E-dition No. 1,117 • Friday, July 10, 2020
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
BPAA to Suspend Member Dues for 2021
The Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America Board of Directors has voted to suspend national domestic dues for the 2021 season as its members continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suspension of dues will apply to BPAA domestic member centers in good standing as of Aug. 1, 2020, and applies only to national dues, as the BPAA national board does not have authority over decisions related to dues for state and local proprietor associations.
The BPAA will draw on its reserves to cover the cost of national dues for the 2021 season.
“Bowling centers have faced incredible hardships by the shutdowns and the resulting limitations during the reopening of businesses,” said BPAA President Jim Decker, the owner of Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif. “All of us face the challenge of keeping the lights on with limited revenue coming in, and we must continue to find ways to control our costs. Suspending dues is one way for BPAA to assist our 3,400 members through this difficult time.”
In a media release, the BPAA said it would continue to provide resources to assist centers through the ever-changing landscape. During the early stages of shutdowns, BPAA provided centers with guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and developed digital marketing assets to assist centers.
“Family entertainment is a business segment that has been hit especially hard during the pandemic,” BPAA Executive Director Frank DeSocio said. “We are continuing to provide resources to help centers navigate through this unprecedented time, including how they can reach their customers and how to work through the reopening of their centers in a way that will make their employees and customers feel as safe as possible. The BPAA board has provided tremendous support during this time and I know their decision to suspend dues in 2021 will be greatly appreciated by our members.”
As part of Bowling University, the BPAA’s bowling center education and training program, BPAA has put together the BPAA Reopening Resource Center to provide center owners and managers with tools and best practices to get bowlers back on the lanes. The resource center has sections to address all operations, including marketing, staffing, bowling, food and beverage, and more.
The Bowling University OnDemand program, for example, has an onboarding course for new and returning employees to help management with the reopening of their center. While each state has its own regulations for businesses, the BPAA Reopening Resource Center was developed to serve as a guide to help member centers during reopening and as they continue to deal with any limitations.
Supplies needed by centers to reopen, including cleaning and sanitation supplies, also are being addressed by BPAA through its Smart Buy partnerships, which provide tremendous discounts to member centers.
Smart Buy has more than 100 partners, and while partners such as SYSCO, Grainger, Cintas and others provide great pricing on supplies, BPAA has partnered with additional companies to assist with items that are in high demand, such as hand sanitizer, Plexiglass shields and cleaning products.
Visit bpaa.com to learn more about BPAA and for COVID-19 updates for BPAA members.
PBA League Telecasts Move to Sept. 27-28 on FS1
The PBA has completed its roster of 12 teams for the 2020 PBA League with the addition of 10 PWBA stars to the newly formed Miami Waves and Phoenix Fury teams.
The 12 teams, now split into two divisions — Carter and Anthony — will take to the lanes at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, Sept. 26-28, with hometown Portland Lumberjacks seeking to defend the Elias Cup. PBA League competition was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety precautions.
The league’s seeding round will take place on Sept. 26, followed by eight hours of live competition to be aired on FS1 in four telecasts on consecutive days:
* Quarterfinals — Sunday, Sept. 27, 12 p.m. Eastern
* Quarterfinals – Sunday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. Eastern
* Semifinals — Monday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m. Eastern
* Finals — Monday, Sept. 28, 9 p.m. Eastern
After winning the coin toss, Phoenix Fury selected two-time, reigning PWBA Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe as the first pick of the special PBA League Draft, followed by 5-time PWBA Champion Danielle McEwan to the Miami Waves.
World Cup Among Global Events Postponed
This is the time of year when excitement begins to build for the next edition of the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, the longest-running multi-nation tenpin tournament.
But due to the coronavirus, the 2020 World Cup, which was to have been held in November in Kuwait, has been pushed back to 2021. New dates have been “penciled in” but have not yet been confirmed.
As long as the virus numbers remain significant, and as long as international travel is severely limited, new dates for the World Cup and its companion ParaBowling World Cup will remain up in the air.
BCAW Taps New Tools for Communications, Education
During the mandated closure of business offices and bowling centers, the Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin explored utilizing new technologies to communicate.
“We have held a couple of educational seminars, and even conducted our most recent board meeting via ZOOM,” reported BCAW Executive Director Yvonne Bennett. “Feedback has been positive, so we will be expanding our use of ZOOM beginning next month.”On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the BCAW will host its first “Peer2Peer” networking session. This will be a time for proprietors and managers to share experiences and seek input from others on topics of general interest. The log-in information for this one-hour session will be sent to members the week prior.
The BCAW also has secured nationally acclaimed speaker Bob Pacanovsky (“The Black Tie Experience”) to present a specially created seminar titled, “Booking Company Events — Moving Forward.” Pacanovsky is a frequent speaker at BPAA’s Bowl Expo.
“With centers and businesses coming out of COVID-19 shutdowns, and looking forward to the holiday season right around the corner, there is no better time to be thinking about booking group events and parties,” Bennett noted.
BVL Season Winds Down; Plans in Works for 2020-21
The Bowlers to Veterans Link season is quickly drawing to a close, and just like everyone else in the bowling industry, BVL has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As planning begins for next season, BVL leaders are asking anyone who may have coins or bills in collection cans, or perhaps donations set aside from a pre-pandemic fund-raiser, to kindly send the donations to BVL headquarters at their earliest convenience.
This will help BVL plan programs and fundraising efforts for the fiscal year ahead.
Checks may be mailed to: BVL, 11350 Random Hills Road, Suite 800, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Questions may be directed to Executive Director Mary Harrar at 703-934-6039.
For further information, visit: https://bowlforveterans.org.
One Pro Bowler’s Perspective on the Pandemic
On June 8, three-time PBA Tour champion Josh Blanchard made a fascinating post on Facebook that he titled, “12 Weeks: A Journey.”
The post explained 22 ways in which the prior few months, fraught as they had been with the ravages of a global pandemic on an industry that has meant so much to him for so long, and with the eruption of nationwide protests in response to the deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, had changed his perspective about so many aspects of our day-to-day lives.
From the addictive nature of social networks to our attitudes when we patronize bowling centers and so much more, Blanchard’s take on life in 2020, a turbulent year few will soon forget, is illuminating, wise and sobering.
Get that conversation here: https://soundcloud.com/user-658733792/podcast-josh-blanchard-on-the-personal-journey-that-changed-him.
New Bowlers Journal and IBC Podcasts Available
Podcasting has exploded during the pandemic, providing tons of content for bowlers and bowling fans to watch or listen to.
The aforementioned Josh Blanchard is the guest on the most recent edition of The Bowlers Journal Podcast, which can be accessed here: https://soundcloud.com/user-658733792.
And following is the latest podcast schedule from the International Bowling Campus. All times shown are Eastern, and all shows are available on demand on all listed platforms.
* Inside The OC: Zeke Bayt, July 9 at 2 p.m. on BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.* Throwback Thursday Match: Liz Johnson vs. Shannon O’Keefe title match at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open, July 9 at 4 p.m. on BowlTV.* The PWBA Podcast: Special PBA League Draft Edition featuring the Miami Waves, July 10 at 2 p.m. BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
* The PWBA Podcast: Stefanie Johnson, July 13 at 2 p.m. on BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
* The PWBA Podcast: Caitlyn Johnson, July 15 at 2 p.m. on BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
Other News You Can Use…
* In a July 6 Facebook post, eight-time PBA Tour champion Ryan Ciminelli announced his retirement from full-time pro bowling, explaining in part that, “I’m heartbroken that I don’t feel like I can continue in this profession,” but that, “I feel I’ve exhausted all the possibilities to extend my full time career.” Among Ciminelli’s eight titles was a major, the U.S. Open, in 2015. Ciminelli also made news in the bowling-ball contract world when, with three months yet to go in his deal as a DV8 staffer with Brunswick in June 2017, he opted to leave for MOTIV. More: https://www.bowlersjournal.com/ryan-ciminelli-announces-retirement-from-full-time-pba-tour-competition/.
* AMF Kegler’s Lanes in Charlottesville, Md., has re-opened with safety measures in place, including a requirement that guests wear masks in any shared space. While the center was closed, the bar was relocated and new furniture was installed. Read more here: https://www.nbc29.com/2020/07/06/amf-keglers-lanes-is-open-with-different-look-shorter-hours-increased-safety-measures/.
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is legendary Southern California bowler Larry Gray, taking part in the ongoing Phantom Radio Trivia Contest. To see how he does, click here: https://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/2020/7/8/larry-gray-phantom-radio.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook, and follow BJI on Twitter (Twitter.com/BowlersJournal). BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com. Please remember that the Cyber Report is a B-to-B publication and not intended for consumers.
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