I have been running into cases where I am unable to get more local folks that are members on the forums and facebook to appear and to help with events. Does anyone have ideas that are effective draws?

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

Pay them

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AKA: Simon

at the end of the day people are using there own time for free to attend events and other family life gets in the way unless there is money involved its always going to be hard to get a good group to turn up im in afew other costume groups with lots of members and it only ever seems to be the same few that turn up lol

The 501st being one of those other groups?

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

no I would never join them

I am curious to know how other fan groups get their 'working the event' participation. I know for us it seems to have been a struggle for some time. Even with the abundance of members in attendance at events like DragonCon, getting enough volunteers to fill shifts manning the table has been a challenge. In fact, didn't we officially bail on the table in favor of a series of roaming groups last year? (I wasn't at that one, don't quite recall the details. How did the roaming group go!?).

Overall, I can't fault anyone for putting time and money into attending an event and then wishing to experience it rather than 'work' it, and I certainly can't fault anyone who's home life has taken priority over attending/working events. I myself do my best to incorporate home life into these events, but that brings its own limiting factors for how much I can do for the 'good of the forum' while making sure the rest of the family is still having fun.

I think the main 'carrot' we can offer is to try our best to make sure "working" the event is as much fun as simply attending it. More interactive tables? Free beer to anyone on table duty from the others in attendance ? I know the Maryland crew and Germans always appear to have good table turnouts and seem to have a lot of fun. Got any tips ladies and gents?

I think I will hit up the GERCM Facebook and see what they say.

I am in agreement free food and refreshments for the table staffers. That I have no issues helping out on.

I am also in agreement that if you staff the table for all days of the event you get help on admission.

I would also advise that as I learn social media promotion more and more, I am finding that staffing tables at events is the number one best way to grow our membership.

From the last event alone our USCM Facebook page grew by almost a 100 members with the way the growth is going.

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

If you are going to emphasis on social media I would advertise the events more. This might just be me but I am looking at the Facebook page and only see 4 events. The one upcoming photo shoot at DragonCon and 3 past drops last being in 2017. I know all the other pages have the events listed and it helps to remind people. I know there are at least 4 cons coming up we are at, including DragonCon, and at least 4 we where at since Fanboy 2017. Maybe I am not pulling them up correctly.

You have to make a more personal connection. Just because someone hits like on social media it does not mean that they are signed up. It is so easy to hit a like button but until that person attends an event or makes a contribution I would not count them. To me the proof is in the pudding. Also that content on social media needs to be relevant and come from trusted sources/sites. I know some of the things I have clicked on seemed to be no more than click bait. It is not just our Facebook site but other Alien related pages also. We need to be different. I know I am trying to get something started here in Memphis. I am starting at the comic book shops and local conventions to make contacts and follow up on them. We will already have a table at the Oct Memphis convention and I was told we have one in Nov but it has not been confined.
This is just what I am going to do here in Memphis.

Thanks!

Greg

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CPL A08/TQ0.0.12146E1
Newell, Greg A aka Gman
Illinois - USA
UKCM
Shoot first, think never.
Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.
SMMFD
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

yes after event drinks and social gatherings during the year also help bring a good group together in areas