youth,
hit the home run, win the race, things that as an adult you don’t have the opportunity to do.” ❖
Sean Krainert is a freelance copywriter living in the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in real estate, hospitality and mental health writing. He is also an alumni of the Wichita State Shocker bowling program.
INTERESTING INTERVIEW
By George McAuliffe
Selling Fun A few minutes with Scott Shaffer, vice president of Shaffer Distributing Company
1. Tell us about your company. Shaffer Distributing is the oldest family owned distributor of coin operated amusement, music and vending equipment in the U.S. The company’s values have helped us to create long lasting business partnerships with our customers instead of just selling a piece of equipment. In the amusement business, much of what we sell is fun. But we believe that these are very serious decisions. Shaffer knows that what we sell are return-oninvestment vehicles and we treat it as such. We have the resources to do business all over the U.S., but appropriately sized enough that management is very hands on with our customers. We don’t just have one expert to handle every opportunity, we have a team of people that are committed to offering the best advice, products and services possible. 2. How did you get into the business? Being a fourth generation Shaffer, I grew up in the business. Both my brother Andy and I have worked in all aspects of the business, which gives us a unique perspective on the industry and our customers’ needs. 3. What keeps you in this business? This industry is awesome! Not only do we get to provide reasonably priced fun to millions of people, but the industry is loaded with incredible people. It is never boring. 4. Shaffer Distributing Company has been in the business since 1929. To what do you attribute the longevity and success of your company? Our longevity can be attributed to the historical core values and customer relationships, paired with a 52
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tremendous generational transition plan. My father has always allowed us to learn and grow. We were involved with the company, and he let us make important decisions, even at a young age. He recognized that as much as the company needed to stay the same, it needed to change with the times as well. So we have been a very nimble company. One that has responded to the demands of our customers and the direction of the amusement business. Scott Shaffer 5. What is your perspective on BECs? The ability to offer your customers many attractions within the facility is becoming imperative, and rightfully so. There are many great entertainment options in the market today to choose from that a facility can add to increase foot traffic. Bowling is a tremendous centerpiece attraction and complements FEC attractions. Each facility will need to identify their target audience and tailor their business plan towards that specific demographic. Once established, the ability to generate additional revenue from party rooms and/or corporate business will be pivotal to the success of their operations. Our customers are looking to completely re-invent their purpose for business and who they are attracting to their facility. Even in smaller towns, these transformations can happen and they can be quite profitable. 6. What makes a BEC successful? A BEC’s success is determined by the commitment of the ownership to change. Work with experienced partners to come up with an executable plan, and then stick to that plan. Cutting ties with old school practices is risky and hard, but we see it as paramount. Going after a new clientele can risk long time
customers, but it may be the only way to grow. Our most successful customers are innovative and show a willingness of the ownership to invest in the necessary attractions and services needed to enhance the guest experience. They are using the low cost of money right now to invest in their future. Debt is better than a lost opportunity, as the saying goes. 7. What are the next growth phases for the BEC? Anticipate change! As we start to see the millennial generation become a larger source of revenue within our industry (and our workforce), we need to adjust the “way we have always done things” routines more frequently. Ownership must be willing to reinvest in their facilities to keep them exciting and engaging. Staying status quo will not work if you want to have a successful operation. With today’s technology one can only imagine where we are headed and how it will impact the landscape of entertainment in our society. With this in mind, the ability to create a social environment that is captivating and cannot be replicated at home or on a phone will remain at the forefront. 8. Any comments on the adults vs families design debate? The debate continues. Inherently, BECs are slightly different from traditional FECs in that most have a broad customer base. With the inclusion of bowling, it naturally invites family engagement from toddlers to grandparents. Many facilities we have worked with have placed significant emphasis on engaging the entire family. These facilities are finding ways to engage their patrons of all ages, whether that be a designated area within the facility that has couches and comfortable seating for the parents, or attractions like laser tag and arcades to engage kids of all ages. While we believe a facility cannot be all things to all people, it is important to remember that the more you can keep all parties engaged, the longer they will spend in your facility, which in turn will lead to additional revenue and repeat customers. 9. Any other wisdom you care to share for our readers? Embrace the opportunities that are out there. Spend time traveling to see other successful operations and note the things that can make your facility prosper. Once you develop a plan, be single minded in making it happen. Surround yourself with people who share your vision and can help execute on it (and get rid of those that don’t). Challenge yourself and your staff to always be looking to improve! ❖ George McAuliffe has operated family entertainment centers from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet as a corporate executive and entrepreneur. As a consultant he has helped hundreds of clients add or improve redemption game rooms and FEC attractions. He is currently the principal of Pinnacle Entertainment Group whose clients include Embed, Redemption Plus and Shaffer Distributing Company. He writes for RePlay and International Bowling Industry magazines and speaks at FEC industry conferences. 54
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SHOWCASE
FAB 5 VIP BASH
Creative Works, Inc. is excited to once again co-host the Fab 5 VIP Bash during Bowl Expo in Las Vegas. This will mark the third year that Creative Works, along with partners Bowling Music Network, Party Center Software, Redemption Plus and TrainerTainment, will be hosting the event. The Fab 5 VIP Bash is an exclusive customer appreciation event created to thank all the customers that have supported the businesses over the years, as well as potential clients. Guests attending the event will be able to enjoy an evening of cocktails, music and great conversation. Past Fab 5 events included karaoke performances and dancing by guests and company representatives. This year’s event will once again promise to be an unforgettable one. For more information, go to www.fab5bash.com.
SWIPE CARD TECHNOLOGY
The latest product in Embed’s line of readers is smartTouch™, which won a Bass Ring Award, Best New Product, at the IAAPA Attractions Expo last November. With their own operating system like that of a modern smart phone, smartTouch™ readers were built to deliver upgrades and new features in ways that were not possible until now. Important for existing operators, the smartTouch™ reader family supports traditional magnetic cards and newer contactless payment methods at the same time; the latter is quickly becoming the new standard across many industries. With all three smartTouch™ reader models, guests can play using cards, wristbands, and, in the future, smart phones. They were designed to give operators a way to seamlessly transition from their current payment model to contactless payments in whatever time frame works best. For more information, visit www.embedcard.com.
SYNC TO WIN – CONTEST
NICHE FINANCING
Live Oak Bank was founded in 2008 with one goal: provide business loans to independent business people in niche industries. Live Oak understands the factors specific to the bowling industry, as well as the financing needs. With a team of entertainment center experts and lending specialists, they are uniquely positioned to help you reach new growth. Live Oak provides financing for expansion, modernization, construction, acquisition, working capital, equipment and refinancing from $75,000 to $5 million. The expedited and transparent process is simple and gets the funds to you fast so you can get back to work. To learn more, contact www.liveoakbank.com/bowling-center-loans.
Brunswick Bowling Products’ Sync is the only cloud-based scoring, POS, and center management system in the bowling industry. It is the only platform that gives you access to emerging technologies with sophisticated marketing features and comprehensive center management that all come together to truly enhance the bowler experience. Experience Sync™ for yourself, and you could win a chance to attend Bowl Expo 2016 in Las Vegas—on us! One lucky Sync to Win Sweepstakes participant will receive airfare, hotel, and trade show registration for two, plus $1,000 cash! Sweepstakes ends May 15, 2016. All you have to do is visit www.brunswickbowlingcom/sync-to-win and sign up for a FREE demo today. See website for full sweepstakes rules and eligibility.
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SHOWCASE
NEW GAME RELOAD FEATURE
Bay Tek Games’ Tower of Tickets (TOT) has a new Reload feature which solves the issues of ticket rolls being taken home as a prize and game room attendants not refilling the game platter. The new TOT Reload feature is a completely self-contained game. Now when a ticket roll is won, rather than falling down a prize chute, the ticket roll lands in a Win Spot tray where NFC technology reads the ticket chip in the roll, automatically putting the etickets on the player’s card or sending a signal to the ticket dispenser to dispense the set amount of tickets. Ticket Dispensers are an additional factory option. Once the Win Spot tray reads the ticket value and distributes the tickets to the player, the spring-loaded tray automatically flips up and sends the ticket roll right back onto the game platter. Now the game is always set up for 100% optimal revenue potential by looking the most attractive at all times to the players; no other game has a fully self-contained rotary where no labor is involved. For further info go to sales@baytekgames.com.
BMI MERCHANDISE TEAMS UP WITH MAIN EVENT
BMI Merchandise, the nation's largest amusement merchandise supplier, recently completed the entire redemption merchandise set-up at Main Event’s newest location in North Fort Worth, TX. The 49,000 square-foot venue features 22 contemporary bowling lanes, a multi-level laser tag arena, ropes course, restaurants and over 100 interactive and virtual games. “We’re thrilled to align with Main Event in bringing a first-tier redemption merchandise line-up to their newest location,” said David Katz, BMI’s CEO. Main Event has 24 locations that all prominently feature BMI’s extensive product range. New Main Event centers, which will feature BMI Merchandise, are slated to open in Louisville, Albuquerque and Cincinnati over the next few months.
FURNITURE COLLECTIONS
The future of bowling furniture lies in being able to offer unique styles, durability specifically designed for bowling, and mobility to change a center’s layout. The HARMONY furniture line from QubicaAMF is able to offer a high-end-center look, while
supporting business needs. HARMONY is uniquely designed to address three core needs for today’s centers: match vision, style and center needs; accommodate diverse customer needs; and make maintenance easy and cost effective. To see the full HARMONY collection, please visit www.qubicaamf.com/HarmonyTool.
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NEWS
GEORGE MCAULIFFE:
AT THE PINNACLE OF SUCCESS By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
G
eorge McAuliffe got his start in family entertainment because he knew somebody in the business — his brother Tom recruited him to be an arcade manager. Tom was vice president of operations for Time-Out, one of the first national arcade chains. 37 years ago, George thought it would be a temporary position. “Time-Out was very progressive, so they invested in us as managers,” states McAuliffe. “The company also grew rapidly and evolved from arcades to big box family entertainment centers. So it seemed there was always something new and ways to grow as a manager. When the company was sold in 1996, we founded Pinnacle and experienced the entrepreneurial side of business.”
family entertainment, we’ve seen plenty of expensive mistakes. Pinnacle’s job is to prevent our clients from making those mistakes, eliminate or at least flatten the learning curve, and help them avoid leaving sales dollars on the table.
What would you like IBI readers to know about Pinnacle Entertainment Group?
How are you going to take your business model to the next level?
We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year. We’ve developed some terrific friendships with former and continuing clients in that time and worked on some groundbreaking projects. Every project is groundbreaking to its owner, of course, and we approach each project that way. Someone said, “When you make enough mistakes, you become an expert.” In our 37 years in 62
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In your press release you say "I'm looking forward to this next chapter of Pinnacle's development." What do you foresee in your future? We’ll continue to help new centers with their game rooms and FEC attraction launches, but we’ve also added three strategic clients: Shaffer Distributing Company, Helix Leisure’s Embed division, and Redemption Plus. We will work as strategic advisers to these companies to help their businesses grow, to ensure their leadership positions in the FEC marketplace, and to develop innovative products and services to serve that market.
We’ll be laser-focused on our relaunch as an independent company in the first year. That focus will start with our strategic clients’ businesses, to ensure that we understand them, to brainstorm the opportunities, and to play a part in their getting to the next level. We have some yeartwo ideas for FEC services that could be game changers. What are the hottest trends you are following now? We are watching a retail industry trend referred to as “omni-
NEWS channel," which integrates customer interaction in all the places they touch: brick and mortar stores, online, and mobile. We're observing some early adoption in the BEC and FEC world and expect more in the future. Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) will be the next big trend in game development. Happily, we are seeing the science of redemption management (as opposed to traditional "shoot from the hip" merchandising techniques) being applied more universally.
What is the best advice or wisdom you received?
What separates Pinnacle from other consultants?
I guess the work ethic has served me well over the years. I’ve found that people appreciate honesty, even when it’s a little uncomfortable. When you practice honesty consistently over time, you develop credibility. To a consultant, credibility becomes your stock in trade.
We have walked in the customer’s shoes, not just as a game operator, but as a family entertainment center operator in a wide variety of FEC sizes and personalities: from bowling centers, to amusement parks, to Las Vegas casinos, to Wal-mart. We've done it as a corporate executive and as a family business — two different learning experiences. Now as consultants, our clients become part of the family. When we get up in the morning, we are worried about their business. With the client as our central purpose, our business takes care of itself. How can traditional mom and pop bowling centers benefit from Pinnacle's expertise? In the same way as bigger projects: we've advised over 125 bowling centers on adding family entertainment centers and game rooms. About 70% were conversions of existing centers and a number of those were smaller market, lower volume centers. In those cases, it's even more critical that the project be "right-sized," where the productivity of every square inch is essential. Pinnacle, in many ways, provides "success insurance." There is less margin for error in smaller centers, so our contribution becomes all the more valuable. Do you have examples of some smaller centers that have used Pinnacle? Smaller is a subjective term and some higher volume centers have smaller game rooms. With that qualification, here are a few: I just returned from opening the new arcade at Pheasant Lanes in Bloomington, IL, for general manager David Bartlett and his ownership team, Roger Waller and Kevin Priller. We are in the process of opening smaller rooms with John and Joe LaSpina's Countryside Lanes in Clearwater, FL, and with Frank and Tom Wilkinson's Rab's Country Lanes in Staten Island, NY. We help with all of Andy Bartholomy's projects including several smaller market centers over the years. 64
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I’ve been fortunate to have had great mentors over the years, but I guess I’d pick “work hard, be honest.” Who was that advice from? From my dad. It’s funny, I’m not sure he ever said it [the advice] out loud, I may just have learned it from watching him. How did it change your life?
What were the biggest challenges to you when you owned FECs? Designing a guest experience that keeps people coming back, introducing change economically over time, and building and growing a team. What advice would you give to someone just starting in the industry? Pick a good spot in the right company where you will have the opportunity to learn. Find ways to experience different aspects of the business. If you’re an arcade tech, spend time with the merchandise buyer, for example. Broaden your skill set as much as possible. Pay attention to trends and try to be out in front of them, because the business always evolves. What are your passions? At this stage of my life, my family and my customers are my passions. I do enjoy writing and speaking, the teaching and coaching aspect of what we do. ❖ George was born in Brooklyn, NY, on January 3, 1954 and grew up in Brooklyn and the central Jersey Shore. He’s also lived in Connecticut (1979-82), northern Virginia (1982-90), St. Louis (1990-2012), Seattle (2012-2014), and returned “home” to the Jersey Shore in 2014. He and his wife Julie have been married for 38 years and have three children: Howard (36) and his wife Reem, and grandson Sami (4); George, Jr. (35) and his partner, Ashleigh; and Peter, (31) and his partner Nicky. They also have two granddogs, Dakota and Ameira. George’s brother Tom, who recruited George into the business, was president of Champion’s Amusements when he passed away in 2006. George also has three sisters: Joan, Barbara and Beth. Joan is retired and lives close by, as does Barbara who is a chef, and Beth who lives in Maine and is in restaurant management. Beth and Barbara owned the Riverside Café in Ellsworth, ME, for many years. Pamela Kleibrink Thompson lives in Idaho. In addition to writing, she is a career coach and scenario role player for peace officer training. Pamela worked as a production manager on the Emmy Award-winning animated series The Simpsons, where she bowled regularly with members of the crew. She speaks on career issues at conferences all over the world. You can reach Pamela at PamRecruit@q.com.
DATEBOOK
MAY 2-6 Brunswick Training GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695 www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training 5 Indiana Bowling Centers Assoc. Education Seminar Indianapolis, IN www.indianagobowl.com 9-13 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695 www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training 17-18 LaserTAG 360 Event Creative Works Indianapolis, IN Kimberly Schilling (317) 834-4770 www.LASERTAG360.com 17-19 BPAA Bowling University Custom Management Program Illinois State BPA Bill Duff, Exec. Dir. (847) 982-1305 billduff@bowlillinois.com
JUNE 7-9 BPAA Bowling University Custom Management Program BCA of Michigan Ken Prokopec, Exec. Dir. (248) 559-5207 bowlerprok@aol.com 8-9 Birthday University Raleigh, NC Frank Price (919) 387-1966 Fl-price.com www.birthdayuniversity.com 66
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13-17 Brunswick Training GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695 www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training
18-19 BCAM Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Mount Pleasant, MI Ken Prokopec, Exec. Dir. (630) 235-7794 bowlerprok@aol.com
20-24 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695 www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training
18-22 Brunswick Training GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance School Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training
25-30 International Bowl Expo Mandalay Bay Las Vegas www.bowlexpo.com 27-28 IBMA Annual Meeting Bowl Expo – Mandalay Bay Resort Las Vegas Rich Cairns Rich@bpaa.com
JULY 7-8 TrainerTainment Advanced Sales Conference BPAA Intl. Training Campus (817) 886-4840 cso@trainertainment.net 11-22 Brunswick A-2 Pinsetter Training Program Mountain View Lanes Woodstock, VA Frank Miroballi (540) 325-7684 www.BrunswickA2training.com 19-21 BPAA Bowling University Custom Management Program Pennsylvania State Bowl Assoc. Chris Gallas, Managing Dir. (800) 343-1329, x 8471 Chris@bpaa.com
25-29 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance School Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695 www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training
AUGUST 1-12 Brunswick A-2 Pinsetter Training Program Mountain View Lanes Woodstock, VA Frank Miroballi (540) 325-7684 www.BrunswickA2training.com 2-4 BPAA Bowling University Custom Content Management Program www.bowlcolorado.com Chris Gallas, Managing Director (800) 343-1329 x 8471 chris@bpaa.com 11-13 BPAA Bowling University Custom Content Management Program Bowling Centers Association of Florida www.bcaf.us Chris Gallas, Managing Director (800) 343-1329 x 8471 chris@bpaa.com
CLASSIFIEDS
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN
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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE FOR SALE: 6 Brunswick A-2 machines. Working order. $2,500.00 complete set. Call (785) 221-2847. BRUNSWICK FRAMEWORX SEATING PACKAGE (16 lanes) includes: 16 Team Tables with (4) attached swivel telescoping seats; 4 High Tables with (2) attached swivel telescoping seats; 16 moveable separate seats. Call Jim @ (313) 715-7921. NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com. REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751.
WWW.TEXTBOWLING.COM AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@sbcglobal.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/
EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.
POSITION WANTED Management level position within FEC industry. 25 years experience including operational oversight for multi-locations. Resume available upon request. Call (336) 416-3788 or email rkerr24@yahoo.com.
SERVICES AVAILABLE PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES! Chassis & P.C. boards. REPAIR AND EXCHANGE. Mike Barrett, phone (714) 871-7843 or fax (714) 5220576. AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. Exchange your tired or damaged chassis for an upgraded, rewired, cleaned, painted and ready-to-run chassis. Fast turnaround. Lifetime guarantee. References available. CHASSIS DOCTOR (330) 314-8951. AMF 82-30 MASTER MECHANIC & CHASSIS DOCTOR. Now available for service calls. 44 years experience. References available. Call the CHASSIS DOCTOR @ (330) 314-8951. Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
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AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK
SEL L
BUY
Danny & Daryl Tucker Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767
Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com
www.tuckerbowling.com
Felix Erickson Co., Inc. Strike Zone © Family of Lane Products Strike Zone© Next Generation LC 5 gal case $105 Envi-Cide II Disinfectant Shoe sparay 12/15 oz $87.95 Solve-It © Orange Foam Cleaner 12/18 oz $69.95 FESI Solve-IT © Ball Wheel Liner 22’ $90 NEW RM 107 Rubber/Cork Wheel Liner $29.95/Roll 000-024-604 Gray Ball Lift Belt $195 ea. Exclusive Phenolic Kickback Plates Front F128D 16” x 33” $88 ea. Rear F129 19” x 23 3/4” $88 ea. F132T 15" x 50" $130 ea. All plates include screws and instructions 800-445-1090 (F) 609-267-4669 festrikezone.com Resurfacing - Repairs - Supplies - Synthetics IBI
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE NORTHERN GULF COAST: 24-lane, split 16/8, FEC. Built in 2006. 2.5 acres and 28,000 s/f building. Brunswick GSX, well maintained. New Brunswick scoring system and Aloha cash register systems in 2014. Fully enclosed bar/restaurant, full kitchen, walk -in freezer/cooler and pizza oven. Kegel lane machine and new ball drilling equipment. Call Pete, (228) 348-6921 or email: prburns11@cableone.net. CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 8-lane Brunswick center w/ A-2 machines, AS-80 scoring, kitchen & bar, pro shop & game room. Established nightly leagues. 8300 s/f + 2 outbuildings on 2.016 acres. $348,750.00 includes business & real estate. Sue Decker, C21 Gold Key Realty (715) 305-6096 or c21sue@c21goldkey.com. CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane Brunswick center with Anvil lanes, 50-seat restaurant with Drive-Thru Window. All new appliances. Only bowling center within 60 miles. Call (775) 720-2726. APPRAISALS: LARRY DOBBS MAI, ASA. (214) 674-8187. Bowlingvaluations@yahoo.com.
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CENTERS FOR SALE COLORDAO, ASPEN: Profitable 16-lane center with pro shop, game arcade, snack bar & bar/restaurant including indoor & outdoor seating. Family owned for 22 years. Only league-licensed center within 50+ mile radius. Plenty of parking. SBA financing available to qualified buyer. Priced to sell @ $575K. Contact John Hornblower, VR Business Brokers, Aspen Co. (970) 429-8220. NORTHEAST INDIANA: Busy 16-lane center complete with snack bar, includes beer & wine license. Electronic scoring, upgraded audio & video systems. Highly visible location on Highway 27 in Portland, IN, with ample parking. Pics & info @ Century21adv.com. Contact Rob Green, Century 21 Advance Realty, rgreenc21@gmail.com or (260) 525-8474. WESTERN OREGON: 16-lane center in growing small town with high quality of life. Revenue per lane above average and cash flow trending up. Strong state license video poker revenue. A-2s, wood lanes, Qubica scoring, Frameworx seating. Includes real estate. Ken Paton, (503) 645-5630.
CLASSIFIEDS EDUCATION & TRAINING PRO SHOP TRAINING. Classes always forming. Jayhawk Bowling Supply (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
HELP WANTED Center Management Opportunity. Are you an assistant manager, manager or assistant general manager looking for an opportunity to grow professionally, as well as financially? Do you have the motivation, drive and energy needed to grow our center’s business? If so, you will want to contact us today. We are a Los Angeles area bowling center seeking a bilingual (Spanish/ English) candidate who is eager to help our business grow. We offer salary (commensurate with experience) plus 401k and vacation. Relocation costs may be provided for the right candidate. To apply, please email your resume and salary history to info@bowlingindustry.com.
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN
MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black Light/Traditional/Pro Putter. 202 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com
LOCKER KEYS FAST! All Keys done by code # Locks and Master Keys E-mail: huff@inreach.com TOLL FREE
1-800-700-4539
WWW.TEXTBOWLING.COM IBI
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REMEMBER WHEN
1958 G
oodyear’s synthetic rubber, Plioflex, was front and center on the inside cover of Business Week magazine in 1958. While bowling represented fun and games, it also was a platform for thoughtful research and forward thinking, using the latest in new materials. The ad’s photo quietly highlighted ball manufacturer Ebonite Company working to develop better and more sophisticated bowling
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balls with new rubber compounds developed by Goodyear. Better function and lower cost would be one more way the business of bowling would prosper. In 1958, the ABC/WIBC had approximately 7,900 certified centers with 2,500,000 members. Goodyear, Chemical Division was big business and so was bowling. ❖ - Patty Heath