BCA Insider - 2016 Holiday Edition

Holiday Issue | November 1, 2016

PLAN YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS THIS

HOLIDAY SEASON

TWITTER TIPS COMMANDERIN-RETAIL GET YOUR FOOSBALL ON

BCA Insider—A BCA Member Publication Dedicated to Businesses in the Billiard and Home Leisure Industry.

Joe Dyton

CommanderIn-Retail

8 Kathryn Van Druff

Twitter Tips

12 Anthony Stoeckert

Get Your Foosball On

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IN THIS ISSUE

16 22 24 28 36 38 44 46 49

In Memoriam Keith Loria President’s Award BCA Staff Success This Holiday Season Lynn Switanowski Thriving and Surviving Anthony Stoeckert Team Europe Wins ACC Charles S. Donnavan Embrace Video Content Alexa P. Bullard UPS Discounts for BCA Members BCA Staff BCA Hall of Fame Welcomes Two BCA Staff Looking Back at the Expo Keith Loria

OPENING LETTER EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Keith Loria billiardskeith@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alexia P. Bullard Charles S. Donnavan Joe Dyton Anthony Stoeckert Kathryn Van Druff Lynn Switanowski

ADVERTISING MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Shane Tyree shane@bca-pool.com (303) 243-5070 x23

DESIGN/LAYOUT ART DIRECTOR Julie Snee julie.snee@gmail.com

BCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Chance Pack, Champion Shuffleboard/ Connelly Billiards/Valley-Dynamo

It’s hard to believe November is already here! We only have two months of shopping chaos, family stress, and hard work ahead of us before we can hold up our champagne flutes and say, “Happy New Year!” If we stop to think about everything that goes on between now and the New Year, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. In this issue, we hope to offer a few suggestions to ease the stress and increase the success!

For those in the billiard and home leisure industry the holiday season is unlike most. Instead of taking time off to enjoy family, friends and the traditional holiday festivities, you’re laboring in your store—working long hours and listening to the endless cycle of holiday songs. It is, by far, your busiest time of year. However, it’s also the time of year when the registers ring and sales are brisk.

In this edition, we feature articles with strategic holiday tips to increase your success during this season. We’ve also included a few articles with year-round tips we hope you will utilize to increase your store’s overall brand exposure, as well as your total sales.We’ll touch on such topics as “How to effectively and efficiently use Twitter to grow your business,” “How to embrace video content to increase sales,” and “Current trends in foosball tables.” This is all part of our continuing goal of providing business improvement tips from myriad points of view.

Because this an especially hectic holiday season with the presidential election about a week away, we take a closer look at how elections impact businesses. We hope this extra tidbit of information will help you weather the electoral process.

We understand now is not a great time to bother you, especially with BCA membership renewals. So, we have made it easier than ever to continue your membership in the BCA. If you go to BCA-Pool.com and login to renew your membership, use PromoCode: BCAMBR17 for a small savings on your annual dues.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes in the New Year!

VICE-CHAIRMAN Ivan Lee, Iwan Simonis

SECRETARY Jonathan Goudeau, Indoor Recreation

TREASURER Brian Rosselli, Olhausen Mfg

BOARD MEMBERS Wes Bond, Cue & Case Sales Kim Morrison-Heacock, International Billiards Brian Igielski, GLD Products Ozzy Reynolds, Cuesports International Michael Serra, Championship Cloth

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SHANE TYREE,

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER BCA Insider is published by Billiard Congress of America © 2016 bcainsider.com

COMMANDER-IN-RETAIL? RETAILERS AND EXPERTS EXAMINE HOW THIS YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT INDUSTRY TRENDS

By Joe Dyton As Election Day gets closer, the topic of conversation will rightly be about who will take over the Oval Office come January.

Regardless of who voters choose when they step into the booth in November, chances are there will be some changes across the United States. Of all the citizens who will have a close eye on how those changes will impact us all, perhaps the closest eyes will be from people in the retail industry.

Election years can influence how people shop, which in turn can play a part in how retailers do business, not only leading up to Election Day but even beyond. The tough part is determining how an election might affect retail trends is not an exact science. It really comes down to the individual, customer and retailer. It also depends on who you ask.

For example, Lisa Mellon, owner of Games & Things, Knoxville, Tennessee, sees people spending less money during election years.

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“It seems that every year there is a presidential election, everyone tightens up for whatever reason and I’ve never totally understood it,” she says. “When people are unsure about the economy or when people don’t have jobs, that totally affects our industry. I’m sure it affects all industries, but ours in particular because we’re a ‘want’ not a need.”

Albert Trujillo, manager of operations at Fort Worth Billiards in Fort Worth, Texas, shares that sentiment. Due to the uncertainty during this time of a presidential election year, he’s seen sales dip down going back as far as 2004.

“Our sales history reflects lower double-digit declines during the presidential election,” Trujillo says.

“We anticipate that consumers will wait on the sidelines and delay purchasing higher-priced luxury goods.

“Discretionary household income is paramount in our industry; it’s simply a ‘luxury’ commodity. So white-collar and the middle-class consumers are likely to keep a closer eye on their retirement.

Unfortunately, game tables are at the bottom of the consumers’ ‘need’ list.”

On the other side of the coin, James Johnston, of J&J Custom Cue Repair, hasn’t seen much of an impact yet, but isn’t counting out a shift once the election happens.

“So far the pre-election running has not had any effect on business,” he says.

“But after the election it will depend on how Wall Street reacts. If the new president can’t get the banks and Wall Street to back his or her programs and inflation soars, business drops as recreation money comes last.”

In the past, Brad Quenneville at AcCue-Rate Billiards in Pelham, New Hampshire, has been forced to withstand a slowdown in sales leading up to the election, but has experienced a bit of an uptick once the election has been decided and consumers know who has been named commander in chief.

“If the elections have any impact they seem to be negative,” Quenneville says.

“When people are unsure how the new leadership will impact the economy, or expect there to be a negative impact, our sales tend to be slower prior to the election that year. Our sales have actually increased after past elections because I think people were glad the uncertainty was over.”

There also are times when retailers not only have to combat what the uncertainty brings, but other factors depending on where they are located. For example, Kim Morrison-Heacock at Houston-based International Billiards, sees a slight dip in sales before and up to an election, but revenue is impacted by something else—oil.

“In Houston, the oil pricing more directly affects our sales (than elections),” Morrison-Heacock says. “If oil is up, new building is too. If building is going on, our commercial decorators are full-steam (ahead). The people who have money still buy—it’s the middle income people who tend to hang on to their money.”

One reason retailers see the election impact their sales to varying degrees is because shoppers’ decision-making isn’t always impacted by who’s running for office. It’s driven more by how they feel the economy is going, according to Daniel Levine, a global trends expert, and director of travel and consumer marketing global trends for consultancy firm Avant-Guide Institute.

“Anecdotally, it’s sort of been suggested that uncertainty around elections causes shoppers to close their wallets and the thing is, what we’ve seen that is more important than elections themselves is the idea of temperament; whether people are feeling secure or anxious,” Levine says. “The thing is an election can make people feel a little anxious about the future and what’s going on.

Many experts are framing this election as one between Democratic leaning positivists and Republican leaning negativists and it’ll be really interesting to see if there is a correlation between

individual people’s politics and their purchasing behavior.”

What retailers have seen with their businesses goes along with Levine’s observation that overall confidence in the economy will dictate their shopping habits more than what’s going on with the election itself. MorrisonHeacock has noticed that people tend to be cautious regardless of their party affiliation; the fear of the unknown tends to make people more cautious when it comes to spending money.

Quenneville’s observation isn’t too far off from Morrison-Heacock’s. He believes how the economy is doing is just as present, if not more, in shoppers’ minds as who is vying for the Oval Office.

“Uncertainty with how the economy will be affected is the main reason sales are impacted,” Quenneville adds.

“I think the state of economy during the election is a factor, as well. If the economy is good before or during the election, people may worry that the wrong leadership could ruin it and adopt a wait-and-see approach to major purchases. If the economy is doing poorly, they might be optimistic for positive change and end up deciding to make that major purchase.”

GETTING READY So, election cycles tend to be an uncertain time for consumers, which can be a nightmare for anyone in the retail

industry. Fortunately, there is no surprise when elections will occur; retailers can prepare for these trends well in advance and “election proof ” their revenue stream. It’s one thing to know you have to make preparations; it’s another to actually do something about it.

“Basically, we don’t over-react,” Morrison-Heacock says. “If the general keeps her cook, the troops will stay relaxed and in formation.”

Meanwhile, smaller stores like J&J Custom Cue Repair handle the uncertainty that comes with election years by cutting back on inventory.

“I have to cut back on stock I keep on hand so my overhead stays under control,” Johnston says. “I have to order items instead of having them on hand.

Being a small business, it’s hard to endure a recession without making changes.”

Fort Worth Billiards also tends to monitor inventory levels closely during this time of year and drops its advertising to 3 to 4 percent, and becomes more creative with sales just to be on the safe side.

“I believe we will have a moderate year, but we like to remain optimistic and hope we’ll have a dynamic year,” Trujillo says.

Another option of course is to step up marketing and promotion advertising of your business like Ac-Cue-Rate Billiards does. However, rather than just ask people to buy from them, Quenneville and his team throw in messaging about how consumers’ purchases could assist in improving the economy more than any new political leader.

“One of our slogans was actually, ‘If you want the economy to improve, buy something!’ Quenneville says.

“We actually had a customer who said he was on the fence about buying and ultimately decided to purchase a pool table because of our slogan.”

Reaching out to consumers on an emotional level the way Ac-Cue-Rate Billiards has done in its advertising is a sound way to get customers to loosen up their purse strings in uncertain economic times, according to Levine. Based on his research,

10 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

the best way to market a non-essential purchase like a pool table is in terms of meaningfulness. Highlight your offerings as well as the table’s necessity to a consumer’s well being.

“The way you do that is to say the table is good for family, friendship, things that can’t be taken away whether your bank balance goes up or down,” Levine says. “These are important values to people that are willing to spend money, even in times of economic uncertainty.”

Levine’s reasoning is that even though people may tighten their budget when they’re anxious about what’s going on in the world and avoid buying things that are considered, “frivolous,” they’re still willing to pay for things that they think are important to their lives.

“If we were consulting with billiards retailers, we’d say, ‘Look, you should

focus on the stuff like the way it brings people together and that you can make friends around a pool table,’” Levine says.

“It builds strong families, things like that.”

Just how Election Day might impact retail trends is anyone’s guess. As a retail expert, Levine admits to seeing studies on both sides of the equation that say the election matters and that it makes no difference whatsoever when it comes to retail. What retailers should expect during this cycle is that their revenue will be based more on consumer sentiment and whether they’re comfortable spending money or not.

“The words we’ve been struggling with a lot is this idea of ‘meaningful purchases,’ ‘meaningful behavior’ and ‘meaningful economy,’” Levine says. “That’s what sellers and marketers need to focus on in times of economic anxiety.”

TWITTER

TIPS

By KathrynVan Druff Some marketing projects turn out to be a sure shot while others end up being a serious miss. Unfortunately, the outcomes aren’t perceptible ahead of time and they can’t always be chalked up to the reputation of the marketing outlet at hand. Lots of factors come into play, such as the message being shared, its format (text, photo, video), the timeliness of the message, whether it’s suited to the audience, who the audience actually is, and so forth.

Still, despite the element of the unknown, Twitter and other social media outlets can serve as an effective part of a company’s overall marketing campaign, and a few tips can help push things in the right direction.

“Twitter and the vast array of social media platforms should be part of a business’ comprehensive digital marketing and customer engagement strategy,” says Bruce Mendelsohn, a digital marketing and social media consultant with The Hired Pen. “They aren’t a panacea, nor should they be viewed or used that way. They complement traditional outreach and engagement tools, such as print advertising, PR, etc.”

TWITTER FOR BUSINESS, BILLIARDS STYLE As evidenced by data in a report on Statista, Twitter has roughly 313 million active monthly users—and while not quite as large as Facebook’s user base, that still amounts to a lot of people. Demographically speaking, Twitter’s users tend to be wealthier, better educated, and more likely to live in urban areas than Facebook’s users. From a marketing and advertising perspective, these people are probably the ones you want to reach with your products, services, and experiences.

Social media efforts, particularly those on Twitter, can be both low-cost in budget and high-visibility in terms of output when executed effectively. Here are some actual marketing strategies that companies in the home leisure and billiard space can test out on Twitter:

Where Twitter is especially of potential benefit is in its immediacy: A business can promote a special offer or event very quickly using Twitter—but one Tweet ain’t gonna do it.

Just like print advertising, you need to have a lot of impressions to be visible. In some respects, understanding the potential benefits of social media is a matter of defining expectations.

HOST A CONTEST: “For patrons who are already at a pool hall, enjoying billiards, the facility might consider offering small prizes (branded merchandise or free games) around specific themes and hashtags,” says Mendelsohn, a Top 100 Branding Expert to Follow onTwitter. “For example, one special contest could be #ladiesnightat(name of place). Contestants need to be there to win, so these are meant to be ‘spontaneous’ quick hitters that generate immediate visibility.”

With this in mind, we are excited to share some Twitter tips designed specifically for the billiards and home leisure industry.

POST VIDEOS WITH CAPTIONS: “Twitter’s video capabilities are robust and easy to use,” Mendelsohn adds. “Frequent videos

12 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

showing how lively the place is, how it’s ‘not your father’s pool hall’ would generate a lot of visibility. Include a hashtag in the video incentivizing potential patrons with the offer of a free beverage when they mention the hashtag.”

STAY CURRENT: “Twitter’s stand-by point of differentiation is real time,” says Katharine Ricci, group account director, East Coast at OMD Word, OMD’s social strategy specialty group. “When something is happening in the world, it breaks first on Twitter. Marketers should capitalize on this by creating and sharing content that nods to current events, trends, and news.”

REAL LIFE TWITTER EXPERIENCES Social media continues to be an essential piece of the marketing puzzle for many companies. Up to 90 percent of businesses place great importance on their social efforts, according to Social Media Examiner’s 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. The report reveals that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest are currently the top platforms enjoying the most attention from marketers.

Even if you don’t have an hour or more per week to devote to your social marketing, you should, above all else, lay claim to your name if you haven’t already.

The companies surveyed in this report outlined some of the key benefits of all social media efforts as: ĵĵ Increased exposure ĵĵ Increased traffic ĵĵ Developed loyal fans ĵĵ Gained marketplace insight ĵĵ Lead generation ĵĵ Better search rankings ĵĵ Established thought leadership ĵĵ Improved sales ĵĵ Reduced marketing expenses

“Business owners in the very least should ‘plant their flag’ in the social media handles that have the names of their business,” Mendelsohn stresses. “Even if they don’t use the handles to disseminate information, doing so prevents their competitors from using those handles ‘against’ them—or worse, offering to sell them the handles at exorbitant prices with the threat (implicit) that the owner ‘might just’ sell it to their competitor. I’ve seen it happen.”

The billiard and home leisure industry is no stranger to the digital landscape of Twitter. Pool halls, manufacturers, and retailers alike have taken to tweeting like a comfortable game of eight-ball. For some, it’s all part of a day’s work, and for others, it’s more fluid, with new tweets occurring at random intervals. Most brands have established their social identity across multiple platforms, including Twitter, and continue to maintain all aspects of their brand’s persona online.

CONSIDER PAID MEDIA: “Twitter isn’t the best at generating bottom funnel leads, but it can be very effective at building top level awareness,” Ricci adds. “Consider posting image galleries, videos, and other compelling content that tells a brand story, and using paid media to target and reach your audience.”

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“We use Twitter every day and have for several years,” says Eric Sprouse of Dilworth Billiards, Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We create a special—a pool table or cue stick and case. Then we tweet it with a photo to keep our name and logo in the feed every day. People retweet it or ask questions so we know it’s being read. The manager and I are administrators and we monitor it often.The number of questions we answer is proof that people are shopping online more than ever. Millennials are the largest segment shopping online in our observation.

And they have the money. Social media is vital to marketing in this contemporary age.”

“

...BUSINESS OWNERS MUST HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE TO AT LEAST BE IN THE GAME.”

Twitter doesn’t deliver anything on a silver platter, though.

For any real vision of success, retailers and business owners are going to have to work. Some marketing offers tend to go over better than others, and the visibility of the tweets in a customer’s feed can also depend on various factors, like how many other Twitter accounts a person is following and how frequently those accounts are posting new tweets. A lot of times Twitter can seem like a guessing game, kind of like rolling the dice with your time.You may get lucky, you may not.

If not for gaining viral exposure for coupons and real-time visitors for sales and events,Twitter does at least allow brands to strengthen their relationships with customers and potential leads. The social media giant offers real-time response potential, which, when managed effectively, can really go a long way to impressing and exciting potential customers due to a prompt and personal response.

“Twitter allows us to quickly connect with potential customers regarding quick questions,” says Ciarra McIntire, president of Universal Billiards, a Texas-based company specializing in game room design, equipment, and accessories. “Unlike social media platforms that are heavily visual, Twitter is more about a conversation.”

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TWITTER’S IMPACT & ROI User perception ofTwitter’s impact on business tends to be a bit of a mixed bag. Some feel that Twitter genuinely helps their business while others haven’t detected enough of a return on investment to justify more time or money spent on this social property.

“I recommend brands go hard or go home for all marketing initiatives, especially if they find that it’s moving metrics,” Ricci says. “A well-rounded Twitter approach includes custom content, community management/customer service, influencer engagement, and social listening. The amount of time this takes will vary, based on your resources available, how demanding your customers are, and how effective of a marketer you are.”

Defining and tracking those ROI points is a job in and of itself.

Ricci recommends identifying what metric or metric-set your business wants to move—for example, in-store sales, e-commerce and clicks, and so forth. She advises working backward from there, testing, learning, and observing if it’s working.

“Twitter offers a robust organic and paid metrics dashboard so you can track how your content is performing,” she says.

“You’ll also want to track your brand mentions to see if your Twitter activities (and other marketing activities) are resonating enough (read: buzzworthy) to drive increased word of mouth on the channel. You can use paid tools like BrandWatch, Netbase, or Crimson Hexagon to track mentions, sentiment, and learn more about your audience.

SocialRank can also tell a brand a lot about their Twitter followers for free or low cost.”

As you can see, there’s quite a bit of science to social media marketing. Even if you can’t figure it all out, you can still move various business goals forward with a targeted plan for increased exposure. And if you haven’t started your social campaign yet, the only way to go is up.

“It can be done in 60 minutes a week or shorter,” Mendelsohn says. “Whether or not it can be done effectively in that time is another story entirely. But business owners must have a social media presence to at least be in the game. If not, they will fall hopelessly and helplessly behind.”

IN MEMORIAM

By Keith Loria

The billiards world has been saddened by the death of many prominent industry leaders and personalities in 2016, and we at BCA Insider wanted to pay tribute to some we have lost. To do so, we turned to our membership to gather memories and photos, and we keep those who loved them in our hearts and minds.

ANTONIA DARAFEEV Antonia Darafeev, 85, who founded wood furniture manufacturer Darafeev Fine Furniture with her husband, Mikhail, passed away in June after a short illness. Her life is one that seems destined for the movies.

“My mother’s family had fled Russia due to religious persecution in the ’30s and settled in China when she was only two years old. In 1949, when Mao was about to enter Shanghai, and China would fall to communism, her family was granted refugee status by the United Nations, and the Philippines accepted them, along with hundreds of other Russian families,” says her son, Paul Darafeev. “Within two years, the United States opened its arms to these refugees and they came to San Francisco.”

Once there, she married Mikhail, they had four children, and they began making furniture out of their East Los Angeles garage.

“Ten years later, that garage shop grew into a state-of-theart furniture factory, and has been making some of the finest furniture in the industry since 1969,” Darafeev says. “She 16 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

always said that ‘God led us all along the way, and we can only hope He continues to do so.’”

DONALD BROSTOSKI As president of Golden West Billiards, Donald Brostoski designed and constructed billiard tables that just about everyone wanted to play on.

“In my opinion, he was always a leader in design,” says Terry Moldenhauer, sales manager for the Portland, Oregon-based company. “He would work with a lot of the old antique tables and brought them to life. He came out with new designs also.

His work was second to none.”

Steve Orner, co-owner of J. Orner & Sons Billiards, calls Brostoski “ahead of the game” with his designs and one of the best ever in the business.

When he was younger, Brostoski dreamed of being an architect or draftsman, and brought that thinking to become an innovator in the industry.

“He went into the service after high school and was in the Air Force for four years,” Moldenhauer says. “His dad had owned a pool room, so he grew up playing at a very young age and was very good. When he got out, he bought a small billiard supply store in North Hollywood and made his first table in 1968.

Because he was a player, he wanted to make the best tables and always used the best materials and was meticulous at making the tables play good.”

Today, Golden West Billiards continues to be a familyrun business with Brostoski’s wife, son and daughter still involved in the biz.

TOM SIMPSON PBIA instructor Tom Simpson, whose influence in the pool world was felt by many, died suddenly from a heart attack this summer at the age of 63.

PBIA Master Instructor Mark Finkelstein had worked with Simpson for about 10 years and had done close to 100 seminars with him over the years.

“During that time I have come to understand the passion and love for the game that Tom exuded,” he says. “Tom was a true pioneer and role model for players and instructors alike.Tom encouraged me to write about pool and was instrumental in exposing me to the bigger pool world.Tom had that quiet ability to motivate me to always be looking for ways to do better.”

Finkelstein saw first-hand the passion and dedication Simpson had in helping pool players improve, and his attempts to bring more qualified instructors into the industry.

“He had an exceptional ability to look at a player’s stance and figure out a more efficient way for the player to stand.

He was also a marketing genius. Puns, turns of phrases, and article titles delighted me over the years,” he says. “He was a loyal, dedicated and an exceptional man that I have had the pleasure to work with and learn from over the years.”

PAUL HUEBLER Cue maker Paul Huebler passed away this summer at the age of 89, cementing himself as one of the finest craftsmen in the sport of pool. Players from countries such as Australia, Russia and Japan were known to use his custom-made Huebler cues.

Billiards. “I’ve always thought highly of his work and enjoyed seeing him each year at the BCA show. Growing up I thought of him as the BCA Santa Claus. I was very grateful when he gave me a tour of his plant when I stopped through during a road trip with my kids. He was incredibly interesting and his stories of travel and missionary work were enthralling.”

CHARLIE BAILEY Charlie Bailey, who became involved in the billiard industry as the attorney for Fischer Manufacturing, and became their president after the company’s acquisition by Spaulding Sporting Goods in 1968, died at the age of 85 in August.

Bailey found his niche as an entrepreneur and in 1974, founded PlayMaster, eventually selling it off to AMF Bowling in 1993. Six years later, he and his son Chuck founded the C.L. Bailey Co. in Marionville, Missouri, which was sold to billiard industry giant Saluc SA of Belgium in 2007.

Heacock, who grew up in the industry, calls Bailey, Huebler, and Brostoski extended family.

“Trade shows were like family reunions. Paul was like a grandfather and Charlie and Don were uncles,” she says.

“Although they lived 10 hours apart, Charlie was one of my father’s closest friends. The Baileys and the Morrisons took family vacations together when we were kids. Charlie’s and Don’s kids seem like my cousins. In my adulthood, more than one family or solo road trip to see my sister in Kentucky included stops to see Paul at his plant and the Baileys at theirs.”

Heacock spoke with her father, Al Morrison, to get his memories about Bailey, and shares them here.

Huebler, who came from a woodworking family, also served as president of the Billiards Congress of America from 1982-1985.

“Charlie’s integrity was not exceeded by anyone in the industry. My father first met him when he took over Fisher in 1968 at a MOA show in Chicago and enjoyed both a professional relationship and personal friendship,” she says. “I know that I am just one of the thousands of lives that Charlie touched. He is one of our industry’s greatest success stories and a person whose values we should all try to emulate.”

“Paul Huebler was one of the first custom cue manufacturers I had the pleasure of meeting,” says Kimberly Morrison Heacock, vice president of operations at International

At the time we went to press, we also learned of the passing of Morris Benatar, President, Greater Southern Home Recreation.

18 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

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GLASGOW SELECTED AS BCA PRESIDENT’S AWARD WINNER

By BCA Staff Each year, the Billiard Congress of America recognizes an outstanding individual who made significant contributions to the billiard industry, and this year it has selected William T. Glasgow, Sr., aka “BG,” as the winner of the BCA President’s Award.

show floor making sure exhibitors and attendees got what they needed. This award is a small token of the industry’s appreciation for his tireless efforts to make our industry’s largest annual event a success.”

Glasgow, who passed away last October, served as owner and founder of the trade show management companyW.T. Glasgow.

BG began his career at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago, while attending Loyola University. In 1967, he became director of sales for Hilton Catering at McCormick Place and returned to McCormick Place as director of sales and marketing for Greyhound Food Management. In 1975, he was hired as show manager by the Electronic Industries Association tasked with managing its Winter and Summer Consumer Electronics Shows (held in Chicago and Las Vegas) and was later promoted to vice president, where he remained until he started his own business in 1984—the trade show management firm, W. T. Glasgow, Inc.

“During his many multiple decades-long relationship with the BCA, BG was instrumental in introducing ideas and concepts to make the show better each and every year,” says outgoing BCA Chairman Mike Serra. “He was always present on the

Among his first contracts was the former APAA Show, and when it merged with the Big I Show, Glasgow was awarded the management contract for the combined event, known today as AAPEX. That show currently ranks at No. 29 on Trade Show Week’s prestigious “Trade Show 100” list.

His list of accomplishments is impressive. BG was the first recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce E-Certificate for Service promoting exports through trade shows; he helped organize and was the first chairman of the Major American Trade Show Organization (MATSO), a forum that allowed show managers of major trade shows to discuss the unique needs and common problems experienced by shows of large magnitude; and in 2010, BG received the “Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership Award” from the International Association of Exhibitors & Events (IAEE).

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“Bill supported the BCA Expo as though it was his most important event of the year. That’s just the level of service he provided and the work ethic he exemplified,” says Rob Johnson, CEO of the BCA. “I am confident the multitude of individuals in our industry who had a chance to work with Bill always came away with an understanding for just how dedicated he was to both his craft and our industry.”

PLAN YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

By Lynn Switanowski Do you want to get more people into your billiard store or pool room this holiday season? Of course you do.

When it comes to marketing, remembering the 5 P’s can help you succeed! “Prior Proper Planning Produces Profits.”

Creating a plan in advance to engage your customers during the busiest season of the year is your key to success. Here are some great tips to plan now for your billiard business to succeed this year.

First off, use social media. And when you think you’ve used it enough, use it more.Think about two to three Facebook posts and one to two Instagram/Twitter posts per day between now and the end of the year.

No matter what age the customers are in your billiard business or pool room, using social media will help you engage with your customers where they are.

What should you post about? The rules are simple. Start with personal information. Birthdays, employee anniversaries, quotes, pictures of people having fun. Next off—educate 24 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

customers.What to buy. How to shoot pool. Links to industry trend information. Finally—sell! The products you carry, the services you provide, the food you sell in your pool room.

Keep in mind that the key is to create a personal interaction first so your followers trust you and don’t feel like they are constantly being sold to. From there, your customers will want to learn more about your business because they believe you care about their needs.

Use this time, before you get too busy, to create a daily posting calendar to help you follow the rules mentioned.You can schedule directly via Facebook and you should do so with two to three posts per day. The more questions you ask, the more comments you get customers to make and the more times they share your post, the more times it will be seen.

Don’t forget to include lots of contests to engage your customers. Do this by running contests that ask questions — about products in your store, about different types of services you offer and, if you have a pool room, ask about products/ services or food you sell.

In addition to Facebook, you should plan to use Instagram this holiday season. It is a picture- and video-intensive site that is perfect to showcase the products that would make great gift items you sell or how to set up the game room with your decor or using video to teach your followers how to do something. Instagram is all about engaging with great pictures, and there are numerous free photo editing tools that can help you look like an expert with very little work and effort on your part.

Instagram is owned by Facebook so there is also the ability to advertise and reach even more customers. The key to good Instagram usage, in addition to pictures, is using the correct hashtags in your posts. Use the brand names of the products you’re talking about as well as the name of your town and any other key words you think need to be promoted such as “shop local,” holiday,” “Thanksgiving,” “Christmas,” “game” “room” “pool room,” etc.

Host events that people want to attend. Another marketing idea that can be planned in advance (think now!) that works very well during the holiday season is to host events in your store or pool room. These events can be promoted by your traditional marketing methods such as in-store signage and emails, as well as social media pages (paid ads).

The key for events during the holiday season is to give something useful to your customers for their time and participation, i.e. have an event in your store focused on easy holiday decor ideas for a game room or a shopping night where you raffle off some key prizes and offer a small discount.

Holidays are also a great time to host charity shopping events where you focus on the specific organization.This works great

because the charity will spread the word to their members and raise awareness of the event even more. For your part, your billiard business will give a percentage of the proceeds from that evening to their charity.

Of course you get sales out of it—but you also gain exposure by doing a good deed and meeting new potential customers for the future. It works for everyone.

If you own a pool room—obviously booking holiday parties and having girls night out or kids events while parents are shopping for the holidays would be a good things to host. Don’t forget, making your customers’ lives easier by doing something for them will help gain their loyalty in the long term.

The best part about promoting events today is that with social media advertising, it doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor, but you can gain a lot of traction by using specific targeted ads in ZIP codes near your store and gain the attention to make the event a success. Of course, if you’re allowed to add outdoor signage to the mix, that will stop street traffic as well.

Whether you’re using social media or traditional marketing efforts to promote your products, services and events of this holiday season, whatever you do create a plan. With 90 key selling days you want to focus on core events, and drive traffic to those events. The key lead time for social media is 7 to 10 days prior to an event to gain maximum exposure.

The bottom line: Spend some time now to plan and promote your business and it will translate to plenty of profitable sales for your billiard business this holiday season.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 25

THRIVING AND SURVIVING

By Anthony Stoeckert Lisa Mellon knows a thing or two about survival.

She is the survivor of an illness, having been diagnosed with lupus in the mid-1980s, and at the same time has seen the growth and survival of her store, Games & Things in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The story of Games & Things started in 1980 when her father, Robert Baxter Sr., opened the business.

“When he started it, it was more about sporting goods,” Mellon says. “We still had pool tables, of course, and all the game room furnishings, but when it first started, we did a lot of awards and engravings. And we sewed softball uniforms and baseball uniforms. We sold all the athletic equipment, we had handguns, we had fishing and hunting.”

by 1986, the siblings purchased it, and shifted the focus to home entertainment, particularly billiards.

The decision to focus on billiards also has helped Games & Things grow while competition comes from big box stores.

“Once all those guys started coming, that started depleting the little guys, as far as product lines, and we thought, ‘We have to do what we do best, and that’s the billiards part of it,’” Mellon says. “We grew everything out from there.”

In the early 1990s, Games &Things moved from the Knoxville’s East Side to the West Side. Robert moved to Georgia and opened a second location, and Mellon’s husband, Scott, joined the company, having previously worked in the furniture business. The store remains family owned to this day.

BECOMING AN OWNER

A SPACE THAT FITS

Lisa started working at the store part time in 1983 (while she was a student at the University of Tennessee). Her brother, Robert Baxter, has worked for the store since it opened, and

The original West Side location was in a shopping center, with 2,200 square feet. After 12 years, Games & Things moved to its current location on Kingston Pike in Knoxville.The current

28 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

location has 13,000 square feet, 10,000 of which is a show room, with the other 3,000 square feet housing the warehouse.

“That was a good decision because I’ve noticed over the years, every city has different growth areas,” Mellon says of the last relocation. “That’s what we were trying to accomplish— move to where it was more convenient for our customers. So we started keeping up with our customer base at the time.”

Not everything went well after the move.

“Of course when we started to build the new store, that’s when the economy took a nosedive,” Mellon says. “So we’re like, ‘Oh my god, what did we do?’”

They also tried expanding at the time, opening locations in Alabama and Florida, for a total of five stores at one point.

When the economy slumped, they closed the Alabama and Florida stores.

“We kind of regrouped,” Mellon says. “When you get into financial situations, you pull back if you have to, so that’s what we did.”

After Mellon’s diagnosis, she and her brother split up the company; she now runs the Knoxville store while he runs two stores in Atlanta. Aside from sharing a name, they’re two completely different businesses. It wasn’t an easy decision for Mellon, but her lupus required her to see doctors on a weekly basis, and traveling wasn’t an option.

“The higher power was telling me I had to pull back,” she says.

A FOCUS ON QUALITY When it comes to billiards, Games & Things deals mainly with Olhausen tables, which also is based in Tennessee.

Mellon says selling Olhausen offers an advantage because of the reputation of its tables and because customers like buying products that are made in their home state. Also, not selling lower-end products is an additional advantage, as the store focuses on quality.

“With Olhausen being American made, that is huge for us right now,” Mellon says. “I think a lot of people, especially here, I don’t know what it’s like all over the country, but here in Knoxville, we can say, ‘We feature the world’s largest billiard manufacturer and they’re here right in our state.’ I think people appreciate that. With the world the way it is, it’s not always affordable, but I think people want to buy American-made products.”

In addition to billiard equipment, Games & Things also sells air hockey, foosball, and shuffleboards. The store also has BCAINSIDER.COM | 29

an arm in the home theater business, selling theater seats in the showroom.

DETERMINED TO SUCCEED

“We don’t sell the electronics for home theater, but we have the big projection screen.” She adds that the showroom display for theater seats is set up theater style. “It’s probably the largest selection in the southeast of theater seats. And in order to be able to do that, that was another reason we needed more space.”

It is a story of success, but not one without challenges. Mellon says the key to survival has been being relentless and determined.

The large showroom also allows Games & Things to display tables in a room setting because Mellon wants customers to be able to visualize an entire room with a table and not just the table itself. Also notable in the show room are barstools, another big seller for Games & Things.

“We always had bar stools, but now we have over 100 bar stools on display, they circle all around our theater room,” Mellon says. “We have risers that we put them on and set them in front of them too. We had a local architect that helped us with it. We also went to my brother’s store in Georgia to get some ideas as well. There are a lot of different things that we looked at to get ideas—articles and furniture magazines and stuff like that to get an idea of how we wanted to do the show floor.”

Selling theater seats and bar stools also helps create relationships with area electronics retailers. Customers who come to Games & Things for theater seats will be referred to an area electronics store where they can buy their largescreen TVs and other equipment. Likewise, employees at those electronics stores will recommend Games & Things for theater seats and games.

30 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

“There were some times where you wake up and say, ‘I just want to walk away from this.’ But I was raised that that’s not an option,” she says. “I think I’ve tried to carry through and I feel an ultimate responsibility to myself and to the employees that we have. You can try different things, and there are times everybody gets fed up and aggravated at what they do. However, I think it’s that will power, just to keep trying over and over. I think, too, as we have evolved over the years, I think we have our niche now in the market. I think we’re in a good location.”

That location is more than her store, it’s also part of the Knoxville community, and she has gotten involved with the community. After her diagnosis, Mellon was treated at the Thompson Cancer Survival Center in Knoxville. Getting first-hand experience with what the center does inspired her to create the “Game On Against Cancer,” fundraiser.

For the event, Games & Things invites people to play pool, shuffleboard, table tennis, cornhole, air hockey and darts.

The money raised from the event benefits Thompson Cares, which helps patients at the center with such necessities as gas to get to and from treatments, wigs for patients undergoing chemotherapy, utility bills, medication, and more.

“Because of that, I’ve met a lot of remarkable people. We’ve gotten a lot of people from the community around this event, because we had it for the fifth time this spring,” Mellon says.

IT’S ALL ABOUT SERVICE

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Another element to being part of a community is treating customers the right way.

The future is looking bright, she says, hinting that a satellite location could be in the making within five to 10 years, but still challenges remain. Mellon says presidential elections always have an effect on business.

“I think having a good customer relationship is huge,” Mellon says. “I really don’t think we’d have been here for 35 years if we didn’t take care of our customers.”

For Mellon, customer service means maintaining relationships after the sale.

“They may have bought the bigger product, like the pool table and some of the supplies and everything that goes with it, but two months from now, they might need barstools for their kitchen, or they may be working on their home theater,” Mellon says.

One way the store builds those relationships is by following up with customers.

“I hound the guys about that all the time,” Mellon says. “I tell them, ‘call and make sure everything went OK with their delivery, put yourself back in front of them.’ That’s important.”

Retail has its challenges, but Mellon reminds herself that she got into the business of billiards because it’s fun.

“You really have to love what you do, or it won’t work,” she says. “That’s how I feel. And the cool thing is we try to involve the community, like with the fundraiser. Moving to the bigger location was another motivation, because we always had such a small store. Now that we have a bigger store, we can hold events.”

“It seems that every year there is a presidential election, everyone tightens up, for whatever reason, I’ve never totally understood that,” she says. “When people are unsure about the economy or when people don’t have jobs, that totally affects our industry. I’m sure it affects all industries but ours in particular because we’re a want, not a need.”

And she’s always on the lookout for opportunities. One possibility is a new golf community being built, with houses costing $300,000 to $1 million. If people can afford to buy those homes, they can likely buy a pool table.

Another possibility is baby boomers moving to Knoxville to retire.

“They’re not necessarily moving to retirement communities,” Mellon says, “but people are relocating, they may come up from Florida or down from Michigan or Ohio, and they decide to move to nearby Monroe County.”

Games & Things is always looking to the future. And through all the challenges involving her health, and her business, Mellon is happy, and proud of her store.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the business,” she says.

“Everybody has their ups and downs in retail, and I think it’s more challenging than ever before now, too.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 31

BUILT BY PLAYERS 4 PLAYERS

Valley Dynamo Companies

See more products from all of the Valley Dynamo Companies at builtbyplayers4players.com

7115 Belton Street, Richland Hills, TX 76118 | 817.284.3931

32 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

GET YOUR FOOSBALL ON

By Anthony Stoeckert A savvy billiard retailer knows you need to offer more than just billiard tables to get ahead, and over the years many have found success in selling foosball tables. After all, foosball is a popular bar game and thanks to the emergence of soccer and the World Cup over the last couple of decades, people in America love playing the game.

Different customers have different wants when it comes to foosball.

Sometimes the foosball table is the only game in the house, sometimes it’s part of a game room that also has a pool table, shuffleboard, and air hockey table.

“The majority of our foosball sales are in the home market,” says Chance Pack of Valley-Dynamo, manufacturers of Tornado foosball tables, adding that a big factor in that development is people who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, when foosball was a growing sport.

“They grew up when foosball was extremely popular and then it faded away,” Pack says. “Now we’re old enough and we have the disposable income to buy a foosball table, and we want to show our kids the fun stuff we grew up on.”

so much easier. And the size of it, that really helps a lot; it’s not a big footprint for four people to have a good time.

A pool table takes up a lot of room, a foosball table doesn’t take up much at all—45 square feet is all you need.”

That desire to play foosball at home is an opportunity retailers need to take advantage of.

One of those retailers selling foosball is Universal Billiards, Inc., which allows customers to play at the store as a way to increase sales.

This growing home market has made foosball a key offering for billiard retailers.

“There’s not a billiard retailer that I’m aware of in the industry that doesn’t have a foosball table, either on the floor, or they’ve got access to them, they have brochures, they have point of sales,” says Mick White, domestic coin sales manager for Valley-Dynamo. “It’s an easy sale, especially if it’s to a family that has a couple of kiddos, that’s just

“Foosball sells itself when the tables are set up to play, and shoppers are encouraged to play,” says Ciarra McIntire of the Dallas, Texas-based store. “Sometimes we forget that we’re in the business of selling fun, and the best way to sell fun is to have fun. The sales team also plays a pivotal role in showcasing this option. They should be well versed in the lines you carry and differences between various price points.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 33

GROWING IN SALES

Olhausen Signature St. Andrews Legs

GLD Viper Maverick

White says foosball marked Valley-Dynamo’s largest growth of any product it sold over the last decade or so. The number-one reason for that, he says, is the video game craze moving from arcades into homes on systems such as Xbox and PlayStation, which is encouraging parents to buy a game that the whole family can play together, without staring at a screen.

“I think one of the reasons for foosball, especially in families, is when you have a pool table, you can even be playing partners in eight-ball or rotation, but only one person plays at a time,” White says. “Air hockey, only two people play at a time. In foosball, four people can play at a time, and everyone is involved in the game. It’s a much better game for a family that wants to do any kind of activity with the kiddos where they can all do it at the same time.”

He adds that kids like foosball because it’s easier to learn than billiards and it’s probably the fastest table game out there. Parents like it because there aren’t many games a family of four can play at the same time, aside from video games, but those often aren’t fun for moms and dads.

Tornado T3000

“There aren’t a lot of parents that are able to keep up with the kids on the video games, and as a result, that’s not a popular option for the parents,” White says.

FINDING THE RIGHT MATCH According to manufacturers, the hottest trend in foosball is tables in styles that match other games, such as pool, shuffleboard and air hockey, to create a unified look for a game room.

Presidential Zoom 34 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

“We’re coming out with new foosball styles all the time,” Pack says. “Some-

body will call us with a pool table and design and say,‘Can you match a foosball to it?’ and there’s our newest design.”

However, he notes that most of Valley-Dynamo’s sales are coming from people buying the classic Tornado foosball table that foosball fans have been playing on since the 1970s. “We sell a ton of those,” he says.

Brian Rosselli, vice president of operations for Olhausen, says the company’s trends in foosball have involved expanding the standard foosball offerings so that they match other products they manufacture.

“We’ve gone to a couple of models that are more furniture-style foosballs that match the pool tables, match the shuffle boards,” Rosselli says. “We’re doing a lot more of the group settings that people are buying from us, through our dealers of matching pool tables, shuffleboard, air hockey, foosball, and incorporating some of those to be more matched furniture pieces as far as being finished, being a wood species.

And some of them in our more furniture-signature style foosballs that have 13 different leg options that can match up and complement a lot of our tables.”

THE GAME REMAINS THE SAME While there are more options in terms of the design of a foosball table, when it comes to the actual playing of the game,White says foosball tables haven’t changed much.

The last major change, he says, came in the 1990s when designer Ed McCloud created tables with a three-man goalie as opposed to a one-man goalie.

That wasn’t done for the sake of the game as much as making tables easier to manufacture, White says. One-man goalie tables have ramps in the corners of each end, which White says are a “maintenance nightmare” and are difficult to manufacture.

“

IN FOOSBALL, FOUR PEOPLE CAN PLAY AT A TIME, AND EVERYONE IS INVOLVED IN THE GAME. IT’S A MUCH BETTER GAME FOR A FAMILY...”

John Graybill, vice president of sales for GLD Products, says an innovation that came in the last 10 years or so is a ball-drop system that brings the ball closer to the players.

“That was just a little convenience factor. It works and it’s functional and it’s convenient,” Graybill says. “Another thing that has changed from the early days of foosball is the play field would have four outer raised corners with one goalie player on the goalie rod.”

AFFORDABILITY, AND COMPLETING THE GAME ROOM CONCEPT Rosselli says Olhausen’s success with foosball has a lot to do with the full game room concept.

“We’ve definitely seen growth in foosballs but I think it’s coming more from us really pushing the matching sets or the game room groups of matching sets,” he says. “In the past, a lot of times when people bought a pool table or an air hockey or a foosball, they were just buying ‘the black one’ or ‘the laminate

one’ that was out there. Now when people see in a dealer showroom the group that is matched together with a pool table-shuffleboard-foosball-air hockey, I think more people are inclined to make that purchase and go to that length to be able to match a complete set.”

THE ROLE OF THE RETAILERS Retailers are a big part of selling foosball via the game room idea.

“We’ve seen a lot of that, especially with dealers who’ve really gotten on board with that,” Rosselli says. “We have a lot of dealers who are showing matching sets and matching groups in their showroom. It’s like anything else you shop for, if you don’t show it, it’s hard for people to picture it. But if somebody walks into a store and sees a room setting in the corner that has five matching gaming pieces in it, they’re much more inclined to say, ‘Oh, we’ve gotta have that.’”

Pack says one of the best ways to increase sales is to display different types of tables

so that customers can compare when shopping. He says some retailers tell him their foosball sales aren’t great, but they’re only offering an imported table.

“If that’s all you’re offering, what if your customers aren’t happy with the way that table’s built? What if they know something about foosball? They need to be able to compare one table to another, and ideally they should be able to compare three tables side-byside—a good, a better and a best,” he says. “Give the customer choices, we give them choices in pool tables, we give them choices in shuffleboards.

Don’t try to pigeonhole them.”

FOOSBALL OFFERINGS Other companies in the foosball game include Performance Games, which manufactures seven American-made models. One of their key selling points is that they have adjustable leg levelers, which makes it easy to level the table.

Legacy Billiards offers classic, one-goalie foosball with counter-balanced men for improved play.The Heritage table showcases a butcher-block design, sturdy playing field, adjustable leg levelers and traditional scoring. Three-goalie models are available through the Sterling line.

Presidential’s Zoom foosball table is a sleek table offering fast-paced play. The men are counter-balanced with head weights, and made of high-impact plastic for longer life, and a three-man goalie.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 35

Team USA & Team Europe in the ACC Arena Day 3

TEAM EUROPE WINS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE CUP

By Charles S. Donnavan Despite playing on their home soil, Team USA lost to Team Europe at the 2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup, held this year July 8-11 in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Team Europe was so dominating that the fourth and final day of the event was not needed.

This marks the second year in a row that Team Europe has walked away the victor, following last year’s 11-9 tournament win at the inaugural event in Rankweil, Austria.

The starting 2016 U.S. team consisted of April Larson, reigning Junior National 9-Ball Champion Christopher Robinson-Reinhold, Shane Wolford, Ryan Ponton, Serena Black and Ricky Evans. Meanwhile, Zachary Gurganus, 36 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

Tyler Howell, Sierra Reams and Emily Herpel served as alternates.

DAY 1

Despite the loss, Ponton was still excited to be a part of the event, calling it crucial for this sport because it bridges the gap between junior and professional billiards.

The second annual Atlantic Challenge Cup got underway with a team match, allowing all six players from each team playing, so they could have an opportunity to adjust to the table and conditions. The exciting contest went to a double hill tie at five games apiece before Team USA’s Evans sank the final nine ball to give the first win of the day to the Red, White and Blue.

“Juniors get to do the exact same thing the pros are doing in the Mosconi Cup,” says the 19-year-old from Bradley, Illinois. “Being able to play on the same type of stage that your favorite professional player does is a feeling like no other. It shows juniors that reaching that level of play is not impossible and, with hard work and perseverance, reaching that status can be accomplished.”

A triplet match followed, with Maxim Dudanets, Vitaliy Patsura and Kristina Tkach taking on an American squad of Robinson, Evans and Larson. Robinson beat Moscow-born Dudanets to start, but then Patsura of the Ukraine took down

Evans, and Tkach defeated Larson to give the Euros a 2-1 lead in the race to six.

DAY 2

Robinson evened the contest at two when he defeated Patsura, Evans took down Dudanets, and Tkach got past Larson, tying the competition at three all.

Robinson outgunned Dudanets in the next match, but that would be the last lead for Team USA in the challenge.

The second day began with a Scotch doubles match, and the Euro-pairing of Dudanets and Madsen took out the American duo of Evans and Robinson. The victors got off to a 3-0 lead and never looked back, winning the match 6-2 and taking their lead out to 3-1 overall.

From there it was all Team Europe. Patusra bested Evans, Tkach took down Larson, and Patsura finished the match off by overcoming Robinson.

“When people see the youth participating in such a significant event it makes people want to learn more and help out,” Evans says. “Also, I think it’s an amazing experience to be able to play with and against some of the best juniors in the world.”

The day’s score stood at one apiece, with the deciding match being decided by another set of triplets. This time, Team Europe brought out Andreas Madsen of Denmark, Kristian Cwilka of Poland and Diana Khodjaeva of Belgium while Team USA came with Wolford, Ponton and Black.

Game one went to Madsen over Wolford; the second rack was owned by Cwilka over Ponton; and the next game saw Khodjaeva taking it from Black.

Wolford scored the only point in the match for Team USA with a win over Cwilka. The next three matches were all Team Europe with wins by Madsen, Khodjeave and Madsen again over Ponton, Black and Wolford, respectively.

Then it was time for Tkach and Khodjaeva to battle Larson and Black, and it was much of the same, with the Euro duo winning 6-2 and gaining a 4-1 overall advantage.

Robinson offered some hope to the U.S. squad with a 6-3 victory over Cwilka to narrow the overall score to 4-2, but that was the only win that his team would register. The Euros took the next match when Patsura bested Wolford 6-3 and that was followed by Khodjaeva defeating Larson 6-1 to take the win and bring the score line to 6-2.

Overall, the American team was able to capture only one match each day while the Europeans catapulted to a 6-2 lead in the race to 11 games.

DAY 3 The third day of the event saw Europe jumping to a big lead, thanks to the doubles team of Tkach and Patsura besting Larson and Robinson 6-3, and Khodjaeva and Madsen sweeping Black and Wolford 6-1.

In singles competition, Dudanets defeated Evans by a close 6-5 margin, and Team USA took its only victory on the day when Patton came out on top against Madsen by a score of 6-3.

Scotch doubles victories for Europe by Tkach and Dudanets over Larson and Evans 6-0, and Khodjaeva and Cwilka over Black and Ponton 6-2, had Team Europe taking the tournament, 11-3.

“The best way I can describe what it was like playing this year is there was great energy and friendship with all of our teammates, which made us mesh well, but it just wasn’t meant to be this year,” Larson says. “The Europeans played incredible so they deserved it this time but don’t get me wrong, we are all hungry for the win in years to come.”

Her teammate Black agrees, calling the event an all-around enlightening experience.

“It was an honor to represent our country doing what we love,” she says. “Although the outcome was disheartening for Team USA, it made us hungry for next year’s competition. We learned so much and grew as a team. I am already looking forward to what the future of the ACC will bring.”

The Atlantic Challenge Cup is a co-presentation of the Billiard Congress of America and the European Pocket Billiard Federation.

Photos by JP Parmentier. LEFT: April Larson; CENTER: Team USA; RIGHT: Chris Robinson-Reinhold

BCAINSIDER.COM | 37

WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO EMBRACE VIDEO CONTENT RIGHT NOW

By Alexia P. Bullard

As a retailer, you have undoubtedly heard all about the importance of content marketing. While it’s true written content is a powerful marketing tool, visual marketing is even more effective. The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds a lot of truth, but you can take that one step further by adding video content to your website.

According to Zabisco, 40 percent of people respond better to visual information than they do text, so it only makes sense to include video content on your store’s website. Here are four reasons why you should add video to your business marketing strategy right away:

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) Even though social media has been around for several years now, it continues to grow. It’s come to the point where very few businesses can actually be successful without digital marketing methods. Customers are adapting, and now businesses must keep up with these changes. Major search engines, especially Google, have given a lot of weight and value to video content.

If your website has a video and blog post or article that 38 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

incorporate the same keyword, you raise your chances of being ranked within search engines for that keyword.

Including video content is also a great way to increase customer engagement and information retention. People are more likely to watch a short video than to read a long blog post. It’s faster, it’s easier, and people generally find it to be more entertaining.

In fact, Rell Rice, a partner with Austin Billiards in Texas, explains that his business’ main objective in creating and promoting video content was to build up SEO efforts. Rice says that while his store’s five videos didn’t bring in any extreme changes in website traffic, they did receive around 20,000 views. His focus was not on website traffic generation, but on SEO.

“

...40 PERCENT OF PEOPLE RESPOND BETTER TO VISUAL INFORMATION THAN THEY DO TEXT...”

“These videos, their relevance, their viewership, and their independence [of the main website] all contribute to the success of a website and visitors’ ability to get there, which in [their] particular case brings in roughly 75 visitor sessions each day,” he says.

While that number may not seem like a whole lot, that is still 75 new visitors that have the potential to convert to paying customers. One of the factors Google takes into consideration for search rankings is the “dwell time,” or the amount of time each visitor spends on your website.

If people spend a considerable amount of time on your site, that shows the search engine your website has quality content people want to see. Video content, with its long nature, is a great way to grab and maintain visitor attention and increase this dwell time.

When it comes to using video content to improve search engine optimization, Rice states, “a really inexpensive and effective way to do that in a timely manner is creating and posting short, two- to 10-minute videos. With not a lot of effort, one may easily add some humor, pertinent information, and/or visual stimulus that will all contribute to who you, your employees, and your company are in the minds and perceptions of consumers. On top of that, it can be both a fun and rewarding investment of time with very, very little cost.”

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to market your business and boost your search engine rankings, adding video content is one of the most effective things you can do.

EASILY SHAREABLE Video content is extremely popular, which increases its chances of being shared by visitors.The video content doesn’t need to be limited to just your website. There are plenty of free video-hosting sites, such as YouTube, that make it easy 40 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

to upload videos and use your industry’s target keywords in order to bring in views and attract new visitors.

There is also the additional benefit of these video hosting sites being mobile device-compatible, so the content is not just limited to audiences with access to a PC. These sites automatically include prominent social share buttons and options, which makes it easy for people to send your content to others or share it on their own social media platforms.

Video content increases word-of-mouth advertising, which continues to be one of the most powerful ways for businesses to bring in a new audience and gain new customers. If a customer likes your product, or if the video is especially entertaining, that person will be far more likely to share your video. Once it is shared across their social platforms, your business and products are suddenly in front of a whole new audience it may have never reached otherwise.

DEMONSTRATE PRODUCT VALUE Written content provides numerous benefits for a website owner, but not everyone has the same level of reading proficiency. There is also the chance that the writer of that content didn’t explain your product clearly enough for everyone to understand.This is where video content comes in handy.This type of content takes away any possible confusion, and demonstrates the value and usefulness of your product.

For instance, sharing a video that showcases the new table fabric you just added to your inventory could boost online and in-store sales.You could show close-up shots of the fabric, and explain how it offers enhanced stain prevention that makes it absolutely perfect for both home and commercial uses. You could show all of the different color choices, and pair them all with different types of cushions and pockets.

5 TIPS FOR CREATING COMPELLING VIDEO CONTENT

1 People tend to better understand a product or service once they see and hear someone talking about it. A video that demonstrates your store’s products can help facilitate customer-brand relationships and brand trust. You can show your audience what your business can offer that other billiard retailers don’t. You can show them why they should choose your store over the store of your competitors.

2

FACILITATE TRUST Customers buy from brands they trust and know a lot about.

One of the best ways to build this trust is to show your customers your business is not just some faceless brand. It’s important for consumers to be able to put a face to the name, and to get a sense that you are an authentic person who truly cares about your customers and their needs.This is why video content is so effective in helping you engage with your target audience on a more personal level, and build that consumerbrand trust.

Humans are wired to respond best to faces. We look for them in everything—just look at how many people have claimed to see a face in the moon, in shadows cast by trees, and even in toast. Humans like to see faces, and want to see them.

It’s why maintaining eye contact gives someone the feeling you can be trusted. Video content can help you bring that essential, trustworthy connection to your business. You can have that face-to-face level of communication with your audience on a wide scale.

If you’re looking for ways to boost your search engine rankings, build consumer trust, and get people to share your content, adding video to your marketing efforts is the way to go. For very little expense, and with very little effort, you can get your products in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

3 4 5

Understand your target audience. Take some time to make sure you know who the people in your audience are, what their interests are, and the type of content they would want to see. How can you create content for your audience if you don’t know what they like?

Use a script. While improvisation can be great, the filming of a video for your business isn’t really the time to test the waters and ad lib things. If you’re not very good at writing, hire a freelance business writer to help you out. Come up with a rough draft, and then edit and revise that draft until it reflects your brand’s voice and fits in well with your target audience. Create a final draft based off those revisions, and read through it until you have it memorized. This will always look better than rambling on with several awkward pauses and “umuh” moments.

Hire a professional to film it. Think about it: Would you rather watch a video that looks slapped together and like it was filmed with a marketing budget of a few dollars, or one that is of high quality with great sound and lighting? You’re probably going to pick the latter of the two, and so will your target audience.

Let your personality come through. Showing your customers that you are relatable, share their interests, and have a sense of humor will make it easier for customers to trust you. The more they trust you, the more likely they are to trust your brand and purchase your products.

Don’t forget SEO strategies: One of the biggest reasons for adding video content to your marketing strategy is to boost SEO. Add target keywords to your video title, description, and meta tags. Upload a transcript, and make sure it includes those same keywords. This will make it easier for customers to find your content and website.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 41

UPS DISCOUNTS NOW AVAILABLE TO BCA MEMBERS

By BCA Staff

DON’T GET SNOOKERED Shipping costs too high? Let BCA and UPS help save you money.

In 2003 the BCA began working with Siriani to bring its members superior shipping discounts through the BCA Freight Savings Plan. Since the BCA Freight Savings Plan began, BCA members have enjoyed savings of over $150,000.

BCA and Siriani have been working hard this past year to bring new life to the BCA Freight Saving Plan and the hard work has paid off. BCA members can now save up to 34 percent on their small package needs.

Enrolling is easy. Simply go to bca-pool. com, sign in with your username and password, go to the “Membership” navigational tab, choose “Shipping Discounts” from the drop down, enroll and save.

For those that already have a UPS account, just enter the number on the enrollment form and it will link your account to the BCA discounts.

44 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

With the new rules of not only weighing, but having to measure each box, the UPS savings will help with DIM. What’s DIM you say? Here it is in a nutshell.

SIZE MATTERS! UPS and FedEx are using dimensional (DIM) weight pricing on all ground packages, not just those over three cubic feet, so the size of your box can now make a big difference to the cost of shipping. Dimensional weight takes into account the length, width and height of a parcel. It ensures that shippers pay for the space their parcel occupies, not just its weight.

MEASURE YOUR BOXES Measure the length, width and height of your boxes. Be sure to measure the outside of the box as some manufacturers quote the inside dimensions.

Use sturdy packaging so that the box doesn’t bulge or skew when shipped.

Aim to minimize the dimensional weight while still protecting the contents. Reducing the length, width or

height of your box can make a big difference to the cost of shipping!

CALCULATE THE DIM WEIGHT

1

Measure the length, width and height of the box in inches. If it’s below 0.5 inches, round down. If it’s 0.5 inches or higher, round up.

2 3

Multiply length by width by height (L x W x H) to get the cubic size.

4 5

Round the calculated DIM weight up to the nearest pound.

Divide the total cubic inches by 166 (for shipments within the U.S.) or 139 (for international shipments).

Compare the DIM weight to the actual package weight and use whichever is greater.

Offset these increases by joining the Freight Savings Plan. If you have questions about dimensional weight pricing or about the Freight Savings Plan, contact service provider Siriani at 800-554-0005 or email solutions@siriani.com.

BCA members save up to 34%* on UPS® shipping services

BCA is proud to bring its members valuable discounts on products and services you need, and is excited to announce the UPS® Savings Program! Plus get 50%* off select services for up to four weeks after you enroll!* Make the most out of your membership and take advantage of competitive rates on UPS® shipping services. Whether you need your documents or packages to arrive the next day or are looking for an affordable shipping option, UPS understands the importance of speed, reliability, and cost.

* Visit savewithups.com/billiard for specific services and discounts. Introductory Program discounts will be applied to accounts for Weeks 1 through 4 on the UPS Savings Program. Week 1 includes the date that discounts are applied. Weeks are calculated Sunday through Saturday.

BILLIARD CONGRESS OF AMERICA

HALL OF FAME WELCOMES TWO

By BCA Staff

It’s good to be a lefty.

The United States Billiard Media Association has enshrined two powerful left-handed champions to the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame Class of 2016—smooth-stroking Hawaiian “Rocket” Rodney Morris and Belinda “The Texas Belle” Calhoun.

The pair becomes the 67th and 68th members of the sport’s most prestigious hall of fame.

Calhoun, 63, will be honored in the Veteran Players category.

Born Belinda Campos in Austin, Texas, Calhoun was one of the Women’s Professional Billiards Association’s more celebrated stars through the ’80s, capturing a pair of BCA National 8-Ball Championships titles, the Texas River City Open and the NPCA Classic Cup 9-Ball title.

“This is a wonderful surprise,” says Calhoun, who now resides in Fork, South Carolina. “It was an affirmation to the body of work that encompassed my whole career. A tangible reward to the effort and dedication it took.”

Calhoun dominated 1985, winning the Women’s World 14.1 title, the WPBA National Championship and the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship. That same year, she was also named “Player of the Year” by Billiards Digest and was named to the Pool & Billiard Magazine “All-Stars.” Calhoun was credited with running seven racks and out during the 1993 World 9-Ball Championships.

“I will always be amazed that I made a ball on the break seven games in a row to run seven and out in the ’93 World Championships,” she says.

Although she cites her biggest accomplishments in life as being her two children—Blake and Kori—as far as pool is concerned, she says being inducted into the WPBA Hall of Fame in 2006 and now the BCA Hall of Fame in 2016 are at the top of the list.

46 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2016

The first time Calhoun ever even saw a pool table was when she was 18, and she decided she wanted to be a pro after seeing a copy of National Billiard News two years later.

“By the time I was 24, I competed in a qualifier and qualified for the BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Tournament and finished third behind Jean Balukas and Gloria Walker. I was quite surprised when the first words out of the mouth from the director were, ‘We want to make sure you players pay your hotel bill before you leave town,’” she says. “I was shocked.

It was a rude awakening to have my eyes opened to the way pool players were viewed. Later, when I joined the WPBA, it was refreshing to see the group resolve to improve not only in perception but the reality of moving the sport forward into a respected profession.”

In addition to her stellar playing career, Calhoun has been active in organization administration, serving 20 years on the WPBA Board of Directors, six years on the WPA Board and several years as a Billiard Congress of America Board Director.

“I am proud to have established mandatory players meetings and dress codes for the WPBA during my presidency, to have introduced and develop pool, first in Austin, which grew to Central Texas, and then in Arizona and Florida through my independent league, which I began in 1987,” she says. “Another accomplishment is the creation of an accredited course at Texas State University I taught for 10 years, which is still available to students today. It is very gratifying to have introduced pool to so many and given them the tools to enjoy pool for a lifetime.”

Looking at the scope of her 40-year career, Calhoun says it would be impossible to name a favorite moment.

“I’ve gotten to travel the world alongside people who share my passion, I’ve made lifelong friendships, I’ve had triumphs both positive and negative, I’ve gotten to challenge myself every single day, and essentially live out my dreams,” she says. “I feel blessed to have had these experiences and to have shared them with the people I love along the way. I hope to continue making memories for years to come.”

Morris, 46, will enter the Greatest Players wing of the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.

Born in Anaheim, California, but raised in Hawaii, Morris burst onto the pool scene in 1996 when, as a 26-year-old, he thrashed Efren Reyes in the final to capture the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.

Just hitting his playing prime, Morris was away from the game for nearly four years following a federal drug conviction. A remorseful and rededicated Morris returned to the game in 2001 and won the year-ending Sands Regency Open.

Over the next six years, he captured the UPA Pro Tour Championship, the Matchroom Sports-promoted World Pool League title and the World Cup of Pool. He finished second to Reyes in the IPT World 8-Ball Championship in 2006, earning $150,000. Morris also made eight appearances on Team USA in the Mosconi Cup, earning MVP honors in 2004. More recently, he captured titles at the Turning Stone Classic and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship.

“When I heard the news, I wanted to cry,” says Morris. “It is validation and recognition of all the years and hard work I’ve put into this game. Getting into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame is especially gratifying because I came from a broken home, was raised on the streets and made just about every mistake you can make. But I persevered, which proves that everyone can do something great it they dedicate themselves to it.”

Rodney Morris

Belinda Calhoun

Voting for the 2016 Hall of Fame was conducted by the USBMA Hall of Fame Board, which consists of USBMA members, elected at-large members and living members of the Hall of Fame. To be eligible for consideration in the Greatest Players category, a player a) must be 40 years old

by Jan. 1 of the year of their inclusion on the ballot; b) must have a professional playing career of at least 10 years; and c) must have recorded significant achievements in U.S.-based and international events.

Morris edged Women’s Professional Billiards Association champions Gerda Hofstatter and Vivian Villarreal by a single vote. Morris was named on 48 percent of the ballots, while Villarreal and Hofstatter were named on 47 percent. Kim Davenport was named on 26 percent of the ballots, while Shannon Daulton and Jeremy Jones received votes on less than 25 percent of the ballots.

Calhoun’s nomination was recommended by the Veteran Players Committee, which reviews the careers of players who were not elected in the Greatest Players category prior to turning 60, at which point they are removed from the ballot. Induction for a Veteran Players nominee is achieved if more than 50 percent of the Hall of Fame Board votes in favor of the candidate.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 47

What Happens In Vegas?

South Point Casino, Hotel & Convention Center

BCA

Billiard & Home Leisure Expo

Viva Las Vegas!

August 2–4, 2017 bcaexpo.com

LOOKING BACK AT THE EXPO

By Keith Loria The Billiard & Home Leisure Expo, this year held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, is an invaluable source for people in the billiard business, whether you’re a veteran in the industry or a novice who has opened your first store.

For more than 30 years, the Expo’s mix of speakers, exhibitors, tournaments and events has helped people stay

up to date on products and trends so that their businesses can be at their very best.

“We set out every year to provide a great platform for our industry to gather, knowing this will be the single event attracting all facets of our industry,” says Rob Johnson, BCA’s CEO. “How the industry uses this opportunity varies from company to company and individual to individual.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 49

But, given our discussions with exhibitors and buyers alike, the BCA Expo continues to be an excellent show for writing orders, getting feedback on potential new products, making new relationships and gaining educational tips with immediate impact.”

The show saw some great presentations by Lynn Switanowski, Brian Offenberger, and Shari Stauch, and on the floor, had excitement such as Nick Nikolaidis attempting a world record to see how fast he could jump 15 balls in the Championship Booth, as well as the excitement from the BCA Expo 8-Ball Amateur Tournament.

“

...THE SINGLE EVENT ATTRACTING ALL FACETS OF THE INDUSTRY.”

“As we look to the future, we will continue to work to provide an environment that allows our industry an opportunity to come together to work and play,” Johnson says.

Cris Gould, vice president of Legacy Billiards, Collierville, Tennessee, has been coming to expos for more than 30 years.

“This is the best opportunity for all vendors to get together and share synergy,” he says. “Plus, we get to see smaller customers that we otherwise would not see within the year.”

Kurt Schmidt, owner of A.E. Schmidt, St. Louis, Missouri, has been to every BCA Expo except two, and was pleased with how this year went.

“We had a good show, but we brought out a lot of new products and were aggressive,” he says. “The buyers come to get three things—new products, bargains and terms. If an exhibitor can’t offer these things, it’s a waste of time.”

Next year’s Expo will take place Aug. 2-4, 2017 at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We are very excited to be returning to Las Vegas in 2017.

The surveying we have done with our industry points to a preference to return to Las Vegas on a frequent basis,” Johnson says. “We will spend the coming months looking at ways to improve the experience for both our buyers and attendees.

The BCA Expo is the focal point of our industry in so many positive ways.”

LEFT: A look at some of the excitement at this year’s Expo. Photos by JP Parmentier.

We are stocked to the brim! with over 6million in inventory, we are confident your holiday season will rock!

www.legacybilliards.com 866.953.4272

COMING NEXT ISSUE...

2017 STYLE & COLOR TRENDS MAP PRICING HOW PRO PLAYERS CAN HELP IN RETAIL SALES