A SHARED LOVE OF BOWLING:

Davis Productions team in Florida from left to right: Roxanne Damask, Bruce Davis, Stephanie Davis, Natalie Davis, Andy Vasko, and Marsha Vasko.

IBI’S NEW OWNERS ARE OLD FRIENDS

By Robert Sax

The notice “Change of Ownership” on a much-loved community institution like a bowling center can cause great anxiety among existing customers. Do the new owners know anything about the business? Will they change anything? Will they change everything? Do they care about us?

There’s been a change of ownership at the bowling community’s much-loved magazine International Bowling Industry, but its readers and advertisers have nothing to worry about. The new owners, Davis Publications, have deep roots in bowling and share a great love for the industry with the former owners, B2B Media. The bowling business is very much a family affair, and both companies are family-owned and operated. Bruce and Stephanie Davis are also long-time friends and business associates of former owner Scott Frager. So as big changes go, IBI fans will find that the magazine will evolve in a way that honors its past while growing to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Off on a new pursuit...Scott Frager in full gear as a member of the Leawood, KS. police force

“We have been deeply involved in bowling in so many ways, from proprietor, tournament directors, suppliers to the industry, marketers, volunteers,” says Stephanie. “We love the people in the industry and we're energized by challenges. And so when the opportunity to buy IBI came up, we couldn't pass it up.”

Bruce and Stephanie Davis can be considered one of the “first families” of bowling. Industry insiders know Bruce and Stephanie as innovative marketers who have been active with individual bowling centers, national chains, manufacturers and distributors as well as industry associations and committees.

“Bruce, Stephanie, and their team have the vision and experience to reimagine the role of businessto-business publishing in bowling,” says Scott Frager. “I have worked with them for many years, and we are good friends. I know that they can talk the talk and walk the walk. They will provide a fun and informative marketing platform that will inspire, educate, and motivate everyone in the bowling business.”

Jackie Fisher, Leawood, KS

Bruce is from a bowling family; his mother and father owned and operated a bowling center in Toledo, Ohio. When Bruce finished college and army service, his father asked him to help run their center’s restaurant and nightclub for a short time. That temporary assignment turned into full-time management with increasing responsibility for the bowling center and tournament segments also. It was the beginning of Bruce’s deep involvement with bowling.

David Garber, Eugene, OR

Today Bruce is a well-known industry leader and one of bowling’s most sought-after seminar presenters. He is the creator and developer of the innovative Forty Frame Game Tournament and the hugely-popular Kids Bowl Free program. Bruce has been inducted into two Bowling Halls of Fame for marketing and is the proud recipient of BPAA’s President Medal and the V.A. Wapensky Award for significant contributions to the marketing of bowling.

Stephanie Davis is president of Davis Productions Inc. and will be the new publisher of International Bowling Industry. She has worked in the bowling industry with her husband Bruce since the early 1990s, coordinating advertising and marketing efforts for a multitude of national bowling endeavors as well as individual and chain operations. Stephanie has a diverse marketing background with significant experience as a magazine writer and publisher and is a published book author. She served for many years as tournament director of the Forty Frame Game regional and national tournaments.

Two other key members of Davis Productions are Andy and Marsha Vasko. Andy has worked with Bruce since his teen years when he started as a busboy in their Chinese restaurant then transitioned to the center. Andy’s exceptional grassroots marketing skills led him to a significant role with the Davis Productions Inc. team and Bruce’s marketing club Focus On Results, where he has been helping operators develop profitable streams of revenue for their businesses. Andy is well known in the industry for his ability to floor traditional and specialty leagues, tournaments, special events, and after-school busing programs. He is on the phone with operators every day and knows everyone and everything that is going on in the bowling world.

Patty Heath, Los Angeles, CA

A veteran of corporate America, Marsha Vasko followed her passion for bowling and has worked exclusively in the business of bowling since 2007. Marsha enjoys working with center operators as part of her customer relations work at Kids Bowl Free and coordinator of special projects for clients of Davis Productions Inc. Marsha has worked at the center and tournament level alongside her husband Andy for many years.

Editorial director Jackie Fisher, associate publisher David Garber, and office manager Patty Heath, long-time members of the IBI editorial team, will continue to guide the publication. “This will ensure a seamless customer experience for readers, advertisers, and industry professionals” says Stephanie. “I have been working alongside the IBI team for the last 15 months in various positions, preparing for a smooth transition moving forward.” A second generation of family members will also participate in the new IBI. The Davis’ daughter Natalie has been the magazine’s marketing and sales manager for over a year. The Vaskos’ son Ryan, an experienced ad agency copywriter, will contribute editorial content. The Davises also plan to include content from their many friends and associates in the industry. “We're going to be adding in some different contributors who are well-known in the industry who have important things to share. Many of them have already said that they have an idea for a story,” says Bruce. “We will also be adding an increased emphasis on digital marketing to incorporate some different things that our advertisers are telling us that they want.” IBI has always been a valuable resource, devoting its print and web pages exclusively to “the business of bowling.” The full-time participation of the Davis’ will make IBI even more valuable. They are constantly talking to people in the business, gathering stories about what’s bringing in customers, and building business.

“What’s working is the key,” says Stephanie. “When [customers] call into our offices, or when we meet them at a trade show, it’s about what's working, whether it’s what will bring customers in or help find and keep employees or cut down costs. Everybody wants to know what's working. We look for what's working in the industry and share it with people in an engaging way.”

Ryan Vasko, Denver, CO

If you want to know what’s working in bowling, keep your eye on IBI, where “change of ownership” is a sign of bigger and even better things to come. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.