I spend wholly too much time in Starbucks locations these days. In my other life I’m a business coach, and frequently my clients like to meet out of the office, so I can name approximately two or three dozen Starbucks around the San Francisco Bay Area that I frequent in any given month.
If you’re a member of a vaulting club, do you know why Starbucks, and many other such neighborhood retail gathering places, are important to you? Practically all Starbucks locations have some sort of neighborhood bulletin board where community organizations are encouraged to post upcoming events.
As I was staring at one last week, it occurred to me that a vaulting flier, with a fun photo of a beginning vaulter, or a daring photo of an advanced team, would certainly spice up the interest level of that board. And (with the right planning), your vaulting club can have a flier up there two-to-three weeks out of every single month!
Are you publicizing your club and its special (and not even so-very-special) events on bulletins boards at your local Starbucks, coffee places, grocery stores, etc.?
Here are half a dozen types of “events” you can be publicizing at your local gathering places:
· Special “try vaulting” sessions for different types of folks: a “for parents only” try vaulting day, or a “boys only” try vaulting day, or a “for gymnasts and dancers only” try vaulting day or even a “if you’ve never, ever been on a live horse but want to try something fun” vaulting day.
· Vaulting demonstrations by club members.
· Fundraising vaulting performances.
· Competitions.
· Club Tryouts. I see baseball tryouts, basketball tryouts, cheerleader tryouts on those boards. Why not vaulting tryouts? And even if you don’t have vaulting “tryouts” per se, why not position a day as “tryout” day anyway, and see what kind of interest you get?
· Recreational vaulting classes for certain segments, that last for a specific period. Like a “mom and tot” vaulting class that’s a six-week, mostly barrel class for two-to-four year olds and their parents.
In all instances, make sure your flier includes these things:
· A terrific vaulting photo. Make sure the vaulting photo reflects the announcement. For example, if you’re doing a fundraising performance, put your most advanced vaulters in the photo. And if you’re doing a “mommy and me” class, show a mom and tot on the barrel or a walking horse.
· Your club’s information. This is a good time to make sure your website is up to date (better a simple and up-to-date website, rather than a fancy one that no one in your club knows how to update). Include your club’s website, phone number with a contact, and perhaps the AVA website URL as well.
· The fact that your club is a non-profit. Hopefully, each and every AVA vaulting club that does not have its own non-profit status is availing itself of the AVA’s “subordinate club” non-profit benefit. And make sure you keep your non-profit status up-to-date with the AVA!
· Information on what to wear, if non-vaulters will be getting on the horse. If the kid is coming from baseball practice, best not to wear his spikes!
· Information on the basics of vaulting: that it’s safe, and it’s fun. That should cover it!
Think about it: if you have some sort of “event” each month, one of your club fliers would stay posted up in the neighborhood Starbucks, etc. for two to three weeks out of each and every month. Make sure they all look different, so no one thinks it’s the “old flier” up there. And while you’re at it, see if neighborhood barns and tack shops will let you post these same fliers. Look for opportunities to publicize your vaulting club’s events in the highest traffic places around your town, and watch your vaulting club grow!
Hey Sheri, glad you liked the blog idea! Saw this earlier today – made me think: What if clubs partnered with a local gym or dance studio, offered members “a class for a class”? Might entice some new talent – never know. Worst case, we build a little local good will for vaulting, and maybe the vaulters pick up a tip or two. And have some fun.
Can we request help from the AVA? For instance, our region does a lot in the way of educational booths, etc. We’d love to have a premade DVD showing vaulting with all the things mentioned above. What about standard poster images for our trade booths?
Can the AVA do this for us?
Oops, I combined two of my email addresses — please use the corrected one here. Duh!