Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 17, 2013 22:22:12 GMT -9
I have a new idea for GeocacheAlaska! that I believe would be successful for next year. I would like to propose the idea of a booth for the 2014 Anchorage Farmers Market & Festival season. I know there were questions if the contract was going to be renewed for that prime location but it looks like the Anchorage Market will once again be put in this nice location. I enjoy frequenting the markets during the summer months and I was always wishing that there was a geocaching booth. This year the Alaska geographic booth, which I enjoyed my first year here and where I purchased my first map of Anchorage trails, was sadly not there this year. Unless, I missed it in my search of the market. This left me thinking that we should put up a booth here because there were lots of open spots epically early in the season but it was jammed packed with traffic later on.
I would be willing to head this one up. I have a grand idea of including the fundraising, education and events committees in a joint effort to make this happen. I want to involve these committees because I have the idea of half the booth with a table of bling and the other half of the booth with some educational activities going on. I have an idea of running a 32 inch tv hooked up to a computer with educational slides presented by some of great members. I can donate the tv for this event.
I believe that this could be a great opportunity to promote GeocacheAlaska! fundraising and education to visitors as well as locals. If all goes well and we can pull this event off consistently then we could even look at the possibility of a huge event such as the state fair. Throw out some ideas folks and lets see if we can accomplish this idea.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Sept 18, 2013 1:22:47 GMT -9
I like the idea. We'll need to have some numbers for how much $$$ it costs to have a booth and what cost options there are (booth size, position, power, etc). If the cost is within reach of GCAK, I can see the potential in having not only some small-scale bling sales, but a good public education/outreach program. The membership drive potential would be icing on the cake (as opposed to icing in the rink).
Can you chase down the costs involved as well as the dates and how many hours per day the booth will have to be staffed. We would want to have at least 2 people in the booth at all times, so getting volunteers for that aspect could be a little challenging.
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 18, 2013 4:24:32 GMT -9
The Anchorage Market & Festival runs 18 consecutive weekends beginning on Saturday, May 10, 2014 and ending on Sunday, September 7, 2014. I was able to find the 2014 Anchorage Market & Festival Vendor Handbook that gives us all the information that we need to know.
According to the handbook, for the time commitments it states: "All Vendors must sign in by 9:00 AM each market day with the customer service agent (E Street entrance by the Headquarters Building). Sign in is accomplished when Vendor gives preprinted entry pass to gate attendant. Vendors must be ready for business by 10:00 AM on each Anchorage Market & Festival day. Space reservations and any monies paid for that Anchorage Market & Festival day shall be forfeited in the event a Vendor arrives after 9:00 AM." "Vendors are required to be open for business – rain or shine – during Anchorage Market & Festival hours unless prior arrangements have been made with the Anchorage Market & Festival Manager. The Anchorage Market & Festival shall be open to the public during the hours of 10:00AM through 6:00PM local time each Anchorage Market & Festival day."
According to the handbook, for the money commitment: "Nonprofit Organizations Anchorage Market & Festival each market day will have available at no charge for the use of one or two local nonprofit organizations that are designated as such under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c) (3) and provide appropriate documentation of this status, a double wide booth space with a set-up tent, two tables and two chairs for use by selected nonprofit organizations to conduct their business. Groups may use this space a maximum of three Saturdays and three Sundays during the market season. Booth will be assigned by Anchorage Market & Festival Manager based on, in his sole discretion, the best and highest use for the community good. Community health projects will have priority. Usually two groups will be assigned to share this tent each weekend.
The second option is to do the standby tent which is free for three weekends and then cost is at 50% of the normal cost. Local nonprofit organizations may request and receive one free stand-by space for up to three market days during Anchorage Market & Festival 2014 season, if space is available at 1 PM on the Friday proceeding a requested Saturday or Sunday. Anchorage Market & Festival must have on file a request for space on the organization’s letterhead prior to the particular market day. Local nonprofit groups desiring reserved space or more than three free market-day stand-by spaces will be given a fifty percent (50%) discount on regular market prices for space rental for all days above the three free days. Anchorage Market & Festival operates 36 days in the 2014 regular season (18 Saturdays & 18 Sundays).
No beverages may be sold in the nonprofit booth. Food products may only be sold upon approval prior to the date of sale by the Anchorage Market & Festival Manager and with required permit or approval to sell by the Anchorage Health Department. No electric service is available to the nonprofit booth. Nonprofit organization must agree to have booth open and staffed during market hours of 10:00 AM to 6:00 P.M." www.anchoragemarkets.com/Anch%20Market%20and%20Festival/non_profit.html
From the way I look at it, if the finances permit it, we could do the reserved space so that we are not fighting for space. It would be three free days so we are looking at paying for 33 days (at a 50% discount) if we can get volunteer support or want to do it for the whole season. Realistically, I believe that 1 to 6 Saturdays and Sundays plus our free three days for the season would be great to get our "feet wet" and see how we are really doing as far as turnout at the booth and sales of the bling. The more we buy the space the cheaper the space comes out to in cost. According to the vendor handbook, the costs would look like this:
1 to 6 Saturdays---$ 95.00 per space 7 to 10 Saturdays---$ 90.00 per space 11 to 14 Saturdays---$ 85.00 per space 15 to 18 Saturdays---$ 80.00 per space
1 to 6 Sundays---$ 85.00 per space 7 to 10 Sundays---$ 80.00 per space 11 to 14 Sundays---$ 75.00 per space 15 to 18 Sundays---$ 70.00 per space
These are the prices before the 50% discount. Therefore, with a bit of mathematical calculations, are prices would look like this:
1 to 6 Saturdays and Sundays----$90.00 a weekend. 7 to 10 Saturdays and Sundays---$87.50 a weekend. 11 to 14 Saturdays and Sundays--$80.00 a weekend. 15 to 18 Saturdays and Sundays--$75.00 a weekend. (Hopefully my mathematical skills are up to par)
I am not sure if we should do the beginning of the season because of the turnout that I saw when I went at the beginning of the season in May. I think our highest turnouts are when the weather begins to warm up so I don't think that we should do the whole season. Here is the link to the 2014 handbook for vendors that include the costs of the spaces for vendors: www.anchoragemarkets.com/Anch%20Market%20and%20Festival/vendor_info.html
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Post by akgh519 on Sept 18, 2013 9:14:09 GMT -9
First read through I agree with your thoughts Scott. We have the funds to do this. The key will be finding volunteers to work the space... Perhaps this is something that should be visited in the survey for feedback
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Post by ladybugkids on Sept 18, 2013 10:38:55 GMT -9
This is great information about another way to extend GeocacheAlaska!'s reach into the community.
Firemanak can provide information about the public response to a booth hosted at the Fairbanks Midnight Sun Market (name not quite correct).
I believe Ray is correct about needing to get volunteers committeed to staff the space. I think it would be a challenge to staff the booth every weekend.
I recommend trying one of the "freebie" days or paying for one day to test the waters and if public response is positive (measured by new memberships and bling sales), try once a month. Ray is correct that GeocacheAlaska! has the financial resources, but we want to be certain to apply our volunteer resources appropriately as well.
GxProxy suggested GeocacheAlaska! try the market and the State Fair a couple of years ago and even provided consignment items, but we didn't pursue it at the time
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Post by fuzzybelly on Sept 18, 2013 10:59:06 GMT -9
I would be willing to cacher (man) the booth on a Sunday a time or two.
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 18, 2013 12:41:46 GMT -9
Would the idea be to turn more folks on to geocaching, or something else like provide area maps, etc as a fundraising plan?
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Post by akgh519 on Sept 18, 2013 12:50:27 GMT -9
Geocache Alaska is a non profit whose mission is to teach others about geocaching. So yes it is about teaching!
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Post by akgh519 on Sept 18, 2013 12:53:28 GMT -9
We support the organization through donation and sale of bling so we would be doing that at the space too. I don't know that we have guidelines as to what we can and can't sell. Heck, maybe we could rent gps' and hand them a list of nearby caches to go find
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 18, 2013 18:47:27 GMT -9
519- Great idea about the gps loaners, I know that there is a cache a the back corner of that parking lot called tents and skyscrapers, I believe. Plus there are some micros down by Ship Creek as well. We can even do one specific cache for the event.
I agree that education is first in our mission. The bling sales would be great to supplement the the costs of the booth and our fundraising goals. For the booth, I look at the bling as bait to lure the visitors and locals in so we can educate. I believe that our bling will attract people because it is uniquely Alaska and visitors as well as locals love that uniqueness. I know I do.
LBK- Maybe we can pursue the consignment deal with GyProxy if everyone likes it. Personally, I like their bling. I agree that we should get our "feet wet" a day or too. We get three free days since we are non profit to try it out.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Sept 18, 2013 19:36:10 GMT -9
Consignments are a thing of the past. We used to do it and it took awhile to weasel out from under that load. Any bling selling should be from stock that we purchase. We have lots of GxProxy stuff in the store, it's just bought for resale rather than provided to us on consigment terms.
I would be quite worried about the logistics and loss of control in GPS rentals. A guided tour would be a better option. One could even set up 'day caches' to go along with the event. Place 2 or 3 micro caches within about 50 yards of the booth in different directions. Solicit the help of other vendors in allowing us to place an urban micro next to their booth and give them the full run down on what we are doing. Anyone that you ask will allow this because you'll be bringing people to their booth and that's what the market is all about. You can setup a geocaching demonstration at specific times, such as the top of every hour. One of the booth volunteers then takes a small group of people with a couple of our education GPS units and walks them through the process of navigating to a geocache (letting the people hold the gps and do the navigating under guidance). At GZ, you let the people do the searching and provide guidance as needed. When they find the cache, let them sign the log and replace it. If there is time and desire, move to the next hide and repeat the process. After the 2 or 3 finds, return to our booth, retain our GPS loaners, and offer them some literature and membership applications.
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 18, 2013 20:59:52 GMT -9
We support the organization through donation and sale of bling so we would be doing that at the space too. I don't know that we have guidelines as to what we can and can't sell. Heck, maybe we could rent gps' and hand them a list of nearby caches to go find "Converting" 100% newbies will be tough at a venue like this, I can imagine. I'm picturing it being like the other weekly farmer's markets I've seen, and I don't quite know how it would fit for the duration of the summer market schedule. I can see having a booth at a single fair or community event, but, correct me if I'm wrong, there are many tourists that are at the Anchorage market. I don't know how good of an idea it would be to introduce people to the game in a setting like this and then set them loose. It isn't an educational setting or method that will allow us to make a lasting impression about the nuances of the game as we might all would hope. I'm not seeing a good likelyhood that folks that drop by the booth are going to amount to a higher level of membership or participation. There's a lot more to the game than simply having a GPS or smartphone app and heading out to find a cache. There are guidelines, rules of thumb, and such that would need to be learned, trackable etiquette and processes, and more. If it is publicity for the game of geocaching and promotion of GeocacheAlaska! we are after, that's a different ball o' wax. I just don't think it is a good idea to actually try to teach people how to play the game in this setting. I do think it would be an excellent venue to present the game in general, the opportunity to learn more through GeocacheAlaska! membership and EduVents, and as a sales outlet for visitors who already know about the game and might want to pick up some cache containers or GeocacheAlaska! swag while they are visiting the state. JM2C
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 18, 2013 21:13:19 GMT -9
JOAT- Guided tours are a great idea and more secure idea for the loaners. I like the fact that we would be able to teach "in the field". I wish I had someone with me on the first couple of my caches that I found. Remember me on Dayville Rd. looking lost like a puppy on your puzzle cache and then you saw me and helped me out. That was awesome to receive helped from a more experienced cacher. Plus if we do receive help of other vendors, then we get strong bonds with local business that could promote GeocacheAlaska!.
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Post by ladybugkids on Sept 18, 2013 21:27:57 GMT -9
Consignments are a thing of the past. We used to do it and it took awhile to weasel out from under that load. Any bling selling should be from stock that we purchase. We have lots of GxProxy stuff in the store, it's just bought for resale rather than provided to us on consigment terms. Absolutely. The consignment situation was tough with inventory tracking, payments, hauling all the stuff around, for relatively minor returns. It just wasn't worth the effort. We have a limited market up here of a few hundred geocachers spread around the state. The general public isn't going to buy our stuff, except, perhaps, a precious metal geocoin... I bet if we took people's drivers' licenses, we'd get the GPSs back. However, there are operating instructions to give, etc. We'd need a whole booth of volunteers. I'd really like to hear from Tony/firemanak about what worked and didn't up in Fairbanks this summer.
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Post by firemanak on Sept 19, 2013 10:16:14 GMT -9
Here in Fairbanks, we hit a couple caches, had two GPSs with waypoints in them, and then talked to newbies about it, and then showed them how to use GPSs, then those who wanted to know more we had the brochure that showed where to go, and etc... I know I have heard back from 4 people who came to the market now into caching... But up here we were able to get our booth for free, and if we had man power we could have been there all summer long. We also found that having a shoe box with dirt, leaves, twigs and stuff in it, then put a container camo with the brown camo duct tape worked will, cause you just ask them to spot it, I also put a container in there that I glued twigs and leaves too. Both worked well... We support the organization through donation and sale of bling so we would be doing that at the space too. I don't know that we have guidelines as to what we can and can't sell. Heck, maybe we could rent gps' and hand them a list of nearby caches to go find "Converting" 100% newbies will be tough at a venue like this, I can imagine. I'm picturing it being like the other weekly farmer's markets I've seen, and I don't quite know how it would fit for the duration of the summer market schedule. I can see having a booth at a single fair or community event, but, correct me if I'm wrong, there are many tourists that are at the Anchorage market. I don't know how good of an idea it would be to introduce people to the game in a setting like this and then set them loose. It isn't an educational setting or method that will allow us to make a lasting impression about the nuances of the game as we might all would hope. I'm not seeing a good likelyhood that folks that drop by the booth are going to amount to a higher level of membership or participation. There's a lot more to the game than simply having a GPS or smartphone app and heading out to find a cache. There are guidelines, rules of thumb, and such that would need to be learned, trackable etiquette and processes, and more. If it is publicity for the game of geocaching and promotion of GeocacheAlaska! we are after, that's a different ball o' wax. I just don't think it is a good idea to actually try to teach people how to play the game in this setting. I do think it would be an excellent venue to present the game in general, the opportunity to learn more through GeocacheAlaska! membership and EduVents, and as a sales outlet for visitors who already know about the game and might want to pick up some cache containers or GeocacheAlaska! swag while they are visiting the state. JM2C
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 24, 2013 3:20:36 GMT -9
A new idea spurred to mind while brainstorming ideas. Since our GeocacheAlaska! Logo has a wolf; I thought that we should have a mascot at the booth named appropriately Waypoint the Wolf or Woof. If we could find the costume and a volunteer, then we could have this mascot at the booth to promote GeocacheAlaska! and geocaching to the youngsters in the crowd. Plus it would just be fun for the kids.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Sept 24, 2013 4:41:49 GMT -9
I nominate Fuzzy to wear the woof costume.
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Post by akgh519 on Sept 24, 2013 4:57:48 GMT -9
I second Scott's motion...
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Post by ladybugkids on Sept 24, 2013 5:29:06 GMT -9
And perhaps not the Blue Goose who seemed to enjoy too much, well, goosing people, at last Geofest 2012. We don't want the mascot to get hauled away in cuffs.
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 24, 2013 8:43:38 GMT -9
I'm thinking about how to introduce people to the game, and the logistics involved. What if, instead of using a GPS, we simply had 1 or 2 "day caches" hidden nearby within the market. Instead of worrying about teaching GPS use, loaning out units, and having a large enough staff to guide the process, we could have a preprinted handout for folks to try. Think letterboxing: Directions and clues to find the hide, instead of coordinates. Once people find the day caches, they can come back and report (perhaps password from each nets a small prize?) their experience. Then we have the opportunity to talk about GPS and Smartphone use, and how that adds to the hunt process. Likely this will cover their frustrations, if any, experienced without that kind of tool in hand. Essentially, this becomes a lesson that puts together something the general public enjoys and might be familiar with--a treasure hunt, say--and unfamiliar, cognitive dissonance--the frustration that paper directions aren't quite as accurate as the assistance of a tool. I think that simple lesson will get folks turned on to the idea of using GPS for more than finding the nearest gas station, and how GeocacheAlaska can be a great resource for this new-found fun outdoor, family friendly activity.
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 25, 2013 0:26:07 GMT -9
Neversummer - I think that is a smart idea. It would ease the folks into the game instead of throwing them into the game. It might spike more interest with a cool little prize at the end and like you said, get rid of the frustration issue. I definitely agree that there should be some talk about GPS and smartphone use afterwards. Are you thinking a simple map to the day cache and hints layout on a handout?
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 25, 2013 15:10:38 GMT -9
Neversummer - I think that is a smart idea. It would ease the folks into the game instead of throwing them into the game. It might spike more interest with a cool little prize at the end and like you said, get rid of the frustration issue. I definitely agree that there should be some talk about GPS and smartphone use afterwards. Are you thinking a simple map to the day cache and hints layout on a handout? Here is my explanation and vision: The key to getting folks interested and involved will be these three steps: -What? -So What? -Now What? Let's look at these questions this way: What? Geocaching. -A modified treasure hunt, of sorts. -Fun for families, fun for outdoor enthusiasts, fun for those who already use GPS and want more, etc. -A game housed on many internet sites, the largest of which is geocaching.com. -What is it, you ask? Let's give you an example to learn more... (Handout with directions, ala a letterbox, to find 2-3 "day caches"--not listed on geocaching.com, etc--with some passphrases which form a complete sentence to turn in at the end) So What? -A fun game that can be played with families, outdoor enthusiasts, blah blah... -More than just following a treasure map. Use a cache description from online, and other tools such as a compass, map, and GPS to find it. -Caches can be found all over the world, and can bring you to some spectacular places, or challenge your physical or mental capacities. Something for everyone. -Explain cache swag/item trading when handing off their freebie after completing the cache passphrase activity. -Explain how trackables move around, what they are, and how it can be fun to have your own to track movement all over the planet, even if they don't get out and cache much. Now What? -Sign up at geocaching.com or other sites to play on your own. (Let Groundspeak sell their own premium memberships...) -Sign up at geocachealaska.org, and become a GeocacheAlaska! Sourdough Member for discounts and other perks... -Get/use a handheld GPS to find more caches. -Use your smartphone to find more caches. -Join GeocacheAlaska for EduVents to learn more about how to play the game, and keep up on fun events like CITO, etc. -Where are you from? Here is a list (or a link to a list) of local geocaching clubs/groups in your state/country/area No need for a map of the day caches. No coordinates. Just give a treasure hunt feel to some descriptions; provide a hint for the cherry on top. Use their return with a completed passphrase to discuss the actual game of geocaching, including GPS and Smartphone use in the field, after discussing sign ups. Completed passphrases get a take-home item of some kind (Sticker? Wooden nickel? High fives?) Don't "sell" memberships. That will turn folks off. Offer membership with GeocacheAlaska as a way to help contribute to outreach and events that bring people together. Use CITO and remote-access EduVent events as examples of how we can help meet our mission as an organization. I would argue that our goal at the farmers market in Anchorage would be to educate about, and provide a fun, family-friendly outdoor activity for the masses. That would make it applicable for locals, Alaskans, and tourists alike. Tourists can enjoy adding something fun to a trip which could bring them to hidden, little-known spots along their travels. Alaskans can have something interesting to do outdoors while hunting, fishing, commuting, camping, skiing, hiking, on and on. Existing geocachers could find a cool "storefront" while in Anchorage which sells swag and containers for their next hides and geocaching adventures. I, as a consumer at farmers markets and the like (State fairs, for example), don't patronize the booths which seem to be selling air. I'm not going to sign on the dotted line, I'm not going to talk to you about your political views, I'm not going to walk toward the booth unless there is something new, interesting and consumable that interests me. That is why I think we should be careful about having a booth in the first place, and not considering the "product" we are trying to "sell". I do think we can "sell" this activity to the masses, so long as we have a good hook, a clear message, and something to send them home with which won't end up in the trash...
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 25, 2013 15:17:03 GMT -9
I should add (sorry to "talk" so much...) that we will need to track "How did you hear about us" with memberships from that point on. That way we can determine the impact the event spending has on increased membership--Cheechako or Sourdough.
Since we can't track additional membership to geocaching.com thorugh this outreach plan, that is an easy metric to try to capture.
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Post by firemanak on Sept 26, 2013 7:18:02 GMT -9
I should add (sorry to "talk" so much...) that we will need to track "How did you hear about us" with memberships from that point on. That way we can determine the impact the event spending has on increased membership--Cheechako or Sourdough. Since we can't track additional membership to geocaching.com thorugh this outreach plan, that is an easy metric to try to capture. one thing we did was we had a piece of paper, and if someone said they where new, and wanted to know more, we put a hash mark on that column, if they where local geocacher, hash mark in that column, etc... that is how we came up with our stats...
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 26, 2013 8:00:20 GMT -9
I should add (sorry to "talk" so much...) that we will need to track "How did you hear about us" with memberships from that point on. That way we can determine the impact the event spending has on increased membership--Cheechako or Sourdough. Since we can't track additional membership to geocaching.com thorugh this outreach plan, that is an easy metric to try to capture. one thing we did was we had a piece of paper, and if someone said they where new, and wanted to know more, we put a hash mark on that column, if they where local geocacher, hash mark in that column, etc... that is how we came up with our stats... That would be a good thing to track on the day of, for sure. To see about the long-term feasability of staffing a booth at the Anchorage summer market, we sould try to track membership trends. It would be as simple as adding a set of checkboxes to the membership application form online or in print.
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Feb 3, 2014 16:12:06 GMT -9
I would like to resurrect this thread and I am currently researching more on this topic. I really would like to see a geocaching booth this summer at the festival for at least a one time trial to see how effective it is for the community. I believe this would be a great fundraising/education opportunity for those who love to cache and those who haven't discovered their love for caching. We left off with a few questions about the logistics of how we can make this happen last conversation but I am working on getting some answers and would like to present it to the board and our members for further discussion.
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Post by akgh519 on Feb 3, 2014 16:35:00 GMT -9
Will be interested to hear what you find out!
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Post by NeverSummer on Feb 5, 2014 9:17:53 GMT -9
I would like to resurrect this thread and I am currently researching more on this topic. I really would like to see a geocaching booth this summer at the festival for at least a one time trial to see how effective it is for the community. I believe this would be a great fundraising/education opportunity for those who love to cache and those who haven't discovered their love for caching. We left off with a few questions about the logistics of how we can make this happen last conversation but I am working on getting some answers and would like to present it to the board and our members for further discussion. I'm starting to see how this might work out. Are there any other one-time events around town that have booths available? Any city/city parks events coming up this spring/summer? In addition to the Market/Festival, I'd think we could research some other options that might capture folks in the mindset we target--outdoors/family/fun. The market is a good place to start, but if there are other events where a booth or presence might be helpful, I'd say we should shoot for it. We could also look for event support to cities like Fairbanks, Seward, Soldotna/Kenai and Homer. I know that Soldotna has the Kenai River Festival around June. Homer has the Shorebird Festival, Concert on the Lawn, or Street Faire. So, if we have members or BoD "agents" we can use strategically in these areas, we might get some folks on the hook of Geocaching and GeocacheAlaska!. Thoughts? I am starting to see how a carefully planned table could be a good thing for building membership and bringing more people to this game through our organization.
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Post by akgh519 on Feb 5, 2014 9:41:11 GMT -9
I heard of something going on here in Anchorage and remember thinking that GEAK should be at it. Think it's was a parks and rec thing. Orienteering was going to be a part of it. As I remember it was a get your kids active event. I will see if I can find more info on it
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Post by NeverSummer on Feb 5, 2014 10:31:00 GMT -9
I'm going to shoot for something at the Shorebird Festival here in Homer. I'd hope we can get some caches set up at birding sites, and then draw people in for some birding event caches too. It's a start... There are booths available at the fair they have for Shorebird in the HS gym, but its more of a sales vendor-based event. Only a couple of groups have tables where they aren't selling something like jewelry or jelly. Homer has its Health Fair every fall. That might be another place where we could have a GeocacheAlaska booth, and invite people to a 101 presentation, etc. Recruiting as a focus here in Homer, but perhaps a focus on actual caching at the Anchorage farmers market. This makes me think of it this way--we'd want to identify the goal for each booth or involvement at these faires and events. Some will be straight-up "sign here for more info" recruitment/outreach, and others might be more focused on outreach through "here's a list of caches, go find them and come back" (or like described above).
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