Our Mission
The YMCA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
YMCA Camp Marketing Symposium
November 8-10, 2011
The 2010 Symposium, held at Camp Tecumseh YMCA drew camping professionals from across the country, and we expect that the 2011 Symposium at YMCA of the Ozarks will do the same. A detailed schedule, pricing, registration and transportation information are enclosed here. We hope to see you at YMCA of the Ozarks November 8-10, 2011.
PRICING
Based on Trout Lodge Guest Room with Double Occupancy $170 for first person from each camp $135 for each additional person from each camp $220 for single occupancy, regardless of how many attendees are coming from each camp ($10 fee has been added per person to help cover speaker expenses)
Pricing Includes:
6 meals in the Trout Lodge Dining Room, double occupancy accommodations at Trout Lodge, and meeting space for sessions. Basic linens will be provided (towels, sheets, blankets), but attendees should provide their own toiletries.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 8th
1:30 p.m. - Shuttle departs terminal #1 at lambert St. louis international Airport
1:45 p.m. - Shuttle departs terminal #2 at lambert St. louis international Airport
3:30 p.m. (approx.) - Shuttle arrives at YMCA of the Ozarks
If you need shuttle service to and from Lambert St. Louis International Airport, please let us know in the attached event registration form.
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Tours of YMCA of the Ozarks available
6:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. - Dinner in the Trout Lodge Dining Room
7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Using Demographics to Guide Marketing Decisions, Diana Mulvihill
Most camps capture useful demographic information through the registration process. We will review ways of using the information to develop marketing targets and applying it to various vehicles of marketing such as direct mail, print and electronic advertising, radio and business partnerships.
9:00 p.m. - informal networking
Wednesday, November 9th
Opens at 7:15 a.m. - Breakfast in the Trout Lodge Dining Room
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Presentation: Joanna Warren Smith, Camp Consulting Services
Joanna will share proven strategies to increase retention rates through program assessment and refinement plus pre-camp promotion and on-site evaluations, raise camp attendance by children of Y Members and other friends of the camp, and improve new inquiry to conversion enrollments through training and tracking.
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch in the Trout Lodge Dining Room
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Working Session: Joanna Warren Smith, Camp Consulting Services
This working session will be an opportunity to apply Joanna Warren Smith’s template to your own camp’s marketing plan.
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - round table Discussions: Round 1
6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. - Dinner in the Trout Lodge Dining Room
7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Round Table Discussions: Round 2
Round table breakout will focus on marketing for summer camp, outdoor education/experiential education, retreats, family camps, and corporate teambuilding. Each breakout will be led by a camping leader from another Y camp or conference center.
9:00 p.m. - informal networking
Thursday, November 10th
Opens at 7:15 a.m. - Breakfast in the Trout Lodge Dining Room
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Making your Marketing Plan Social - Social Media, internet-Marketing and online Advertising, Melissa Gilliam
During this session, we’ll explore how to integrate online marketing, advertising and communications tactics into your overall marketing plan to support your camp’s 2012 registration goals.
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Working Session/Best Practices
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Lunch in Trout Lodge Dining Room\
12:30 p.m. - Shuttle departs YMCA of the Ozarks for Lambert St. Louis International Airport
2:30 p.m. (approx.) - Shuttle arrives at Lambert St. Louis International Airport. Please book flights accordingly.
REGISTERING FOR THE SYMPOSIUM
Registrations forms can be downloaded here.
Forms can be mailed, faxed or emailed to YMCA of the Ozarks, care of Cat Dickey, Cat Dickey, Group Sales Representative
YMCA of the Ozarks
13528 State Hwy AA
Potosi, MO, 63664
P 888 386 9622 ext. 115
f 573 438 5752
e cdickey@ymcastlouis.org
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
About Joanna Warren Smith:
Joanna has visited hundreds of private and not-for-profit camps throughout the country and has acquired a unique industry perspective of best business practices. She understands how YMCA’s operate and Joanna is passionate about the positive impact that a quality camp experience can have on a child.
Ongoing focus groups with children, teens and parents have enable Joanna to understand their expectations of camp, what motivates families to inquire, purchase and return. Through individualized strategies, Joanna has enabled new programs to develop, assisted troubled businesses in their efforts to survive and has been instrumental in the continuing success of established camp and year-round operations.
Achieved in 2011...a 23% enrollment increase The YMCA of San Diego accomplished this at one camp and had increases of 19% and 15% at their other two sites. In October 2010, Leadership made a commitment as a team and brought Joanna Warren Smith on board to facilitate their efforts. Together, they focused on best business practices and the details that would...
1. Increase retention rates through program assessment and refinement plus pre-camp promotion and on-site evaluations
2. Raise camp attendance by children of Y members, staff and bard in their 18 affiliated branches
3. Improve new inquiry to conversion statistics through training and tracking
About Diana Mulvihill:
Diana Mulvihill became involved with the YMCA as an advocate for social change at the University YMCA in Minneapolis, Minnesota when she was in college. It led to a one-year college internship in Kingston, Jamaica working with UNICEF on a project that focused on the development of women and children in three ghetto communities. She graduated with a degree in Sociology and upon returning to the USA, was employed by an inner city YMCA in Minneapolis as a Community Program Manager working with a number of United Way programs. Diana moved onto Associate Executive of the Blasdell YMCA while working part-time on an MBA in marketing. After ten years of Y service she took a break to focus full-time on education.
Diana graduated from the college of St. Thomas and took a job with Marshall Fields (retailer) where she worked as a business analyst and buyer for three years. In 2001, Diana was recruited back to the Y when two associations, YMCA of Greater St. Paul and Metropolitan Minneapolis, created a shared-services marketing department. She spent the first two years working on a large demographic profiling project and then moved into the role as Marketing Director for camps, day camps, child care, preschool, and school age care programs. Diana is responsible for driving $37M per year of revenue for both associations.
About Melissa Gilliam:
Melissa Gilliam is an Integrated Strategic Marketing Manager at The CSK Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Melissa’s work in marketing has spanned nonprofits from Taiwan to New York City, and includes serving as Marketing Director at YMCA Trout Lodge & Camp Lakewood from early 2009 through August 2011. While working for the Y, Melissa was part of the Y-USA Task Force on rebranding for camps and conference centers and assisted in creating Y-USA’s final white paper on the same topic.
In addition to managing overall marketing efforts for Trout Lodge & Camp Lakewood, Melissa developed the social media platform for the Y from the ground up while simultaneously publishing the awarded personal blog, A Small Town Girl’s Guide (http://www.smalltowngirlsguide.com). Melissa has spoken on social media and online marketing at numerous conferences and seminars including: #140Conf Small Town 2011 in Hutchinson, KS; Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) national training 2011 in Potosi, MO; The Association of Fundraising Professionals Biennial Conference 2010 in St. Louis, MO; The St. Louis Women in Media “Will Blog for Dish Soap” panel in 2010 in St. Louis, MO; Market St. Louis Interactive Marketing Conference, 2010; and Show Me the Blog St. Louis 2010.
