Kozoom has brought a revolution in billiards

SCHILTIGHEIM – He twittered from the Geneva airport, in the early morning hours:  ,,I am on my way to the Netherlands.’’ To inform his family and relatives. The Lausanne Billard Masters came to an end on Sunday, now it’s on to the next tournament: the final of the Agipi Masters in Schiltigheim.

The life of the Dutch event manager for Kozoom is lived mostly in billiard rooms, behind the curtains, on the road, and sometimes a few days at home.

Kozoom-reporter Frits Bakker persuaded him to do an interview, and asked: ,,What does Kozoom mean to the global world of billiards?”

Portrait:
Name: Gerard ten Lohuis
Relationship status: married to Heidi
Kids: 1 daughter, Amber
Profession: Live event manager for Kozoom and NCO in the Royal Dutch Army
Lives in: Eibergen
Hobbies: Kozoom, running, Multimedia, travelling

Frits Bakker: How long are you working for Kozoom now, and what did you do before?
Gerard ten Lohuis: ,,I got in contact with Kozoom mid 2010. Naturally, I am a billiard player myself, and I was team manager for a Topteam (classic disciplines). I was also busy with Youreventlive and doing some live-streaming mainly in the Netherlands. I did that in my free time, because I work fulltime for the Royal Dutch Army, have been since 1996. I have been deployed to foreign missions four times now, have lived in Germany these past five years. I am currently trying to negotiate a farewell from the army, to be able to fully concentrate on Kozoom.’’

FB: Was it your ambition, not to say your dream, to work for Kozoom?
GtL: ,,The ambition originated when I met Xavier Carrer, Kozoom’s CEO. I knew Kozoom existed ofcourse, but that was it. Then Xavier told me about the new Kozoom magazine, the concept and his vision for the future. I was totally enthused and that did not stay unnoticed; there was no challenge to improve in the Netherlands, and was free to transfer to a European top club’.’’

FB: Can you describe your task.
GtL: ,,I am allround, I try to stay in touch with all the aspects of the job. I operate the camera, maintain the website, direct some live-broadcasts and do customer services. I am the Live event manager in the organization, responsible to prepare and execute some events from A to Z.’’

FB: What sort of things does Kozoom do in the world of billiards?
GtL: ,,Kozoom has brought a revolution. It's promoting the sport 24/7 and providing lots of tournaments more exposure by bringing billiards into people’s homes better than ever. It's our task, together with players worldwide, to show the beauty of our game !. More and More matches can be viewed online and on tv nowadays. The Kozoom website has exclusive content; the latest news, interviews, results, pictures and video, a simulator, etc. I can honestly say that it is THE online place to be for billiard fans worldwide.’’

FB: The Lausanne Billard Masters have just been played, this week it’s the final of the Agipi Masters, next up the multi-discipline European championships in Brandenburg. Busy times for Kozoom.

GtL: ,,Yes indeed. You did not even mention pool and tablesoccer, Kozoom covers those too. Our main goal is to offer our Premium Pass members an interesting calender. Currently, we have several pending requests for future broadcasts, and can look forward to a wonderful time filled with a variety of events in various disciplines.’’

FB: How big is the Kozoom crew for those events?
GtL: That depends on the scope of the event. What is the location? Which kind of event ? We try to balance that. Small productions, like a league match in the Netherlands or in Belgium can be handled by a crew of two, but an event like Brandenburg can take a crew of six, including a photographer and a reporter.  By the way, I am looking for a freelance Dutch billiards, computer and video afficionado to complete the team in Holland. Not too many people combine those specific skills and interests.’’

FB: What is the strength of this medium?
GtL: ,,Internet has no boundaries, it’s worldwide. Kozoom tries to use that potential to its fullest, and to be technically in the lead. For example, we are currently working hard to make all our services compatible for mobile phones and tablets. We will shortly introduce a new scoring system, and a further automation of data. The future for billiards is online, the tv-channels are not interested on a regular basis.’’

FB: In which area’s is Kozoom most active, where are most of the viewers?
GtL: ,,Kozoom has its longest history in France, and it has a large base there. But from 1 September 2010, when the new magazine was launched, borders were really crossed. Our carom website is now available in English, Dutch, German, Spanish and Korean. The Turkish version is next in line. It is safe to say that our audience is all over the world.’’

FB: How does the future look, is there a rapid growth, will more events be covered?
GtL: ,,There certainly is growth, but is steady rather than explosive. In the Netherlands and Belgium, there are still billiard fans that are unaware of Kozoom. But as soon as they have familiarized themselves with the website, they can no longer do without. Some people claim they would never pay to watch matches Live and on demand, but once they have seen what services we offer, they change their minds. We work passionately to provide this, but we can’t do it without the Premium Pass members...’’

FB: Is there still room for improvement in the quality or the programming?
GtL: ,,Earlier this year, we have made a huge improvement in the quality of the video. Our viewers have certainly noticed that. This year, the website will get a fresh new look, and we keep looking for useful innovations. There are some fantastic projects ahead of us!’’

FB: Explain to the readers and viewers how the Kozoom Premium Pass system works.
GtL: ,,Everybody can visit the website. For some sections of it, you need to have a Kozoom account, all you need to do is register, which is free. That free account will already enable you to post messages, use the forum or check live scores. If you want access to the exclusive content of the site, you need a so-called Premium Pass. With that Pass, you can watch livestreams, chat live, use our simulator (tip!), and use the video library with over 1000 video’s. It is really simple to purchase the Pass once you have registered. The account changes status as soon as payment has been made. The Pass is always linked to the language in which it was ordered. We often get questions from people who say they have paid, but their status is wrong. We advise them to navigate to the correct language, and the problem will be solved.’’

FB: Kozoom is in close coöperation with the UMB, the global billiards federation. Could other federations also use the services?
GtL: ,,Absolutely. We are the official media-partner of the UMB, we broadcast all the Worldcups and individual and WC’s. The same construction works with the EPBF (pool). We have a good working relationship with the 3-cushion Section of the KNBB, so we broadcast several Dutch tournaments exclusively. That coöperation has also resulted in an exclusive and considerable discount for KNBB members on the Dutch Kozoom website. That could also work f.e the KBBB (Belgium) or the DBU (Germany). We have no exclusivity deal with the CEB yet, but we do work with them for the EC in Brandenburg.’’

FB: What is the response from the viewers like?
GtL: ,,It’s mostly positive! We get a lot of feedback, which is valuable. Our audience is also critical though, and they are right. They pay for a product, and have expectations accordingly.’’

FB: Kozoom mostly covers 3-cushion, but there is a demand for other disciplines?
GtL: ,,Yes, and we do not intend to neglect those other disciplines. In every year, there must be room for the classic games, and a good example is the upcoming EC in Brandenburg. But also the Multi's in Blankenberge are a Classic highlight on our Live agenda every year".

FB: What events can we look forward to on Kozoom, until the summer?
GtL: ,,There are too many to mention. Check our agenda page, all the events in red are live on Kozoom, and the agenda is regularly updated.’’