"Club Recruitment Activities" Topic

Imagine that your game club is hosting a booth at a local game show/convention, in order to recruit more members to replace those who have drifted off.

Would you be willing to assist at the booth?

Yes growing the hobby is something we all should do.
VR
James Mattes

I'm trying to do so at the community level, using my position within the school district to recruit younger blood.

The way I figure, I started out with plastic army men, throwing little balls of wadded tin foil. From that, I grew into the more historical aspects of the hobby, thanks to Avalon Hill and the New York Wargamers Association (NYWA). They introduced me to Column, Line, & Square, which led to (wait for it…..) reading BOOKS!!!!

As a teacher, I get the best of both worlds. I bring fresh blood into the hobby, and best case, I install a love of reading and research and personal development. I look at it as a win-win…!!!

No, I don't see that as a particularly effective recruitment strategy. A website/yahoo group, a few interesting blogs and a welcoming atmosphere at the club night are (in my experience) better ways to spend time. We pay rent at a public venue to make it less intimidating for new folks to come out (versus going to someone's house).

I don't think local cons here have booths for clubs, but we do run games and I help with those.

Have done it at a model kit collectors' show, actually running a demo game.

I absolutely disagree with the notion that we should have to help "grow the hobby". Whatever that means.

Our club hosts quite a few games at the local cons and we have information at the tables for anyone who's interested. We have a Yahoo group, a Twitter account, and a Home Page for others who don't go to cons to peruse.

But active recruitment, Nope!

If we Wargames Association of Reading started recruiting at other club shows of new members is not on also the cost of a stand would come in to it . In the UK show are run by the local clubs .
How do we recruit
1 Hold our annual show Warfare (a very good recruiting point)
2 Club Web site link
3 Club Forum warfare.myfreeforum.org
4 Club Teams going of to competitions at other clubs spread the word as well
How do we keep them
1 Good hall with club tables coffee bar club terrain
2 Low cost of being a member last year only £1.00 GBP per week
3 Good efficient committee to run the club

I've done demo games, displays at local craft shows, history seminars with the toy soldiers, and lots of other stratagems to recruit gamers.

My take is that we have to let people know that the hobby exists if we are going to get new gamers to come to the games.