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Irish Sailing’s TRY SAILING campaign strives to develop sailing for all ages and introduce newcomers to this fun and active sport. Through local events put on by sailing clubs and centres, we are hoping to grow the sailing community in Ireland and increase membership of Irish Sailing organisations.
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BEFORE
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience is the group of people you want to attend your event.
Examples of Target Audiences:
• Children
• Teens
• Adults
• Parents
• Women
• Corporate
TYPE OF EVENT
Choose the location, activity, entertainment, etc. based on who you want to be interested in the event.
Event ideas:
• Bring a Friend
• Women on the Water
• Sailing for Kids
• Sailing School
• Corporate Team Building
• Surf n Turf
• Cruising
• Sailability Event
WHEN, WHERE, HOW MANY?
• Pick a date that you know will be convenient for your target audience.
• Choose a location that will be easily accessible to your target audience and will provide adequate areas for the event.
• It is important to have an idea about how many people you presume will attend the event so the correct amount of equipment, food, etc. can be provided.
BUDGET + VOLUNTEERS
Before reserving a venue or booking vendors, establish a budget for the event and plan how much everything will cost, to ensure the budget is not exceeded. Fundraising events may be orchestrated prior to the event to raise funds and further promote the event within the community.
Determine the amount of staff or volunteers that will be needed so that volunteers can be assigned their tasks with plenty of time for necessary training or instruction.
ENTERTAINMENT + CATERING
To create an entertaining environment for sailing events, develop a pleasing atmosphere or ambiance. This can be in the form of music, food vendors, photo opportunities, decor, etc.
MARKETING THE EVENT
Use resources such as social media, posters, fliers, websites, and email to reach your desired attendees. It is easy to reach a large amount of people in a short amount of time using online media sources.
View the CLUB SUPPORT KITS for creative ways to market your event and learn how to boost your social media presence!
REGISTRATION
Provide the link to register or RSVP for the event on all marketing materials so that people can sign up easily and quickly.
PARKING + TRANSPORTATION
Make sure there is enough space for the amount of people attending the event to park and provide transportation if needed.
POTENTIAL RISKS
Mitigate all risks that could occur during the event and prepare ahead of time.
EVENT TIMELINE
Create a timeline for the duration of the event, starting with set up and ending with take down.
DURING
COMMUNICATION
Make sure there is clear communication to volunteers of their assignments. Update attendees with any changes to the schedule. Distribute all important contact information to staff and volunteers.
HOSPITALITY
Voluntters and staff should be friendly and answer guest questions to the best of their ability.
MANAGE VOLUNTEERS
When volunteers check in for their shift, remind them of their assigned tasks. Check in periodically to make sure that everything is running smoothly or to answer questions.
IMPLEMENT TIMELINE
Have timeline on hand during the event and attempt to stay on schedule as much as possible. Update staff and attendees on changes to the timeline.
PHOTO + VIDEO
Have a photographer or videographer to document the event and the attendees. Encourage guests to use the event hashtag on social media and the snapchat geo-filter.
ON-SITE REGISTRATION
Remind guests about upcoming events and allow them to register on-site. If they sign up on-site, you may offer them a discount for signing up early, to create further incentive to participate.
MARKETING FOR FUTURE
Sell raffle tickets for a small prize that requires attendees to show they are following the Instagram or other social media. Have posters or fliers present, promoting future events.
GATHER CONTACT INFO
Have attendees provide an email and/or a mailing address when checking in to the event. Encourage guests to follow social media.
AFTER
FEEDBACK SURVEY
Send an email containing a survey asking what attendees did or did not like about the event and suggestions for the future. Face-to-face feedback can be useful as well. A volunteer could simply ask sailors how they are liking the event or if there is anything they wish had been different.
FOLLOW UP
Post on social media and the website as soon as possible after the event so that people are aware that the event was a success. A few days after the event, send out an email thanking guests for attending and giving a recap of what took place at the event. During this email, remind guests of future events.
PHOTO + VIDEO RELEASE
Send a link to the photos and videos that were taken at the event through a link in the follow up email or post them to the website. Allow attendees to download their pictures so that they can remember the experience and post to their own social media, further promoting the success of the event.
FUTURE EVENT DISCOUNTS
In the follow up email, you can choose to give event attendees a discount if they register for the next event within the week.
UPDATE MEDIA
Update all social media channels with pictures from the event immediately after the event and periodically throughout the following few weeks. Include an article on the website or in the newsletter about the event's activities and if it was a success.
VIEW THE CLUB DEVELOPMENT PAGE FOR INFO ON DEVELOPING A CLUB STRATEGY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND MORE EVENT TIPS!