Pool & Billiard Magazine is the
sport's oldest monthly magazine and boasts the largest readership
of billiard businesses, players and fans. The company was founded
in 1983 by Harold Simonsen and Shari Stauch, originally titled
the Pool & Billiard Scratch Sheet, a small monthly
newsletter. The infant publication grew out of their relationship
with the sport through the family business, Harold's Pool Parlour,
which was opened in the Chicago area in 1976 and operated for
over twenty years before the staff headed to the warmer climes
of Charleston, South Carolina in 1998.
SPONSORING THE SPORT
Since Pool & Billiard Magazine's creation in 1983,
it has been the leading publication in the promotion and sponsorship
of national, regional and local events. Beginning in the 1980s,
Pool & Billiard Magazine initiated and held title
sponsorship to the National 9-Ball Classic tournament, which became
the model for the event portrayed in the 1986 movie, "The
Color of Money" starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.
From 1993 through 2001, Pool & Billiard
Magazine was Title Sponsor of the WPBA Classic Billiard Tour,
became the first Billiard Media Sponsor of the WPBA Classic Tour
in 1999, and continues to be a WPBA media partner.
Athlete sponsorships have included such renowned
players as newly inducted BCA Hall of Famer Robin Dodson (former
two-time Women's World Champion); Roger Griffis (former PBTA Players
Champion) and Vicki Paski (former Women's National Champion).
Pool & Billiard Magazine also supports
the Billiard Education Foundation and annual BCA Junior National
9-Ball Championships, the Viking Tour, the United Pool Players
Association (UPA), along with dozens of regional and local tour
and charity events.
INDUSTRY
INVOLVEMENT
Pool & Billiard Magazine is a member of the Billiard
Congress of America, the Women's Professional Billiard Association,
the United Poolplayers Association, the Billiard and Bowling Institute
of America and the American Cue Makers Association.
Harold Simonsen (Publisher), served as president
of the National Pool Classic Association (NPCA) from 1977 to 1983.
In 1990 and 1991, he was founding president of the Professional
Billiard Tour Association (PBTA), a tour marketing association
for both the Men's Professional Billiard Association (MPBA) and
the Women's Professional Billiard Association. From 1993 to 1995,
Harold served as a consultant to the development of the WPBA's
Classic Billiard Tour, which has resulted in the sport's highest
visibility vehicle.
From 1990 to 1993, Shari was the Secretary General of the World
Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and in 1998 served as the Pubic
Relations Director for the World Confederation of Billiard Sports
(WCBS) which gained recognition of the cue sports from the International
Olympic Committee (IOC). From 1990 to 1995, Shari served on the
board of directors of the Billiard Congress of America, chaired
the BCA's Long Range Planning Committee, and in 1994 became the
founding president of the BCA's Billiard Education Foundation.
1ST
IN NEWS - EQUIPMENT AUTHORITY - EXPERT INSTRUCTION
As the saying goes, "often imitated, never duplicated."
Pool & Billiard Magazine proudly claims many "first"
innovations in promoting the sport:
* Launched the first contemporary monthly magazine for pool and
billiards.
* Developed and published a professional player annual ranking
system.
* Ran first-ever national television campaign for billiards and
conducted the "How to Advertise on TV" seminar at BCA
Trade Expo.
* Created the sport’s first annual demographic fan survey,
the "Player & Fan Poll".
* Published the first annual Upscale Billiard Clubs issue followed
by the first annual issues on The Legends of the Sport, Instruction,
Cues and Tables.
* Created the sport's first magazine online website.
PROMOTIONAL
PROJECTS
Pool & Billiard Magazine was selected in 1986 as
a consultant to the Academy Award winning film, "The Color
of Money," and worked as a liaison to the
billiard industry for product placement. Pool & Billiard
Magazine helped design the final tournament set and became
the only billiard publication to receive film credits. Harold
Simonsen, publisher, was also chosen for the part of the Tournament
Director. Harold Simonsen and Shari Stauch were consultants with
film credits.
In 1990 Pool & Billiard Magazine created
"Pool & Billiard TV Magazine", a contemporary monthly
television show that aired on Sports Channel of America, co-hosted
by Ewa Laurance.
Between 1993 and 1997, P&B formed
SPL Group to handle Marketing, Media and Public Relations for
the WPBA and brought in the women's first out-of-industry Tour
Sponsor -- Gordon's Gin and Vodka, which resulted in the ESPN
televised Gordon's Tour.
In 2002, Pool & Billiard Magazine
developed Pool & Billiard Rated Player International, a score
and average tracking system for participants of Ninety-Nine Pool-Billiard
(an offensive game providing players with an average score similar
to golfers and bowlers).
Stick around long enough to watch
the film credits at the end of pool's last movie, “Pool
Hall Junkies”, and you’ll see Pool & Billiard
Magazine mentioned…
