York Bridge Club – Open Days
Marketing:
Our Club runs beginner classes twice a year, and open days are timed just before courses are due to start.
We use a variety of methods to market the open days and bridge classes:
- We advertise them on our Club website & Facebook page:
- We design a leaflet to be distributed by our own members
- Dependent on price, we consider direct advertising in the York evening newspaper (hard copy or online), or in parish magazines.
- The local newspaper offers the facility to list events on their own website which are periodically published in the newspaper;
- Nextdoor, a local networking app, is a useful source of free advertising.
The most effective form of advertising is word of mouth from our own members.
We also issue an electronic copy of the same leaflet to all members and ask them to email share it with family,friends and for local community and club digital sites..
We recommend viewing ebu.co.uk/ development for further information and for leaflet and poster templates. YCBA can also assist clubs with leaflet design, general marketing advice and have grants for rental of separate teaching premises.
Organising your Open Day(s)
York holds at least two open days prior to lessons, including both a weekday and weekend to attract retired and working people. They each last around 3 hours.
We invite all our own members to come and play social bridge. Visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions about what is happening at the tables. At our open days we hope to attract people who already play bridge, have lapsed bridge skills, or are complete beginners. If visitors are able and willing to have a go at playing, we encourage them to join in at one of the tables.
We invite our bridge teachers to the open days to provide information to visitors about our bridge courses.
When visitors arrive at our premises, they are greeted by a club official who asks them to complete a simple form. We ask all visitors to provide their name, their email address, and to give an indication of their bridge ability. This is done by providing “tick box” options.
The form is used to:-
- make contact by email with all visitors after the open day.
- By asking about the visitor’s bridge experience, it enables the club official who meets and greets each visitor to understand better how we can assist the visitor on arrival, and who is best placed to provide them with information.
- It also helps us assess which visitors may want to have a go at playing bridge, at one of the tables.
We provide free tea and coffee for all our visitors and members. Volunteer members do not pay table money. It is a good opportunity for them to assist our bridge club, but also socialise with other members. We encourage as many members as possible to attend our open days.
Before each visitor leaves our premises, we ask them if they have enjoyed their visit and obtained all the information they need. This is followed up again by email.
For further information, please contact Mark Dunkley (YCBA) either by email at secretary@theyorkbridgeclub.com or mobile 07450 978996
