Engaging Themed Weekends for Campgrounds: Strategies & Tips

1. Themed Weekends For Campgrounds Convention 2005 Speaker - Lori Severson

2. Getting Started • Breaks • Share as much information as you are comfortable. • Take home information along with new idea generation. • Get yourself in the right mind-set. • Be able to adapt ideas to your campground.

3. Earn Your Tickets Sheet • Jot down ideas or thoughts you can actually put to use. • Steal ideas from others. • Jot down thoughts you want to remind yourself of. • As we go through the day, you’ll earn tickets for each idea.

4. Buddy Check • You must ask a person to be your buddy. • They must confirm & check to be sure they have the number you requested open. • Your number & their number should match. • You should fill all 6 slots with different people if possible. • Try not to select “used” buddies. • Buddy checks are quick, when I call the number of your buddy, find the person & talk about the topic. You will have only a short time so get right to the task. • When you hear the signal buddy check is over.

5. What We Will cover • New ways to develop theme weekends • Vary the ideas • Trends • Partnering • Mixing fun & profitability • Generation Y perspective • Interactive practice on theme ideas • Specialty groups • Donations

6. Why do a themed weekend? • Benefits • Brings more people into campground • Makes it a memorable experience for the campers • Gives campers incentives to camp with you • Give you options in new markets • Generates ancillary income

7. A B C Activity • Experience the activity • Earn WACO Bucks! • Practice making it work in your environment!

8. BRAINSTORMING SESSION • Use a whiteboard or a wall • Have some sticky notes (Post-its) available • Write down all ideas and stick them on the wall/whiteboard • After you have about 50 or more ideas – start to prioritize • Put the ones that are the favorites to the top • Have everyone commit to the ones picked • Put someone in charge to see they happen

9. How to market Your Themed Weekend • Do a mailing to your customer database listing all events for the year. Could be followed up monthly with another mailing • Post your list to your web site • Make Posters with year activities to hang at your campground • Consider Partnering with a charity • News releases • Telemarketing – Could start with those who recently visited your campground and ask them if they were satisfied with their stay – then lead into upcoming fun weekends • Ask your regulars to pass some flyers to their friends • Partner with other companies • Use Media partners

10. Making it happen – Things to have in place before season starts • After you have selected your themed weekends go through each one and make sure you have: • Supplies to do each one • Staff to do each one • Agenda (time schedule) for each one • Prizes • Safety checks

11. People Power Options • Charities • Seasonals • Schools: Community Service • Scouts and Church Groups • Internships • Create a mailing or calling volunteer list

12. Volunteers • Expect 50% to show up – Schedule accordingly. • Have reserve areas to use people in if they all show up. • Create “roving” positions. • Schedule volunteers for 3-4 hours unless they really want to stay. • Move them around to keep them excited about what they are doing.

13. Volunteers • Send out a letter or hold a meeting explaining exactly what to wear & what level of service you need. • Provide a break area stocked with water & snacks…not necessary, but makes the volunteers feel appreciated. Have this area off limits to the public. • Track the names & numbers of your volunteers. E-mail is a great meeting organization tool.

14. Working With Charities • Choosing a charity • Determine what your goal is with the event. • Exposure • Publicity • Bring overnight guests to your park • Bring in day business to the park

15. Charities- Questions to Ask • What ties do you have with the media? • What is the number of people on the committee or board. • Meet the group…are they a “working” group. • What contacts do they have as a group. Find out where they work-what they have access to.

16. Charities • Notoriety is important if you want to have the charity draw from a wider area. • Local charities create community exposure and can help you distribute future information. • Ask for the charities annual report. Look for excessive administrative numbers along with reputation.

17. Charities Caution Charities

18. Partnering With Companies • Attraction organizations • Other vacation spots that want to advertise • Organizations with lunch rooms • Speedways • Shopping locations • Places who have a great customer count & are within your target market.

19. Free Mascots • Happy Joe’s Pizza – Happy Joe Dog • McDonalds – Grimace & Hamburger • McGruf Crime Dog • WPS – Louie the Lightening Bug • Cousin’s Subs – Subby • Hardee’s –Hardee’s Star • Wendy’s – Wendy • Library’s • Baseball teams

20. Trends • Getting ideas • How to keep on the cutting edge • Contests with employees • Game shows • Using education & crafts together

21. Groups • Go through your assigned theme weekend • Be prepared to explain it to the group • Talk about variations & how you could customize it to your campground….keep in mind size.

22. Planning • Date • Time • Theme • Budget • Site • Coordinator

23. Planning • Draw a layout of the site & activities • Evaluate for safety, flow, and access • Determine supplies & equipment needs • Gather & organize the items • Organize volunteers if available • Contact other organizations for help

24. Organizing • Create a master list of everything that needs to be done. • Delegate any tasks that can be done. • Write down who has been delegated to what task & the time frame to complete task. Important when using volunteers. • Prioritize the list weekly & make a weekly to do list. • Organize the list as to where items will be purchased, donated or borrowed.

25. Organizing • If materials need to be ordered, order at least 6 weeks in advance. • The month before the event, prioritize the “to do” list by what needs to be done each week. • Two weeks before the event, write up daily to do lists.

26. Procrastination • The more you do it….the better you get at it. • Set aside just 15 minutes every day to work on your promotions. • Notebook – computer all the same • Write it down-

27. Purpose • To Educate • To Entertain • To Provide a unique experience • To Celebrate • To Create excitement • To Raise Money

28. Components • Be easily accomplished by a large number of people in a short amount of time. • Depending on your park…some activities will work great. Others not so great! • Require easy-to-find and inexpensive supplies. • Do not require special equipment or liability insurance. • Interesting to a range of ages • Safe…& of course fun!

29. Developing a Theme Weekend • Pick topics out of basket • As a team develop your own theme weekend coming up with as many ideas as you can think of!

30. Prioritizing • Prioritizing is the ability to concentrate on your tasks long enough to identify the key items that will give you the best results.

31. Prioritizing The Daily Action List • Which items will best help achieve my long-term goals? • What will help yield greatest long-term results? • What will give the highest payoff? • What will happen if I don’t do each of these projects today? Who will it affect? Will anyone suffer? • On a long-term basis, which items will make me feel best to accomplish?

32. Prioritizing Your To Do List • Only 7 A’s even for superman or superwoman! • Remember to ask for help as soon as you see the A’s are overwhelming. • Under plan verses over plan! • When you delegate, follow-up before your must have date!

33. The 5 Minute Plan • 5 minutes before you leave the workplace figure out what needs to be done the next day. • Write down your action plan for the next day. • Gives you a feeling of being in control & more organized.

34. Make Use of Bits of Time • Break your projects down into 5 or 15 minute pieces. • Start your projects by working backwards. • What is your finish date? • Plan during a low peak time so you are ready to hit the A’s during your peak time.

35. Procrastination • You also get the added benefit of letting your creative subconscious work on your task. • You’ll soon discover unexpected resources and new ways to streamline your tasks. • You begin to think more creatively when you break the project down into bite size pieces.

36. Procrastination • Grab 5 method: Each and every day of the week commit to taking 5 minutes to work on a selected task. Be sure to use a watch with a minute hand and devote a “full” uninterrupted 5 minutes to the task. You may go over the 5 minutes, but Never go under the 5 minutes. This method is great for people who have a difficult time breaking down the task.

37. Procrastination Busters • Work with a buddy. • Make yourself accountable. • Post your progress. Use a visual. • Reward yourself. • Analyze why you are procrastinating. • Identify your highest priorities. • Clear your mind and area to focus on the highest priority. • Recognize what procrastination does to your self-esteem and stress level.

38. Projects • Start & end time. • Clarify and add a sense of urgency. • Divide and conquer. • Handling boring tasks. • Focus on benefits not difficulties. • In today-out today. • Self-talk • Keep an “idea” folder

39. Work Backwards • What projects do I have in the future? • Draw out a timeline working backwards that helps you understand how much of the project needs to be done each day to meet or exceed your deadline. • Analyze each project, to determine if the value of the project is worth the investment of time and effort. • Make appointments with yourself.

40. Swiss-Cheese Approach • Breaking down projects into bite size pieces. • Start “making holes” in the project. • Work backwards, by thinking I need to do this but first I have to do ____. • Think about what you can do today. • Put the end date on your piece of paper & work backwards, by estimating the amount of time each piece will take.

41. Plan-o-gram • Way to brainstorm ideas & plans on paper without having to have an order to it. • Clustering • Index card method • Creative & visual way to brainstorm.

42. Networking for fun & profit • What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you say small talk?

43. Making An Impression • First impressions count • Look the part • Start with a firm handshake • Make eye contact • Use good body language • Use your voice correctly • Stay focused Which of these is the hardest for you???

44. Great Connections • Tell too many details. • Brag • Interrogate • Insist on One-upping • Seek free advice • Interrupt • Refuse to play • Give advice • Converting • Inappropriate jokes

45. Networking • Building relationships. • Commitment. • Enjoying the game. • Discovering opportunities. • No mystery…no manipulation.

46. Networking Strategy • Showing up is 90 percent of the success factor. • Talk to your buddy about what keeps you from showing up….

47. Networking Greats • What actions, behaviors, attitudes, do people who are great networkers have? • What do they do? • How do they act? • What do they say?

48. Brainstorm Organizations • Example: Bicycle obstacle course as a part of race week: • Law enforcement • School Crossing Guards • McGruff the Crime Dog • Local bike stores

49. Agenda’s • The things you want to give and get in life form your agenda. • Without an agenda we lose focus. • Your agenda is information you have that you would be willing to share along with information you are looking for.

50. Have to give….Want to get • Material things. • Knowledge. • Information. • Ideas. • Mentors. • Related to goals.