I recently saw a post asking "Has anyone done a stall at a local event and had helpful insights into how to get the most out of such an event? I know some have hired climbing walls but that isn't an option for us at such short notice."
Event based - Attraction Vs Distraction
Event based recruitment is a great way to advertise and attract members and volunteers to our local groups. While I agree with the suggestions of many of my colleges that a great way to run an event stand is to have some form of attraction. The truth is, this is really a distraction for the kids so you can speak to adults. But the problem I see again and again with using a DISTRACTION like Climbing walls, bouncy castles, or stall games like a coconut shie, is that adults are in no way engaged. Look carefully the next time you go to a show at adult lining up with their kids for an activity. They are usually, bored, frequently annoyed if the waiting time is long and more often than not just want to entertain their child and have not interest whatsoever in what you are doing. The alternative is to imagine some activities that both engage the interest of the adults and of the youth. Activities that challenge their preconceived notions of what you are offering and inform and excites them. I always look for ways to offer them some kind of benefit, education or experience.
Who & Why?
But I think we may even be getting ahead of ourselves there is more to consider before we start to create our “attraction”. Firstly what is the purpose of your attendance at the event? Who are your target market? If you just said “everyone” then you’re already heading down the wrong track I am afraid. The best marketing is TARGETED, try and please everybody and you will frequently please nobody. Ask any marketing professional and they will tell you that the absolute best way to have effective marketing (and yes that what we are doing, marketing – trying to educate/attract and engage the public), the best way is to have clear proposition (what we want) and a clear market (Who – age rage, likes, dislikes)
If its to grow scouting youth membership then I would encourage you to incorporate some activity that showcases the youth and some possible activity that the new members would be able to participate in and/or get excited about. Consider your audience, what will draw big crowds or teens will probably be repellent to parents with small children and vice versa.
Resources
I have an event coming up next week at a major show in the area. With a few phone calls to the organisers I have managed to convince them to co-locate us (not too close but close enough) beside a small stage that will feature some local entertainment. Also I managed to get us right beside a local radio station that will be broadcasting live from the event. Some further calls and I have a number of Scout explorers and network members that are willing to perform on the stage a couple of times, and do some live radio interviews and assist the radio station in delivering them some great fun stuff on the day. Obviously we have chosen to pursue young adult volunteers and older range membership at this event. But the benefits are clear, in addition to the public seeing scouts in action in a whole new way that they expect (aka a climbing wall or in tents) the scouts should get a much broader audience involved and thinking about scouting, not just at the show but also further afield.
Next time your planning an event, look for opportunity, co-locate with some local YOU groups (youth organisations in Uniform), maybe see if the local council is setting up a big stand (especially if it’s the Volunteer centre), maybe there is some charities that you could work well with? The options and hence the opportunities are endless, you just need to be creative.
Ideas
(These are provided free if you could please email me any success stories or disappointment’s to LDO@glmwscouts.org.uk so I can fine tune them and share best practise)
A scouting activity showcase could be put together like this: Ask around your groups and see what skills are available. Potential members that are interested in scouting are also interested in scout activity so showcase some of the skills and activity that they might get to see and do.
A bush-craft display e.g. stacking wood correctly to make a fire, how to light a fire with no matches, making a snare to catch game, maybe top local plants and which are edible, dangerous or useful.
There is a host of “pioneering projects” that are easy to do like a swing boat , call the Scout assoc. for more info or hit the web.
Beaver ghost stories – get a big tent and a fake fire (maybe some marshmallow’s on sticks?), all the parents and their kids can sit around and listen to some ghost stories or excerpts from the jungle book. Maybe some mother goose stories, these are great because they have moral lesson attached.
Most of these suggestions cost very little or nothing and take up little space.
Another idea that takes up even less space encourages maybe more adults and older participants to visit your stand. A picture wall gets lots of attention in the right event/location - get 2-3 office style divider screens, 6ft high and 6-8 feet wide usually, and pin up a whole host of pictures, candid snaps are best, of youth in action at various events. People love looking at photos. This type of thing really draws people in because they need to be close to see the pics. I would probably recommend that you run a mini competition, maybe "vote for the best action shot of the year". The public can vote and you can award a small prize to the group providing you with the most popular picture. External recognition to the groups is good and the public feedback should encourage more groups to provide better resource material year on year for your display to grow and improve free of charge.
These are just a few of many ideas I am sure you can come up with for a dynamic and engaging scouting display. Please don't just do what every other person does and have a couple of popup banners, some brochures and maybe a climbing wall with some volunteers standing around. Remember that Joe Public makes a split second decision upon seeing your stand, if he thinks he has seen it before then you have already lost him. – email me any ideas you have, I would happily give you my opinion and share the best ones with all my readers and colleges across the county.
Look out for another post soonish (I am flat out with events at the moment but as soon as I can) on Event based recruitment - brand marketing, training, and engagement strategies.
