Fundraising: Page 37

Contests Boost Fun and Sales for Independent Health Clubs

The city of Dubai recently made fitness news when the city’s government offered gold, actual gold, to its citizens as a reward for losing weight. If a citizen shed two kilograms (4.4 lbs.) during a 30-day contest designed to combat the city’s growing obesity problem, they were rewarded with two grams of solid gold.While it is doubtful that independent health club owners can expect the U.S. government to make such a generous offer - and odds are insurance companies are unlikely to do much more than they currently do - there is an opportunity for club owners to boost use, retention and word-of-mouth marketing by offering rewards to members who not only join, but have personal success at the club. Best of all, there are ways to do this without breaking the bank. Whether the prizes are nutrition bars, water bottles, free tanning or personal training or even a month free membership, the prizes can be relatively inexpensive and will be appreciated by members. All it takes is a little creativity and some effective marketing to entice members to take part in a contest or special promotion. These contests and incentives will encourage your members to come to the club, get results and more importantly, refer their friends and family. One way of upping retention is to offer a contest just for coming in - especially during the traditionally slow times of the year. One club has had great success with a “come in to win” contest during the slow summer months. For each visit, the member gets a punch that equates to a ticket in a raffle to be held at the end of the summer. There are also bonus tickets for bringing in guests, working with a trainer, liking or following the club on social media and more. All of these steps help to build the club's brand and keep members coming in rather than handing in their cancellation notices. Other clubs are having success with fitness-based contests that not only keep members motivated, but also help turn their daily trek to the gym from a “have to” into a “want to,” by keeping it fun and creating a little friendly competition. For example, one independent club recently held a “race around Easter Island” for its pool members. Each member logged their laps swam along with the time they spent doing land training. The participants were awarded “miles” that they put toward a race around the “island.” The miles were displayed on a large white board, upping the competition and keeping members coming to the club as they raced for two free months of full membership. This contest not only allows members to gain bragging rights (and share those with friends and family outside of the club), but also integrates some of its summer-only members into the club, which may result in year-round members. Other independent club owners may want to up the ante a bit and partner with other businesses in the area and run contests that not only reward members, but can bring in new business as well. Partnering with a local cafe to create a smoothie or salad of the month that is tweeted or posted on Facebook can really engage members on social media and spread both businesses' brands—and by offering a gift card to a business that caters to like-minded patrons can boost sales at the cafe as well. Add to that the smoothie or salad being named the “GYM X” smoothie/salad and you can boost your club's brand awareness.There are plenty of contest ideas and partnership opportunities available to keep members and prospects engaged with your club, it just takes some creativity and follow through for independent health clubs to successfully boost business and fun at the same time.

You Don't Have To Reward Your Members With Gold To Get Them Excited About Coming To Your Club

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Design Glute Zones to Drive Membership and Results

Stadium & Arena

Prison Group Escapes FAU Stadium Naming Rights Deal

Florida Atlantic University's football stadium will not be called GEO Group Stadium after all, according to George Zoley, chairman and CEO of the private prison company that pledged $6 million to FAU in exchange for stadium naming rights.

Maryville Announces a Groundbreaking Naming-Rights Deal

Naming rights are commonplace in academia to the point where institutions of higher learning from the Maricopa Community Colleges to the University of Virginia publish criteria for their administration in their policy manuals. Such deals typically involve facilities, but most universities' policies make note both of facilities and of "academic entities" in their delineation of authority over naming rights, general guidelines, due diligence, duration and "changing circumstances" that could lead to a renaming, un-naming or addition of a second name.

Despite Discomfort, We're Intrigued By Enhancement Fees

To charge a fee, or not to charge a fee, that is the question. Enhancement fees - one-time annual charges collected from every member of a health club ...

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Changes Coming to High School Concessions Stands

A mandate by Portland (Maine) Public Schools that all food served at school events meet federal nutrition standards will be felt at football concessions stands throughout the district this fall.

PEP Grant Winners Announced; $27M to 56 Winning Groups

The U.S. Department of Education has announced the 2013 recipients of more than $27 million in Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grants. New PEP grants will be distributed to 56 school districts and community-based organizations across the country, including the Yukon-Koyukuk School District in Fairbanks, Alaska, the YMCA of Southern Indiana and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Va.

Sponsor-Supported Video Boards Make Impact at High School Level

For Mike Gosz and Jaime Sherwood, being a high school athletic director requires a lot more versatility than it did even a few years ago.

(images by Daktronics)

Athletics Development Success Hinges on Broadening the Donor Base

A season potentially worth millions of dollars turned on a dime. Arizona State University's football team had just scored a touchdown to take a five-point lead on UCLA, then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

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Stadium & Arena

Building Sponsors into the Design of Spectator Facilities

Few professional venues have enjoyed as smooth and quick a route to success as MetLife Stadium.

Photo of MetLife Stadium home to both the New York Giants and the New York Jets

Blog: A Fundraiser I'm Geared Up to Participate In

A unique fundraiser where participants ride their bikes 46 miles and stop at pools along the way and swim one lap in each.

Study Quantifies Economic Impact of UW Athletics

Fans attending a University of Wisconsin men's basketball game spend an average of $98.25 while in Madison, and that doesn't include the purchase price of the tickets. The typical Badger football fan drops $232.53 (excluding tickets) during his or her stay (nearly 76 percent of fans eat in local restaurants, and 11 percent book lodging). Even when not attending games, fans on average purchase $156.27 worth of UW merchandise annually. All told, UW athletics contributes $970 million to the state's economy, according to a study conducted by NorthStar Economics Inc.Wisconsin has led the Big Ten Conference in men's basketball attendance eight of the past nine seasons, and its football program ranked 16th in attendance among Football Bowl Subdivision schools last fall, according to the NCAA. "When you think about it, it's a powerful economic force when you have that many people spending money for meals and hotels and transportation and merchandise," UW athletic director Barry Alvarez told local sports journalist and broadcaster Mike Lucas at uwbadgers.com.

Blog: It's More Than Just the $28,097,736.20

Since being diagnosed with ALS, Augie Nieto has raised over $28 million and continues to inspire many.

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AB Show 2025 in San Diego

AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.

Nov. 5-8, 2025

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