There are several best practices for increasing attendance at your events. Offer a few of the following and you will be sure to see a boost in participation.
- Discounts to events
- Separate, specific events for young alumni
- Cheaper
- Less formal
- More time for socializing
- Separate events will eventually draw YAs into other club activities
- Multiple Young Alumni Coordinators
- Spreads out the planning/coordination responsibilities
- Less pressure on one person to do everything
- One person doesn’t feel obligated to go to each YA activity
- Need support and commitment of club’s board
- Financial
- Willing to potentially lose a little money on events to increase participation
- Provide funding for discounted and/or free drinks or food
- Ideas
- Board needs to help generate ideas and support for YA activities
- Help planning events
- Those with more experience running events need to provide support for YAs with less experience
- Makes it an easier transition for Young Alumni Coordinators to become more involved
- Create YA event opportunities based on other club events
- YA gatherings before/after club events
- Less coordination needed to get YA events started
- Start simple and increase complexity as confidence grows
- Don’t start by trying to coordinate a golf tournament
- Start with simpler activities (happy hours, sporting events, etc.)
- As participation grows, more complex events can be coordinated because there are more people to help with planning and execution
- Diversity of events
- Don’t just plan one type of event all the time (i.e. game watches, sporting event outings, etc.)
- Plan a variety of activities that draw different groups of people (i.e. physical activities, sporting events, educational, social service activities, etc.)
- Find a partner
- For events like happy hours, find a location that is willing to work with you
- Those willing to provide discounts/special offers/reserved rooms or areas to congregate
- Involve recent graduates
- Reach out to recent graduates and involve them in the club ASAP
- Remember: Be patient
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- Increased YA participation does not happen overnight
- As social ties increase, YA participation will increase virally
- Build participation one event at a time
