CDE Software: From the desk of Lance Rasmussen

Bowl Expo 2007 has come and gone.  It was a lot of work for our company as well as many others who exhibited this year.

There was a fantastic turnout this year, which went above and beyond last years attendance.  Our booth was so busy, we had little time to spend visiting other industry friends during the tradeshow times. 

We ran a drawing this year for a free kiosk.  Fort Lee Bowling Center was the winner, which was great to see one of our many military customers win.  They’re very excited to put this in and get their customers using the new kiosk.

Our industry partners appeared to be very busy as well.  We hope they were successful in signing on new business as well.  As always, if a center is looking for a new or updating scoring equipment, be sure to check out our industry partner page for a list of certified and non-certified partners.  If you’re not sure, feel free to contact us.  Our practice is not to recommend one system over another, however we certainly can assist regarding the integration of our products with the scoring systems you may be looking at.

Switch was a newcomer this year to Bowl Expo.  Another great scoring system out of Italy, it was great to see them at the show. 

Steltronic showed their next generation scoring system “Focus” which looks exciting.  Steltronic customers (current / future) can now purchase the new Photostrike Kiosk from them which is now integrates their unique reservation system with our kiosk software enabling you to get more features for your investment as well as minimize hardware.

One of Brunswick’s new features was their new Internet reservation system.  West Seattle Bowl became the first US center to implement the new system.

QubicaAMF showed off their new Conqueror Pro and Conqueror Universal systems.  If your center has legacy scoring, including BOSS, you should contact your QubicaAMF sales representative regarding upgrades. The new system integrates well with our league and tournament products.

Of course, those with legacy Brunswick systems may want to check out Purrfect Desk as a solution for legacy Brunswick equipment.

Next year, Bowl Expo will be in Orlando, Florida.  Be sure to make plans to go.

BPAA’s International Bowl Expo 2007 is around the bend and will begin next week.  If you are coming, please stop by our booth #448.  Our company has long supported BPAA and have been a part of Bowl Expo for many years.

According to BPAA, the booths have sold out and all of the rooms in three hotels that were reserved by BPAA have sold out.  So if you’re making last minute plans, be sure to check some of the neighboring hotels. This year, the host location is the Mandelay Hotel and Casino.  

Something new this year….  We’re giving away a free kiosk to a lucky center. This is valued at over $5000.00.  Simply stop by our booth and enter your center.  The drawing will be at the end of the Thursday’s exhbiting hours. 

Bowl Expo is a great opportunity to see different manufacturers and pick up some great specials.  There are usually many great ideas there at the exhibit.  Also along with this is some great seminars relating to your business of bowling.

As I was doing some browsing online, I came across an article written by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal’s author Gary D’Amato.  In this article, D’Amote writes:

He predicts the continued erosion of a membership that has been in decline for 25 years but doesn’t stress about it, saying the USBC still needs to “thin the herd.” The organization has 2.5 million members and the number eventually could fall below 1 million, Dalkin said.

This is quite an interesting statement to say the least, if this is indeed what the USBC’s Chief Executive Officer truly believes.  The article does continue on explaining that USBC will be stressing the competitive side of the sport instead of the recreational side.

“We’ve in essence convinced the general population it’s a great, fun game. And it is,” he said. “But in doing so, we’ve totally negated the athletic skills necessary to be a top-level bowler. It’s a conundrum we have.” 

Over the past few years, the ABC and WIBC organizations created the Sports league program, which carried forward with the merger to USBC.  In the middle of the 2006/2007 bowling season, USBC’s Sports program introduced the PBA Experience, which further gives the challenge of bowling on conditions that the professionals are shooting.  This has been a positive move towards bringing up the skills and caliber of competitive bowling.

If the casual bowlers are left to other pastures, who’s going to lead them?  The BPAA, who focuses on the centers or some other organization, may need to look at creating a bowling organization or program that caters to the casual bowler.  Perhaps building up the fun in the sport and expanding to support no-tap casual leagues would be a good idea as well.  

The one solid fact is membership has been declining.  What are the reasons, though?  Is it the perceived value of the membership charged each year declining?  This year, the USBC recently dropped its 299/298 awards and are making them part of the 11-in-a-row award, although recipients can purchase rings.  The range of lower average awards is good, but can it be made better.

Is there any work being done by the center or equally important, the league secretary, working at building up their leagues?  Or does the league secretary just show up at the counter and ask “so… who’s bowling the league this year?”  While many youth are working, instead of bowling, many just ignored as nuisances instead of being cultivated to become your next generation cash revenue. 

How about prices of lineage? Lineage has gone up over the years.  That’s a fact.  Then again, electricity, labor, parts, maintenance, taxes, insurance and many other things have greatly increased.  So you can’t blame the centers for raising their lineages.  With a conversation with a few proprietors, the high costs involved with the special needs of setting up the shots needed for the PBA Experience / Sports leagues has caused the centers to give the league a choice.  Pay more for lineage for the above and beyond TLC required… or don’t certify as that type of league.

There are a lot of opportunities for bowlers who enjoy bowling for its casual nature, while still providing a competitive atmosphere.  But is USBC devotes the majority of its efforts to the elite bowlers, it will definitely open up a lot of greener pastures. 

While I’m not an avid sports nut, I do enjoy watching pro football or baseball on television.  They’re good sports and ESPN does a nice job with coverage.  Once in a while, I enjoy watching some of the more lower profile sports as well, which, unfortunately, bowling has become. 

I’m like many who miss the old days of turning on ABC in the afternoon to watch greats, such as Earl Anthony to Wayne Webb.  I remember watching the astonishing match, to which forever created the monicker “the Ballard board”. 

One of the things I’ve been noticing, when flipping channels and checking out ESPN or ESPN2 is the amount of attention and coverage to this big sport…..   Poker???  I even noticed that ESPN dedicates a category link to the “sport” of poker as well in the “other sports” category.

I can appreciate a good game of cards.  I can recognize the skill in bluffing and the mastery of knowing when and how to use it.  I can pretty much apreciate everything it has…. except the fact of it being called a sport.  Theres a good article on USA Today that discusses this.  Read it and see what you think.  If poker is a sport and brings that much attenction to ESPN, why not Go Fish?

Well.  What’s my beef?  Well…  considering that bowling is the sport that is what ESPN is supporting through its being the home of televised bowling, where is the category link to bowling?  I certainly do not expect it to be front page category, but certainly it merits listing as a category, don’t you think? 

While your at it, what about curling?

One of the changes coming up for the next bowling season, looks to be quite dissappointing.  298 and 299 awards now will no longer qualify to receive a ring… unless you choose to pay for it.  In past practice, those that wanted a gold ring would simply pay the costs associated with the upgrade.

What happens now?  Those particular awards are now downgraded to being an 11-in-a-row award, which has been a plaque in the past. 

Is this a good thing or bad thing?  Thats up to interpretation.  Are you seeing the best value for your annual membership dues?

One personal thought is to offer a ring for first time earners, lifetime.  Or if a person shoots a certified 300 lifetime, then they would not qualify for a ring for the lower 299/298.   As a fellow “crying club” member who shot a 299 game years ago, I would have been upset and getting another 11-in-a-row plaque (and no… I don’t have 8-10 300’s a year either.  I’ve never shot 300).

Our company has been a longtime exhibitor and supporter of BPAA’s Bowl Expo, an annual event featuring seminars and an industry tradeshow held the end of June.

This year, Bowl Expo returns to Las Vegas and will be hosted at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

If you haven’t attended before, I strongly encourage you to plan on comming and checking out all the new products, ideas and specials available from our company as well as the majority of the industry manufacturers.