Bowling as a sport is top of mind in Las Vegas
06/29/07
While all who attended International Bowl Expo 2007 already knew that more people were choosing bowling as a form of entertainment, they all agreed that bowling as a competitive sport remains vital to the industry's success.
From United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors Association of America leaders to others in the industry, in small groups and large, that message came across loud and clear. And all those leaving the Mandalay Bay Convention Center clearly understood that they will play a vital role in helping bowling return to its roots as a recognized sport.
"I believe we need to do whatever we need to do to protect the competitive aspects of bowling," BPAA President Joe Schumacker said during a State of the Industry panel discussion Thursday. "One way to do that is through the Skills Center which would refine the delivery of the skills to make it easier for people to learn how to bowl better. The other is recognition, getting it back in the local communities. We need to support and spur competitions at the local level."
The Skills Center concept would revamp bowling pro shops to be similar to golf pro shops where they become the highly-visible focal points for coaching, merchandise and equipment. Each would be required to be associated with a teaching pro.
"When you go to a bowling center, people will come back if they can improve," BPAA Executive Director John Berglund told the Southern Bowling Writers about the idea on Wednesday. "The bowlers don't know where to go for coaching and understand why they need coaching. This will help promote the technical aspects of bowling."
BPAA plans to test the Skills Center concept at some centers in August with the goal of announcing a rollout at the 2008 Bowl Expo in Orlando, Fla. USBC and BPAA are working together on how they both can help the project move forward.
Bowling as a business has seen dramatic changes since its peak in the 1970s. While league bowling dominated a center's overall bottom line back then, today, only 41 percent of total revenue is generated through leagues. A recent poll discovered that only 22 percent of the people thought bowling was a sport. Yet in both 2005 and 2006, total paid games increased while the number of people going bowling rose 3.6 percent in 2006. Such numbers fuel the thought that bowling is growing more as entertainment and less as a sport.
"Let's start a dialogue, an open debate in each area on whether bowling is a sport or recreation," USBC Executive Director Roger Dalkin said at the State of the Industry panel. "Let's focus on convincing the parents whether bowling is a sport. Let's get away from the 300 game debates."
"It's time to return to our roots. It's time to get back to 1895 (when the former American Bowling Congress started). It's time to focus on bowling as a sport," said USBC President-Elect and BPAA Past President Jeff Boje at Wednesday's general session. "We want bowling to be an alternative to soccer and baseball rather than an alternative to the movies on a rainy day."
"We must revitalize the competitive aspect of our business," said USBC Director-Elect and BPAA Vice President Jim Sturm. "We must develop the league and competitive bowler of tomorrow."
"If we lose bowling as a sport, we'll have skeet ball and that won't work," Berglund said.
All those involved still realized some type of balance must be achieved to secure the best interests of bowling as a business and bowling as a sport.
"Today centers are building or renovating and designing to take advantage of the bowler who wants to be entertained and they are seeing high returns," Brunswick's Steve Caffrey told the Bowling Writers Association of America on Sunday. "The biggest place for bowling as a business is in entertainment."
Caffrey added, however, that centers can be switched between entertainment and competition more easily today. And he reiterated his company's emphasis on bowling as a sport.
"Brunswick recognizes the sport of bowling is the foundation for bowling as a recreation and entertainment," he said. "You have to have a good sport of bowling before you can have the others."
Other news from Bowl Expo included:
*Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for bowling, announced development of a new "Go Bowling" postage stamp that will be available soon at BPAA centers. It also said that Anheuser-Busch is back in the bowling industry as sponsor of Bowl Expo, the Salute to Champions and two regional proprietor shows. There also are new partnerships with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters for a promotion tied to National Bowling Week at the end of August and with World Wrestling Entertainment in August, plus promotions centered around the movies Shrek the Third and the Simpsons Movie and NASCAR later this year.
*BPAA presented its highest award - the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal and a place in the BPAA Hall of Fame - to USBC Hall of Famer John Sommer. Other major BPAA award winners included: :President's Medal - USBC Board member Jack Moran; V.A. Wapensky Award - USBC Hall of Famer Dick Evans; Ruben A. Dankoff Award - Rex Golobic; Dick Weber Bowling Ambassador Award - USBC Hall of Famer Helen Duval; Special Projects Award - C.J. Fox; BPAA Media Award - ABC-TV's Good Morning America.
*The Bowling Writers Association of America presented the following awards at a dinner Tuesday: Amateur Bowlers of the Year - USBC Team USA members Diandra Asbaty and Bill Hoffman; Bowlers of the Year - Kelly Kulick and Tommy Jones; Rip Van Winkle Award - Reg Pearson; John O. Martino Awards - Bowlers to Veterans Link; Mort Luby Meritorious Service Award - USBC Hall of Famer Hazel McLeary.
*The Bowl Expo trade show was busy as usual with a sold out show of more than 300 exhibitors. Among the most popular booths were any featuring pro bowlers signing autographs. Pros in attendance included: Chris Barnes, Parker Bohn III, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Norm Duke, Jason Couch, Pat Healey Jr., Tommy Jones, Kim Terrell, Pete Weber, and Walter Ray Williams Jr.
*All aspects of bowling center business were on display at the trade show. This included businesses with information on amusements and games, furniture, insurance, carpeting, music, lighting, jewelry, food and beverages, memorabilia and novelties, party supplies, clothing, virtual bowling, miniature golf, go-karts and batting cages.
United States
Bowl Expo attendees learn competition remains important as entertainment aspects grow
While all who attended International Bowl Expo 2007 already knew that more people were choosing bowling as a form of entertainment, they all agreed that bowling as a competitive sport remains vital to the industry's success.
From United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors Association of America leaders to others in the industry, in small groups and large, that message came across loud and clear. And all those leaving the Mandalay Bay Convention Center clearly understood that they will play a vital role in helping bowling return to its roots as a recognized sport.
"I believe we need to do whatever we need to do to protect the competitive aspects of bowling," BPAA President Joe Schumacker said during a State of the Industry panel discussion Thursday. "One way to do that is through the Skills Center which would refine the delivery of the skills to make it easier for people to learn how to bowl better. The other is recognition, getting it back in the local communities. We need to support and spur competitions at the local level."
The Skills Center concept would revamp bowling pro shops to be similar to golf pro shops where they become the highly-visible focal points for coaching, merchandise and equipment. Each would be required to be associated with a teaching pro.
"When you go to a bowling center, people will come back if they can improve," BPAA Executive Director John Berglund told the Southern Bowling Writers about the idea on Wednesday. "The bowlers don't know where to go for coaching and understand why they need coaching. This will help promote the technical aspects of bowling."
BPAA plans to test the Skills Center concept at some centers in August with the goal of announcing a rollout at the 2008 Bowl Expo in Orlando, Fla. USBC and BPAA are working together on how they both can help the project move forward.
Bowling as a business has seen dramatic changes since its peak in the 1970s. While league bowling dominated a center's overall bottom line back then, today, only 41 percent of total revenue is generated through leagues. A recent poll discovered that only 22 percent of the people thought bowling was a sport. Yet in both 2005 and 2006, total paid games increased while the number of people going bowling rose 3.6 percent in 2006. Such numbers fuel the thought that bowling is growing more as entertainment and less as a sport.
"Let's start a dialogue, an open debate in each area on whether bowling is a sport or recreation," USBC Executive Director Roger Dalkin said at the State of the Industry panel. "Let's focus on convincing the parents whether bowling is a sport. Let's get away from the 300 game debates."
"It's time to return to our roots. It's time to get back to 1895 (when the former American Bowling Congress started). It's time to focus on bowling as a sport," said USBC President-Elect and BPAA Past President Jeff Boje at Wednesday's general session. "We want bowling to be an alternative to soccer and baseball rather than an alternative to the movies on a rainy day."
"We must revitalize the competitive aspect of our business," said USBC Director-Elect and BPAA Vice President Jim Sturm. "We must develop the league and competitive bowler of tomorrow."
"If we lose bowling as a sport, we'll have skeet ball and that won't work," Berglund said.
All those involved still realized some type of balance must be achieved to secure the best interests of bowling as a business and bowling as a sport.
"Today centers are building or renovating and designing to take advantage of the bowler who wants to be entertained and they are seeing high returns," Brunswick's Steve Caffrey told the Bowling Writers Association of America on Sunday. "The biggest place for bowling as a business is in entertainment."
Caffrey added, however, that centers can be switched between entertainment and competition more easily today. And he reiterated his company's emphasis on bowling as a sport.
"Brunswick recognizes the sport of bowling is the foundation for bowling as a recreation and entertainment," he said. "You have to have a good sport of bowling before you can have the others."
Other news from Bowl Expo included:
*Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for bowling, announced development of a new "Go Bowling" postage stamp that will be available soon at BPAA centers. It also said that Anheuser-Busch is back in the bowling industry as sponsor of Bowl Expo, the Salute to Champions and two regional proprietor shows. There also are new partnerships with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters for a promotion tied to National Bowling Week at the end of August and with World Wrestling Entertainment in August, plus promotions centered around the movies Shrek the Third and the Simpsons Movie and NASCAR later this year.
*BPAA presented its highest award - the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal and a place in the BPAA Hall of Fame - to USBC Hall of Famer John Sommer. Other major BPAA award winners included: :President's Medal - USBC Board member Jack Moran; V.A. Wapensky Award - USBC Hall of Famer Dick Evans; Ruben A. Dankoff Award - Rex Golobic; Dick Weber Bowling Ambassador Award - USBC Hall of Famer Helen Duval; Special Projects Award - C.J. Fox; BPAA Media Award - ABC-TV's Good Morning America.
*The Bowling Writers Association of America presented the following awards at a dinner Tuesday: Amateur Bowlers of the Year - USBC Team USA members Diandra Asbaty and Bill Hoffman; Bowlers of the Year - Kelly Kulick and Tommy Jones; Rip Van Winkle Award - Reg Pearson; John O. Martino Awards - Bowlers to Veterans Link; Mort Luby Meritorious Service Award - USBC Hall of Famer Hazel McLeary.
*The Bowl Expo trade show was busy as usual with a sold out show of more than 300 exhibitors. Among the most popular booths were any featuring pro bowlers signing autographs. Pros in attendance included: Chris Barnes, Parker Bohn III, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Norm Duke, Jason Couch, Pat Healey Jr., Tommy Jones, Kim Terrell, Pete Weber, and Walter Ray Williams Jr.
*All aspects of bowling center business were on display at the trade show. This included businesses with information on amusements and games, furniture, insurance, carpeting, music, lighting, jewelry, food and beverages, memorabilia and novelties, party supplies, clothing, virtual bowling, miniature golf, go-karts and batting cages.