One way to get old members back, and some new members in is with a big, back-to-school party.

Really, it’s a open house… but we don’t call it that. We call it a party.

It’s a 100% free event. We will have bounce castles, inflatable jousting ring, oversized yard games, a dunk tower, free hotdogs, chips & drinks, a cotton candy machines and more.

So how does a free event that costs a fair bit to put on actually help?

It brings people back. A lot of the people that were off for the summer, members that have been gone for an extended time, people that just came to a event, etc. We invite them all. It gets them back into our building, back to seeing our coaches, and back to thinking about the fun times they have with us.

While their is bounce castles and food, we also have our coaches on the mats doing quick lessons. Teaching a takedown or armlock, holding pads for a minute or two per kid. Getting them doing martial arts.

Anyone that tries some martial arts gets a raffle ticket to win some prizes at the end of the event.

We collect contact info on everyone that attends. Non-members all get a special day of offer, a really cheap one for a short term trial. After a day of bounce houses and free lunches for the family, it’s not a hard ask.

There are posters for the offer, they get texts and emails before and after.

We go big, but it doesn’t need to be as big as we go. But a back-to-school event that gets people back in the building and encourages bringing friends is a “must do” for September