Last month the Bowling Industry hosted a fun Holiday Bowling Party in the heart of Times Square at the always entertaining Bowlmor Lanes.
Media producers, writers, bloggers, and of course professional bowlers filled the private room. We dined on high-end snacks and appetizers compliments of Chef David Burke, who designed a full menu for Bowlmor—awesome food you would never expect from a bowling center!
To kick-off the evening, event guests mingled and casually played a few games of bowling. Then, bowling industry professional and PBA bowler Parker Bohn III (who is extremely nice by the way) took over the floor, where he gave a brief description of the sport of bowling, how he got his start and some bowling industry trivia for a chance to win a few of his signed bowling books.
Parker finished up with the “chair trick” that was shown on the Today Show by Chris Barnes, and then invited three attendees to be seated on chairs down the center of the bowling lane, where he proceeded to throw a strike down the center of the chairs!
Above: Parker, with his boys Brandon, 8 and Justin, 7 both future bowling stars, awed the crowd by demonstrating a few patented trick shots.
At the conclusion of the evening guests received gift bags containing a hat from Bowlmor as well as a $20 coupon towards our next game! Overall, a fun way to spend a night out in NYC and de-stress after a long work day.
Here are some fun facts about the bowling industry…
· An average of 70 million Americans bowl each year
· The sport has more than a $10 billion impact on the U.S. economy annually
· This year marked the fourth consecutive year that the sport has grown in popularity, driven mostly by females and younger audiences.
· According to 2010 Simmons Data Research, adult consumers bowling participation amongst female “mom” consumers, aged 25-34, has experienced a significant spike, rising 31 percent year-over-year, with approximately 35 percent having bowled over the past year.
· The emergence of family entertainment centers and high-end bowling centers – such as Bowlmor – has also helped heighten cachet and fuel the popularity of bowling among women and multiple audiences.