Bacta Vice-President John Bollom has served the trade association in every capacity available including as Regional Chairman, National President, Treasurer, Trustee and ATE Chairman. In February 2022 he accepted one of his biggest challenges to report on and recommend a new dynamic structure fit for the 21st century. John and the Restructure Group that he chaired succeeded where four previous recommendations had failed. In this interview John explains the process behind the restructure alongside his vision for a modern and agile trade association powered by a cabinet of talents.

Why was the restructure necessary?

Next year bacta will celebrate its 50th birthday and despite the fact that the association has served the industry well, it’s structure really is a product of its time. Since the amalgamation of what was four separate associations the industry has changed dramatically, in-fact, I would go as far to say that there’s been a revolution across the pay to play leisure entertainment business. Our customer, the end-user, has higher expectations than their forefathers of the mid 1970’s, technology has powered change and the battle to win disposable leisure spend has rarely if ever been so intense. The businesses owned and run by bacta members are also significantly different not least because they no longer operate in separate boxes. Instead our members now operate across sectors a fact that makes the Divisional structure that’s sat at the heart of bacta and was a result of the mergers no longer relevant. For example, the two dominant gaming machine classifications, B3 and Cat C, are now found in a diversity of venues encompassing AGC, Pubs, Clubs, Bingo and Seaside Arcades. The existing structure does not cater for such a dynamic which requires a more holistic approach in order to be effective. Some 45 people are entitled to vote at the existing National Council and it’s not uncommon to have meetings of 30+. Not only is this unwieldly and cumbersome but it also fails to play to our strengths as an industry. A much more focussed approach is needed which enables us to have a smaller cabinet of talents which meets monthly and which has sufficient agility to respond to change in what is a fast-moving and dynamic entertainment industry. The point I always make is if we were forming bacta in 2023 it would not look like the bacta we have for close to half a century!. That’s why the restructure is necessary – it’s all about being fit for the future and representing our members in the most professional and effective manner.

Can you outline the process behind the restructure and who was involved?

I was initially instructed by National Council to look at the structure of the trade association in February 2022. I then commenced a programme of non-attributable interviews with bacta members, bacta employees, non-members and the broader industry community of stakeholders including representatives of other trade bodies. In total I completed 70 one-to-one interviews, and attended every Committee Meeting and every Regional Meeting over a six-month period. It was an exhaustive and far-reaching process conducted in pursuit of candid and honest answers. It resulted in a mixed response of reflections on the structure of the trade association with some common threads and consistent themes. I presented my interim report to National Council in June 2022 and with a few nuances what I recommended then is largely what has been subsequently endorsed by the membership. National Council then recommended that we form a Restructure Group drawn from the industry and representative of the industry with input from businesses both large and small including those active at the coast and inland. That group, which comprised Elizabeth Speed, Joseph Cullis, Tony Boulton, Jeremy Godden and Peter Davies, worked tirelessly and with great diligence in order to create the structure which has been voted on by the membership. Everyone in the Restructure Group didn’t always agree but to a person they worked in the best interests of bacta and its membership establishing areas of common interest founded on a willingness to compromise and move forward. I think the most fundamental area of common ground was the belief that bacta was so much stronger for representing a diversity of businesses with a single powerful voice. An immense amount of effort went into making the Restructure Committee so effective and I’m extremely grateful for their support and insight that I received.

What will it enable bacta to achieve?

A key point that I would like to underline is that this isn’t simply a cosmetic change but one which will result in key benefits. The interviews that I undertook revealed a set of important desired deliverables which in our report we identified as Output – delivering on our pledges; Accountability – responsibility for delivering policy; Representation – connecting with the membership; Engagement – connecting with stakeholders including government and Recruitment – identifying and attracting the next generation of bacta leaders. Aligned to these core objectives we want to make bacta membership more relevant and in turn stimulate member participation.

From a structural perspective having a dedicated board of 11, meeting on a monthly basis is much more effective than a National Council style group of 30+ which meets three times a year. Bacta needs to be agile and on the front foot, it also needs to deliver on its policy promises which means drawing on the specialist knowledge within bacta, owning those ideas and having the continuity of contact and engagement that’s required in order to see things through. Essentially bacta has to have an enabling structure rather than a bureaucratic structure. Bureaucracies are inward looking, bloated and ultimately self-defeating. Our industry is full of talented entrepreneurs and our structure needs to reflect those characteristics of energy, commitment and dynamism.

What’s your personal vision for a modern and agile bacta?

Like many bacta members I was born into the industry and attended my first ATE as a boy with my father. After qualifying as an Accountant, I formally joined the industry in 1974 and was persuaded to be part of bacta by Sonia Meaden around 1979. Since then, I’ve been part of what I call the bacta Conveyor Belt serving as Divisional Chair, Treasurer, Vice-President, President, Trustee and ATE Chair. It may sound slightly counter-intuitive but a modern and progressive bacta would not need that conveyor belt. The same old faces – including mine – would be replaced by a broader group of smart, energetic, diverse and talented individuals keen to support and assist a progressive and dynamic organisation. I’m not suggesting that we exclude the voice of experience but equally we cannot have bacta resembling the House of Lords. We need successful younger people with fresh ideas and who are better equipped to face the challenges and grasp the opportunities of the digital age including phenomena such as AI. The new structure enables bacta to be more agile and more front foot – it also enables us to ensure that the association is capable of rising to the challenges of a world that’s turbo powered by technology and moving at breakneck speed.

What would your message be to members ahead of the May 19th deadline that’s been set?

Similar restructure programmes have been recommended but ultimately rejected on at least four occasions in the past. This is the exception and we need members to participate in the process in order to ensure that we get the restructured bacta off to the best possible start. The system for identifying whether members should be in the gaming or amusements sector or in both is very straightforward and requires just two clicks. I’m hoping that members will spend the 20-seconds it takes to respond to the email that bacta has sent out so that we can keep the admin to a minimum and concentrate on the really important activity of representing the membership in the most dynamic and professional way possible.