The BPAA attracts small bowling centers - New Products and Industry News - Bowling Proprietors' Association of America - Brief Article

Bowling Digest, Oct, 2002

IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, nearly 50% of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America's (BPAA) new members were "small bowling centers," a result of an aggressive outreach effort by the organization. The pledge to address the unique needs of bowling centers with 16 lanes or fewer resulted in more than 45 small bowling centers joining the BPAA as new or "reinstated" members through June 2002.

The BPAA's work on behalf of small centers includes the development of the BPAA's Small Bowling Center Task Force. Founded in spring 2001, the task force gives proprietors of smaller bowling centers an opportunity to have a participating voice in the bowling industry and to help shape the future of small bowling centers across the country.

An entire issue of the BPAA's official publication, Bowling Center Management, was dedicated to small bowling centers, and the magazine now devotes a monthly department to small centers. In addition, the BPAA provided special arrangements and educational programming at International Bowl Expo, adjusting pricing and quantity breaks for certain member benefits products. The BPAA also developed the Small Bowling Center Teleconference series, the first of which was held in May 2002.

"We are excited by the response," says BPAA deputy executive director Michele Byers. "The BPAA will continue to create programs and services as well as enhance existing ones in an effort to address the needs of our smaller bowling center members."

Headquartered in Arlington, Texas, the BPAA represents the business interests of bowling center owners worldwide.