Summer time is Calling!
Development with Lesley, Wade and Micheal
By Wade Mutzelburg
As we make our way through the colder months and easing of Covid-19 restrictions here in Queensland, it’s the perfect time to look at your club’s summer calendar to make sure your club is making the most of this time of year. Does your calendar include barefoot bowls, Come & Try Days, Christmas functions and corporate competitions? If not, consider arranging a special purpose bowls committee meeting and invite your local RBM. Even if your club facilitates all of these programs, there are always new ideas or ways to improve on last year’s events.
Planning additional functions/events at your club for later in the year and re-engaging with your club’s sponsors is a great place to start. It is also an opportune time to invite new groups previously not approached by your club such as local netball, soccer and football clubs. These functions should be aimed at bringing the broader community back to your club. We should also include local community centres (YMCA etc.) and the groups operating out of these. This may not only potentially bring new members to the sport but regular patrons to your club. At the end of the day I’m sure all clubs could do with an additional event to generate income at the moment.
Your club should consider:
• Open Days (BQ Come & Try Month)
• Bring a friend day
• Corporate/Jack Attack Competitions
• Barefoot bowls availability & scheduling
• Christmas Functions & Packages
Bowls Queensland’s Come & Try Month is a great initiative that gives clubs ready access to editable posters, letterbox drop leaflets and Facebook advertisements to help promote their events. So, what do you need to do next? Jump onto Bowls Queensland’s website and under the Events tab select Come & Try. This is where you will find all the club open days that will be held this year. This is also where you will find the Starter Kit to allow you to register for the event.
The Starter Kit includes:
• Helpful Hints – How to hold a club Come & Try Day
• Sample Promotional Poster & Sample Letterbox Drop leaflet
• Club Registration form to be part of the Statewide Come & Try Month
There are also additional club resources on the Bowls Australia website to help with planning for your open day. Go to the Bowls Australia website > Club Support > Resources > Open Day Tip Sheet. It’s also important to note that the resources section also includes a number of other helpful documents to help your club with sponsorship, strategic planning and junior recruitment.
There has never been a better time to get a Jack Attack competition up and running at your club with competition/participation incentives offered by Bowls Australia. If you have a Jack Attack License or would like to talk about getting one, please contact your local RBM to discuss these incentives and how running these competitions can financially benefit your club.
Don’t forget Bowls Australia’s Regional Bowls Managers Micheal Sorrensen, Lesley Bates and myself are here to help get your club events off the ground. Please feel free to get in touch.
