BPAA started small in 1932 but now touches all segments of Bowling Industry By Dick Evans

OK Gang, it's time to celebrate bowling's world-wide appeal.

That means that the International Bowl Expo is just around the calendar corner with a June 21 start and June 27 conclusion.

So start packing your suitcase (only one per customer if you are flying) and make sure to bring:

• Umbrellas: They are good to fight off the heat and summer downpours.
• Sunscreen: You can get burned just walking from your car to the Orange County Convention Center.
• Your Credit Card: With so many exhibitors featuring the best of the great new products, you will want to be able to purchase bargains during the gala trade show.

Make no mistake, International Bowl Expo is not just an event — it is an happening and that's why the European Bowling Proprietors Association will be meeting during International Bowl Expo.

Without doubt, International Bowl Expo is the premier industry event for owners and operators of bowling centers, billiard centers and pro shops world wide.

Also sharing in the spotlight at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel will be the bowling leaders in the U.S. Military, the movers-and-shakers in IBPSIA, many of the PBA's elite bowlers, members of the Bowling Writers Association of America, leaders of the United States Bowling Congress and of course members of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America.

Too bad the 41 founding fathers who held the first BPAA meeting in 1932 at the Fort Shelby Hotel in Detroit can not participate in the 76th convention.

They would be flabbergasted at what they created.

Among the featured attractions this year will be a keynote speech about juggling elephants, two custom made motorcycles and a block party of all things.

Maybe since he's speaking in Florida where alligators are always dangerous, Jones Loflin will change the name of his famous book from Juggling Elephants to Juggling Alligators for his keynote address June 21.

Only kidding. Jones Loflin is an internationally respected speaker and corporate trainer who has helped many companies deal with change.

Since I live in nearby Daytona Beach where they set aside three weeks every year to pay homage to motorcycles, I am not surprised the new 'Strikebike' will road into the general session June 25.

Members of the famous Teutul motorcycle family have built bikes for some of the biggest names in corporate America including Microsoft, Lincoln, Catepillar, U.S. Army and Air Force to mention only a few.

Now they have built two bowling theme custom motorcycles and one will be given away as the grand prize in a special bowling promotion this fall.

Then there is that so called 'Block Party" on June 26 at nearby Universal Studios, not the one that burned recently. City Walk is an entertainment hot spot located within the Universal Studios theme park complex. Bob Marley's Reggie Band, Pat O'Brien's dueling pianos and City Walk's Rising Star Karaoke will entertain bowlers and proprietors from all walks of life.

Speaking of bowlers from all walks of life, I will have to point out a couple favorites who will be honored and one who will be conducting a seminar during Bowl Expo.

Dick Ritger, who won two PBA tournaments I covered at Bird Bowl in Miami where he finished second in a third, will be the first person inducted in the new Coaches Hall of Fame. He was one of the few super bowlers who also became a super coach.

Howard Baum, an affable proprietor from Myrtle Beach, S.C., always has impressed me when our paths crossed at tournaments and conventions. I am delighted he will be awarded the BPAA's Hall of Fame award – the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal.

Many other deserving bowling leaders will be honored and I congratulate them all.

That same message applies to the many speakers at the seminars. But my favorite will be the "Getting Media Coverage" seminar to be conducted by Christine Brennan on June 24 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

I worked with Christine at the Miami Herald when she was fresh out of college and have followed her amazing career as a sports writer, book author, TV commentator and speaker.

More proprietors should know more inside information about how to generate media coverage, the one area that the entire bowling industry needs help.

In closing, I want to pay tribute to people and organizations who sometimes are overlooked by people and writers.

John Berglund, the BPAA's executive director who is developing into a very informative writer for the Bowling News in Dallas, has put together a staff second to none. They are so smooth at their jobs that we sometimes forget they are working 18 hour days.

And lets not forget that without Diamond Level sponsors Pepsi-Cola, QubicaAMF, Sysco, Brunswick, Anheuser-Busch and North Pointe Insurance Group, Sara Leek, DHL plus Platinum Level sponsors Switch, Wachovia and USBC then Bowl Expo would not be such a great happening.

And it is going to happen June 21-27.

Email address: Evans121@aol.com