Every year in the Spring we hold a three day membership drive at one of the local Shopping Malls here. We put on a big display with lots of firearms, fishing stuff, videos, pictures of the years events (Black Powder shoots, trap shoots etc.). We plan it far enough in advance that our members can get ATT's to bring some hanguns to the display. Hand guns always seem to grab the attention of folks walking by. They see rifles and shot guns fairly often, so they are no big deal, but a nice collection of hand guns, they stop and chat. The drive is advertised on the local radio stations as well as with a big sign in the Mall parking lot. We give away (a draw) a couple free 1 year memberships during the drive, that gets people to stop, have a look, and fill out an entry. We also advertise our annual "open house at the range" during this time where we encourage folks to come by and check out the facility. We let them know there will be a few firearms that they can try out if they come by.
We advertise our annual swap meet through the monthly news letter and radio, but that is more for the members than anything else even though Joe public is indeed welcome.
The club puts on C.O.R.E. courses during the year (usually two), that helps promote the club and also generates some $$.
We offer discounts for the R.C.M.P. and Conservation Officers to use the range for training, and they do.
That's about it for general "Club" promotion. Each group within the club (I.P.S.C. , trap, black powder etc.) all advertise for the events they have scheduled during the year. They use word of mouth, calling other clubs, the news letter, or print up posters to pin up around town and at the local gun stores. That's all promotion, though it's specific to that particular group.
Our AGM at the club is this Thursday and I have a strong suspicion that I am going to be nominated to the same position that you have ... there is a push to get more local businesses advertising in our monthly news letter in an effort to generate a little more $$ for the club and I hear someone thinks I would be good at that. Any way, good luck with promoting your club, I hope some of this babble helps out or sparks some ideas. Personally, I feel the annual membership drive and display is our biggest and best promotional endeavour of the year. We have people that look forward to it and come by every year. This year we're thinking of mounting a press on one of the tables, doing up dummy rounds and making key chains out of them.
