Community Involvement results in new events

there are two ways to do it; either through a call center or at the location. We opted to stay with in-center planners to continue building those relationships. People buy from people at the end of the day.”

Being Involved Pays Off!

“People want to connect with entities involved in the community, and if they see you, they want to do business with you,” Philipi said. McDonald concurs that community involvement is the key to success. The 75-year-old McDonald joined and actively participated in the local chamber of commerce. He sat at different tables with people he didn’t know, inviting businesses to the center for lunch and a tour, resulting in 95% booking an outing. McDonald later attended ribbon cuttings and grand openings, meeting people in the area’s largest rotary club.

McDonald convinced The Rotary club to conduct their weekly breakfast meeting at the center, which resulted in many business members booking small and large company events along with birthday parties for their children. Through those networks, McDonald connected with the area’s many large chemical plant managers, which resulted in holiday parties, training sessions, team building, and summer get-togethers.

Philipi and his team employ tools like the Book of Lists, convention bureaus, chambers of commerce, and young business development professional groups to find the right businesspeople with whom to connect. They also partner with specific community groups involved in Pride Month, cancer awareness, and other causes.

Sparetime employs Triple Seat software to manage the party schedule and tailor each party to the client’s requirements. Packages are based on individual needs and can be priced per person or at one overall rate depending on requested amenities.

“The promotion of bowling has been about creating an environment and atmosphere where people can come to an event that leads to more interest in other offerings,” Philipi said. “Guests having a good time are our biggest salespeople. Most of us in the industry don’t have large advertising budgets, so we have to host exceptional events.”

To ensure positive word-of-mouth credibility, Sparetime likes potential clients to tour its facilities, connect with the building, and meet their event planners or management team. They also conduct specific training for service staff assisting at each event and create incentives for employees to participate.

Premier Lanes books an average of ten to 12 corporate events in a slow month. The busy holiday season sees that number increase to around 40. Summertime features 40 daycare groups. McDonald said he sells about five annual private events where a client buys out the entire facility. The largest group hosted 475 people and spent about $15,000. Smaller events can entail visiting in the afternoon and utilizing the VIP area that accommodates up to 80 people.

Philipi shares that some of their one-time corporate events have become short-season corporate leagues. Specialty events like a service industry night, Badge vs. Badge night, or Ladies’ Night Out are also great at getting people to consider larger events.

Putting yourself out there in the community reaps enormous rewards. McDonald says, “We’re overloaded; my phone never stops ringing.”

Get your phones ringing off the hook, too, with strong community engagement and follow-through.•