Kathie Veach
Light Your Fire
By Kathie Veach
TRACS Executive Secretary
My husband George and I, with a committee and as volunteers, run a Travel Adventure Film Series for a Kiwanis Club in Jackson, Michigan. It’s a lot of work, 10 months of the year. Do we think it is worth the effort? A resounding “Yes.”
It’s a very healthy and well-attended series. About 600 season tickets are sold and the Kiwanis Club earns about $8,000 after expenses. “How is this done?” you may ask.
The answer is easy—it’s done with hard work and enthusiasm.
Everyone understands hard work so I would like to address the enthusiasm part. Attending a Travel Adventure Cinema Society Film Previews & Convention provides the spark that lights the passion we have for our series. We’ve been attending the convention for 17 years and without fail we’ve always come back with an idea we’d like to try.
Some examples that have worked:
1. The idea for sponsorships. (Ours covers the cost for the film artists for each show.)
2. Pre-season ticket sales. (We’ve sold 300 tickets for next season. This gives us an ample amount of money to advertise our next season.)
3. Printing a one-page flier with an order form (We distribute about 6,000, some through direct mail and some just handed out.)
4. Mass e-mail before every show. (It’s easy to send out a mass e-mail and to keep our series on their minds.)
5. A once–a-year drawing for a $1,000 travel voucher. (Season ticket holders automatically are entered. If they buy a ticket for next season they have two entries in the drawing.)
6. Brochure change. (Our latest idea. This change will cost less and make more money.)
7. Come to the convention and we’ll share ideas.
As Executive Secretary for the Travel Adventure Cinema Society, I would like to remind you that the Film Previews and Convention are Saturday, September 19th and September 20th. On Saturday, the Previews will be held at the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art.
The Seneca host hotel is a charming boutique-type hostelry. Most of the rooms have a kitchenette. The room rate is $139 for a double or single, $159 for a triple, and $179 for a quad.
Since we have to guarantee a minimum number of rooms, we have only reserved 25 rooms for each night. For a reservation call 1-800-800-6261 and make sure that you mention TRACS. The registration fee for 2009 is $125 per person. This includes all the Film Previews on Saturday, continental breakfast, meetings, and lunch on Sunday.
I invite you to come, get your spark, and light your fire for an enthusiastic 2009-2010 Travel Adventure Film Series Season.
Tags: Jackson · Kiwanis Club. Seneca Hotel · Michigan · Museum of Contemporary Art
By 
Home | Site Map | Contributors | Terms of Service | Privacy | Contact Us