HELP!
Posted by OMA Webmaster at 6/13/2008 1:49 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
Help!
I had a rental group cancel and am left with 5 days open (and a full staff on hand) at the beginning of August - Any ideas about how to fill thses days or event which could introduce families to camp?
Marcia Beer
Camp Talahi
marcia@michucc.org
Maria
I hope you at least collected a good size deposit from them. As to filling that space, a few thoughts....offer a discounted week or several days as an introduction to family camping.Better to fill at a discount than not at all. Advertise beyond the UCC to other sectors of the community remembering than people will be driving less this summer. Offer them gas coupons as a way to reduce the cost of getting them to camp (our state of NH is doing that across the country successfully to bring people in and getting great PR). Think outside the box...reach out to people who have never been to camp before, advertise it as an affordable family vacation with activities planned for children and adults. People are looking for activity oriented vacations. Look at the success of cruise vacations. Advertise a week for active adults (the word for boomers today) and offer an affordable opportunity to relax, relate, reflect,recharge, better reserve your spot. In todays economy you'll need to convince people that you'll save them money by coming to your camp and at the same time you'll be filling an empty spot. The Gen Xers are another target group, older young adult professionals with children and money. They waited to have kids and now they're looking for places to go with them. They're internet people so you can blast them if you can get your hands on some gen x email lists. Partner with other local groups...the Y, Scouts, Lions, Rotary, clubs and civic organizations...anyone who does not have a camp program but could benefit from such an opportunity. Check out local park & rec groups who might benefit from such an opportunity. How about a workcamp to benefit the site at a minimal cost to help cover some of your costs to help get some work projects accomplished and keep your staff engaged. As a last resort, if no one takes the week, use your staff to benefit your community with free week of camp, or send the staff out to various places around your community that could use help for a day or more and get some great PR that will benefit you down the road. There are always lots of places to volunteer. I wish you luck in filling those days this summer.
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