Summer Of Fun Contest: Engaging Students and Increasing Attendance
Program Goal:
The goal of the Summer Of Fun Contest is to increase summer attendance and encourage students to bring their friends to classes. This program helps ensure that martial arts training remains a priority during the summer months while making classes more enjoyable and social.
When to Start:
The program can start anytime from May 1st and can end on August 1st.
The Rules:
- Attendance Tickets: Every time a student attends class, they receive a ticket for a weekly and monthly drawing.
- Bringing Friends: If a student brings a friend to class, they receive 5 tickets.
- Testing: If a student successfully tests for a new rank in May, June, or July, they receive 5 tickets.
All tickets are placed in a large container at the school. Drawings are held weekly, monthly, and a final grand prize drawing at the end of summer.
Prizes:
- Weekly Prizes: T-shirts, water bottles, Frisbees, and other small items with the school logo.
- Monthly Prizes: Items like in-line skates, skateboards, movie passes, a pizza party, dinner for two, free testing, or tournament entry.
- Grand Prize: Options include amusement park admissions, a weekend getaway, a Black Belt Club membership, or a deluxe sparring gear package.
Prizes can be sponsored or donated by local businesses to minimize costs.
Promotion:
- In-House Promotion: Create a fun, engaging environment in the school. Use a Hawaiian theme with mannequins in Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, and summer music.
- Visual Appeal: Decorate with vacation posters from a travel agency and put up an old surfboard. Display the contest prizes and ticket container prominently.
- In-Class Events: Host crazy shirt days, water balloon carrying drills, and give out popsicles in Saturday classes to maintain enthusiasm.
- Cost: The entire contest can be run for under $150 and can significantly improve student retention. Previous implementations have seen a student count drop of less than 10% compared to a 30% drop without the program.
Conclusion:
Implementing the Summer Of Fun Contest not only helps maintain attendance during the slower summer months but also fosters a fun, engaging environment that can lead to increased student retention and new enrollments. The creativity in prize selection and promotion plays a crucial role in the success of this program, making it a beneficial addition to your martial arts school's summer strategy.
By incorporating these strategies, you can create a summer filled with fun, excitement, and increased engagement at your martial arts school.