We just wrapped a great week at Bowl Expo 2026 and it felt really good to be back. We last attended Bowl Expo in 2023 without a booth, so returning to Nashville this year with a full booth and a big cross-functional team on the ground was an exciting moment for us.
A community that pulls you in
The Gaylord Opryland is one of those venues that feels tailor-made for a show like this. Between the show floor, the welcome receptions, the happy hours, and a closing night at the Grand Ole Opry, BPAA put on an event that made it easy for people to actually connect.
The bowling community is one of the most welcoming groups we've spent time with. So many of the businesses here are family-owned and multi-generational with operators who've been at it for decades.
Our booth stayed busy throughout the week. Attendees were curious to meet the team, see live demos, and dig into what ROLLER can do for bowling centers.
What operators were talking about
A couple of themes came up over and over during the expo.
Bowling is evolving beyond lanes
One of the most interesting things we heard was how many operators are actively expanding beyond traditional bowling. Attendees were exploring how to add other activities, entertainment, and F&B to their venues, turning classic bowling alleys into full bowling entertainment centers.
It's a real shift, and it's changing what operators are looking for in the systems they run their businesses on.
Modernization is on the table, but so are questions
There's clearly an appetite among many operators to modernize their operations, but we also spoke with plenty who weren't sure where to start or how to pick the right systems for their venue.
Data-driven conversations landed particularly well: things like how much revenue online bookings unlock, or how many reservations happen after business hours, tended to open a lot of eyes.
Highlights from the week
The Lumos crew
One of the real highlights of the week was having Greg and Brigette Little from Lumos in our booth, sharing their firsthand experience running on ROLLER with other operators who stopped by. Hearing it from a fellow operator lands in a way that no demo ever can, and we're really grateful to Greg and Brigette for sharing.
An evening with Intercard
Our partnerships team co-hosted a happy hour with Intercard, which turned out to be a great networking moment for ROLLER customers, partners, and prospects. It's the kind of low-key evening that trade shows can be hit-or-miss on, and this one was a hit.
Looking ahead
Thanks to everyone who stopped by, said hi, or grabbed a copy of our mini bowling report.
If you didn't make it to the show, or didn't get a copy at the booth, you can still download your free copy of the 2026 Bowling Trends Report.
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