Booths / Tents at other peoples events can be a great way to get a lot of leads fast. Especially if that events audience aligns well with your schools audience.

But, like all things, you can’t just set up and hope people come to you. You need to get noticed.

The idea of a lead magnet is not just a online concept, but it is equally important at in person events as well.

Step 1 – Get Noticed

When you set up your booth / tent, you’ll probably have a table. Someone should be at that table, but you also want someone out in front pulling people in to that table.

So in any setup there are two roles. Someone to talk to people at the table, and someone to bring people to that person. If it’s a larger event, a couple of each is a good plan.

What you don’t want to do is approach people by just going up to them and asking them about joining your gym. 

Someone handing out free stuff, telling them about a draw for something (not martial arts related), someone in a mascot costume, etc. Someone that can get attention.

We’ve found for kids branded foam swords work really well. Having someone with an armful of them and chasing down kids. It also helps to have 100’s of kids waving around foam swords with your school name on them all day long.

Step 2 – Free Stuff

Brochures are the obvious, but also show up with stickers, temporary tattoos, pins, balloons, etc. Ideally something that won’t fit in a pocket or purse (ex foam swords, novelty hats, etc.)

We’ve also done a cotton candy machine. (They get people to come to you really well, but they are messy and take someone dedicated to them) Which work well at outdoor events that aren’t too busy.

Step 3 – Talk to Them

Once your puller gets them to the booth, there should be someone there to talk to them and give them some free stuff. You don’t want to spend too long with each person as it should hopefully be a continuous stream of people coming to the table.

Build a little rapport, see if they have any interest in what you do, and if so get them to enter a draw (giving you name, email and phone number).

The draw can be anything. But if you go outside of what you do (ex. Win a free iPad) you will get lots of leads that have no interest in your program. A 6 or 12 month membership gives a lot of value, and attracts people that have at least some interest.

Step 4 – Be a Photo Op

Festivals mean parents with cameras posting to social media. Getting your booth / tent in more peoples feeds is a good thing. As well as drawing more people to your booth.

Having a mascot is great, a simpler solution is just some really cool props. We like to take swords, having a giant Master Sword (Legend of Zelda) sword will draw in lots of kids that want to hold it and get a picture. 

Step 5 – Be Interactive

Take some soft pads, boards, a 2x2m section of mat if you can. Some foam swords (not the giveaways, ones you can train with) and let kids do something interactive. We’ve had line ups of kids waiting to do a 60 second round of hitting pads at events. 

Not only do they enjoy it, it draws more attention.

Step 6 – Tiered Offers

Once they enter the draw, have a really cheap offer and a better value offer. Both only active for the length of the festival. You can do sign ups at the table, but also have a QR code they can scan and a flyer for the promotions.

This might be a 4 or 6 week + uniform promotion for a substantial discount as your value offer. And a 5 classes for $10 as a really easy offer if they aren’t ready to go for the bigger offer.

Step 7 – Follow up

After the event, you draw the winner and contact them.

Then you contact every other name in the box as “runner ups”. Which could be a 1-week pass, or an invitation to a special introduction to jiu-jitsu event / workshop. Whatever your school can handle. (Don’t try and flood 50 people in 1-week trials into your classes unless you can handle that many). A mass intro might be a better option.