Leisure Management 1

The viability of any commercial recreation business (whether supplying a product or a service), depends heavily upon marketing. If you don't sell, you don't survive!

The viability of non commercial leisure industry marketing enterprises (eg. government funded facilities, NGO's), are also increasingly reliant upon marketing. Continued funding more often than not depends upon a facility or service being used (hence being seen to serve a perceived purpose).

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Marketing
2. Marketing Strategy
3. Media Promotions
4. Promotional Materials
5. Complaints
6. Managing Membership Levels
7. Sponsorship & Fundraising
8. Managing Events
9. Managing Promotional Activities
10. Market sensitive recreation services.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Discuss marketing skills for the leisure industry.
• Develop marketing strategies.
• Develop skills in dealing with the media to promote an organisation or service.
• Coordinate the production of different promotional materials.
• Coordinate the distribution of promotional materials.
• Deal with client complaints in a recreation enterprise.
• Monitor membership base to ensure retention of membership.
• Initiate and manage relationships with sponsors.
• Explain alternative methods of raising funds for a recreation event or service.
• Manage special events.
• Coordinate activities designed to increase public awareness of an organisation.
• Deliver approval for different promotional activities.
• Manage delivery of a service by a recreation, sport or fitness organisation.

What You Will Do

• Visit retail outlets to observe the marketing used for a chosen recreational product.
• Conduct a market survey, of a properly selected sample of customers, using a designed survey form, and obtaining at least 20 responses.
• Develop a marketing plan, based on market survey results.
• Develop a promotional campaign for a chosen recreational product of service.
• Write two press releases, for recreation products or services, which you are familiar with. Suggest a plan for the distribution of this press release.
• Contact three different publications which advertise recreation services or products, and obtain information about how to advertise.
• Interview the management of a recreation facility (or people responsible for marketing).
• Investigate complaints within an organisation/enterprise in the recreation industry.
• Investigate the way membership is managed in two different recreation enterprises.
• Survey the membership of a recreation, fitness or sporting club, to determine attitudes towards services provided.
• Interview a sample of members and leaders/staff from one of each of the following types of organisations; to determine reasons why people join these different types of recreation organisations.
• Contact your local government authority, and determine any legal requirements which relate to fundraising for non profit community recreation organisations, in your locality.
• Investigate the market strategies for different types of special events, in your locality.
• Conduct research to determine different publications which may be relevant to the sports, recreation and leisure industries.
• Interview staff or clients of a recreation facility/enterprise with the aim of developing procedures to implement improved services for a specified facility.
• Go shopping. Take notice of how different sales staff communicate with you. Note the
  • techniques that use (verbal and non-verbal), and how effective they are.