Alan Willis, the former General Secretary of the UK trade association, BACTA, died on Thursday, December 28, after a long illness. Willis was the key to the success of the trade association for over 30 years.
Honoured by the Queen with the Order of the British Empire for his services to the industry, Willis will be cremated at Leatherhead, Surrey, UK, on January 23. He leaves a wife, Joy, and two daughters.
InterGame’s David Snook, who knew Alan Willis for more than 40 years writes: Alan Willis was the rock upon which the British trade association was founded. More than that, he did more to lay the base of a successful limited gaming machine market in the UK than any other person.
It was in the UK that the term ‘amusement with prizes’, now known across Europe simply as the AWP, was first introduced, and Willis was an integral part of the industry team that worked with the authorities to establish that segment of the machine business.
He was enormously respected by the Home Office, Gaming Board, Customs and Excise, the police, indeed any official or regulator with whom he came into contact. He knew everything about the law as it applied to our industry but interpreted it with sensitivity and often gently led the industry away from confrontation with the authorities and into sensible negotiation.
A former schoolmaster, Alan was actually a very private person, and few know that for many years he was a Sea Scout leader and was regarded with great affection within that movement.
I first met him when he was General Secretary of the old Amusment Trades Association, with offices in London above those of the Amusement Caterers’ Association, which was run by John Singleton. The two would compare notes daily on their respective businesses.
Together, they did much to bring about the amalgamation of the two associations with the jukebox organisation, the POA, to make up what is today the British Amusement Catering Trades Association.
In my 25 years as editor of Coin Slot, Alan Willis and I had a unique relationship. We talked daily, working on editorial reports and background material, which would either be presented as an official BACTA view, or if it were not diplomatic enough to make it official, Alan would indicate to me that he’d like the subject airing. I would then report it as if it came only from the publication. We had to have a relationship of considerable mutual trust for that situation to exist.
He led trade delegations to other countries, often helping to open up new territories for British manufacturers and thus laid the framework for much of Britain’s exporting successes in the 1970s and 1980s. Law changes were made by the authorities, often with reference to Alan Willis’ views and structural assistance.
Always unassuming, Alan Willis nevertheless commanded instant audience whenever he interjected in debates at Conventions for his detailed knowledge of his subject and his industry.
British operators may continue to complain today about their lot, but they have enjoyed 40 years of a highly successful market sector. Much of the credit for that must go to Alan Willis.
His funeral is at 2.45pm on January 23 at Randall’s Park Crematorium, Randall’s Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 0AG, and after that at the 1st Molesey Scout Hut, 193 Walton Road, East Molesey, KT8 0HR.
