Document text
CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 5, 2003 The PBA in Medford: There’s nothing to fix Operating under the axiom that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, there will be few changes from last year as the second Medford Open unfolds. When we left it, the Professional Bowlers Association Tour was exiting through the sliding glass doors and into the brisk January air, headed for its next destination, the ABC Masters in Reno, Nev. As they waved goodbye, players and staff alike gushed about the treatment they received and the way the tournament was run. They must have meant it. Within a couple of weeks, the PBA sent a marketing and film crew back to Medford to interview Lava Lanes owner Ric Donnelly and city officials about staging a tournament. The resulting DVD is now used by the PBA as an instructional piece for existing tour stops and as a marketing aid as it tries to bring in new venues. Mark Brisbing, PBA vice president of tournament operations, shows the video during some of his sales presentations. He made pitches in the Kansas City and Philadelphia areas, for instance, and used it to demonstrate what the PBA has to offer and how a community that embraces the event can benefit. "Most of those people didn’t know what we have or the kind of impact we can have on a community or a region," says Brisbing. He credits Donnelly for having a vision for promotion and for teaming up with the Medford Visitors and Convention Bureau, which proved a unique partnership. The PBA’s impact on this area was great — an estimated $10 to $14 million in the economy, says Julie Petretto, executive vice president of the Visitors and Convention Bureau, who also was interviewed by the PBA. That figure is based largely on lodging and dining revenues multiplied using a standard travel industry formula: each dollar turns over three times after it’s spent. While one hotel served as the official residence for the PBA, others experienced overflow business, says Petretto. Restaurants at both Medford freeway exits saw a spike in customers, she says, as did major department stores. "I think the additional business and activity we saw was definitely from the PBA," says Petretto, adding that a similar jump this year would serve as confirmation. One of the areas for which she has distinct statistics is the bureau’s Web site. For two weeks after the PBA finals were televised live on ESPN, the site experienced a 67-percent increase in visits. That was achieved even though the Web address wasn’t included in advertising on the telecast, an oversight that will be corrected this year. The spots also did not routinely identify Medford as being in Oregon but did include the bureau’s 800 number. "We had a lot of people calling just to ask where Medford is," says Petretto. Regardless, the region received millions of dollars in free advertising with the 1½ -hour telecast and will do so again in a week. The advertising’s success will best be measured over time, says Petretto. The success of the tournament itself can be measured in responses from the principals who are returning. To a man, PBA bowlers are eager to come here for one primary reason: They are treated as professional athletes. Donnelly, his staff and a large group of knowledgeable volunteers again plan to cater to whatever needs the PBA and its players have: a players’ locker room, catered meals, a masseuse, an embroiderer to stitch names on shirts, you name it. "We were right there for them," says Randy Cochran, the Lava Lanes pro. So was the community. The pro-am squads the first three days of the week attracted 1,100 entrants, matching Philadelphia as the most by any venue last year. "That was significant to us because we’re not talking about a major market," says Brisbing. There will be some changes. For starters, Donnelly doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. "We’ve had fewer organizational meetings," he says, "and, I guess, I’m more relaxed. Now we know what to expect and what to do. That’s not to say we’re taking anything for granted. We want to put on just as good a show or better as we did the first time." One thing he’s done is step up promotion outside Jackson County to other larger markets from Eugene to Redding, Calif. At the center, new scrolling signs will help fans keep track of the action and bowlers will have use of a chiropractor. Oh, and those pesky bolts jutting from the floor, where tables were removed to make room for bleachers, are gone. Every tournament host, says Brisbing, examines how he might improve over the previous year. "In Medford’s case," he says, "that will be tough." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S