How to Plan a Successful "Bring a Friend" Night for Your Baton Twirling Class
Hosting a "Bring a Friend" night is a fantastic way to grow your baton twirling class and build a sense of community. It's an opportunity for current students to share their passion with friends, while you showcase the fun and benefits of baton twirling to potential new students. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you plan a memorable and effective "Bring a Friend" night.
1. Set Clear Goals for the Event
Before you start planning, think about what you want to achieve with your "Bring a Friend" night. Are you hoping to introduce new students to the sport of baton twirling and increase enrollment? Or is your focus on strengthening relationships within your current class? Defining your goals will help guide all your decisions, from marketing to the event structure.
2. Choose a Theme and Date
A fun theme can make your event more exciting and attract more participants. Consider something seasonal, like a "Twirl into Spring" or "Holiday Twirl" theme. You can also go for themes that encourage creativity, such as "Twirl with a Superhero" where students and their friends dress as their favorite heroes.
Be sure to choose a date that gives your students enough time to invite their friends and that doesn’t conflict with school events, holidays, or other activities.
3. Create Fun Invitations
Encourage your students to invite their friends with personalized invitations. You can design fun, themed invites using tools like Canva, or create simple flyers that students can hand out at school or to their neighbors. If your class has a social media presence, promote the event on your pages, making it easy for parents and students to share the details. Be clear about what to expect—mention the fun, the benefits of learning baton twirling, and any special offers for new attendees.
4. Plan an Engaging and Inclusive Class
Design a class structure that is welcoming to beginners while keeping your current students engaged. Start with an introduction to the basics of baton twirling, using easy-to-follow steps. Plan activities that let current students show off their skills, but also provide simple drills for the new participants. Incorporating partner exercises, where current students teach their friends, can foster a sense of connection and teamwork.
Consider breaking the class into different segments: a warm-up, a beginner baton lesson, and a fun routine or mini-performance at the end. Keep things light and fun to ensure that both new and seasoned twirlers feel included.
5. Offer Incentives
Consider offering incentives to both your current students and their friends. For example, you could provide a small gift, like a personalized baton or twirling ribbon, for every friend who attends. Additionally, you might offer a discount on future classes to friends who decide to sign up after the event. For your regular students, you could host a drawing for a prize or offer discounts for those who bring multiple friends.
6. Capture the Moment
Document the event with photos and videos. Not only does this create memories for your students, but it’s also a great way to promote future "Bring a Friend" nights. Make sure to share these highlights on social media and in your newsletters to show prospective students how much fun they’ll have when they join your class.
7. Follow Up
After the event, follow up with your guests. Send a thank-you email or note, along with information on how they can join the class if they’re interested. Offering a special discount for first-time attendees can be a great incentive for them to sign up.