Never a good player, I went to a couple competitions but was completely intimidated by the good players there. And totally bored, since I'd lost a ball in 10 seconds, while the other players kept the ball going for 5-10 minutes. Unless you have a chance of winning, who wants to wait around to play and be beaten?

Honestly, I think the competitive players sometimes give the game a bad name. Too many of them are full of themselves, or get really violent with the games or complain when glitches occur. It's really not that pleasant.

If you want to get the "non-compete" players in, host casual freeplay nights-- $10 entry fee for all the games you can play, and make your money on beer and food.

I would to these events at your 12-pin location, so no one has to wait. And put your most recent Stern pins or some of the "novice-friendly" B/Ws like Attack from Mars there (if you have it). I would also focus on marketing to the UW-Madison and MATC demographic, since it's the younger people who will keep the game alive. Find inexpensive ways to sponsor certain student events such as videogame clubs or competitions or amateur rock band nights. See if you can tap into social media platforms used by students. Posters are always good.