Marketing Plan for the Avon Trail ( proposed )
Purpose of this marketing plan is to
- increase membership numbers
- increase number of hikers interested in hiking
- establish sustainable funding through memberships, corporate or grant
- increase revenue from donations and benefits, and sponsorships
- increase community awareness of the Avon Trail – Oxford, Perth and Region of Waterloo
- increase interest in Trail activities by the members and community at large
- keeping the trail in good shape
- increase in communication amongst the members – landowners
What Training is available:
- Hike leadership, First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, First Responder training
- Hike Ontario programs
- Attend workshops as they come available – such as the Land Information and the Ontario Trail Council workshop or Trail Maintenance Workshops. Attend Tourist workshops or volunteer marketing workshops.
- City of Stratford has community group training for non profit groups
The How to develop a sustainable membership :
Awareness and involvement = commitment = membership for life:
- Grants – Trillium grant allowed development of posters and upgraded flyers – TD Environment
- developing regular communication
- newsletter – regular hiking schedule – use Community Calendar – Avon Hiker
- development of the web site – control of the web site
- hosting events on the trail – Sandra’s hike, Dig and Donate program, Avon Trail day, Arthritis society hikes, tree planting service
- Networking with other similar organizations – Conservancy committee -, Harrington Water Meeting, Hwy 7/8corridor study, Heart Health Perth, Stratford Field Naturalists and LOOP, Active Transportation
- Trail Development – Conservancy committee – optimal trail meetings – Avon River extension
- contacting /sending letters to lapsed members along with membership form
- develop hike leaders – communicate interest in hikes
- Increase in sustainable revenue:
- increase in membership – articles in the papers, Community Events
- letters to potential sponsors / meetings with sponsors
- donation bookmarks / web site – placements in Funeral Homes and hand out to members
- develop Wellness in the Workplace program or corporate sponsors – for monetary or trail maintenance
- Develop Interest in the Trail and interest in Hiking:
- GPS of the trail
- Geo-Caching of the trail – large interest with the under 30 age group across North America
- Conservancy committee – Trail development in the North part of the Trail, and a potential side trail near Fairview, networking with other groups, tree planting.
- Over-night trips outside the Avon Trail area – Algonquin Park, Pelee Island
- Wellness in the Workplace – offer companies / office personal the opportunity to hike with fellow workers, with hikes lead by the Avon Trail hike leaders – or do trail maintenance.
- Tree planting – offer to landowners along our trail, the opportunity of planting trees for them. Trees acquired by the landowner from UTRCA. Of through other sources including TD Bank.
- Heart Health Perth – offer to lead hikes for their family fitness events – Wildwood and Exeter
- Hike leaders – development, appreciation and hike locations – end to ends
- Pictures of the trail on the web site – by section
- Agriculture on the Trail – interpretive signs – such as in the Green Belt – Guelph, Ganaraska and Elora have them on the trails now – drawing a lot of interest.
- Keeping the Trail in good shape:
- Trail Maintenance co-ordinator – having Trail Monitors trained and equipped
- Trail Monitors – bi/monthly hike and reporting of the trail conditions
- development of the trail maintenance crew and updating / tracking of the trail tool inventory
- develop Guide for Avon Trail workers – standard booklet for the trail
- development of two forms – for reporting on trail conditions – one for the Trail captains and one for the trail maintenance crew – mandatory to fill out and to file. Waivers to be used on hikes and with crews
- create template for blazing – purchase tools – bush whackers – string weeders – loppers
- auditing of trail – develop audit manual, contact Grand or Thames members to do 5 yr audit
- Communication:
- Newsletter – to be published twice a year – Avon Hiker posted everywhere ( university campus)
- Hiking schedule – it is to come out 4 times a year – mailed and e mailed and posted on the web
- Meetings – 4 times a year – with either guest speaker or a slide presentation of a member’s recent trip
- Board meetings – 4 times a year held before the regular meetings
- Publish in the newsletter – article and / or Community Calendar events all hikes and all other events
- hosting a Landowner Xmas – Wine and Cheese or breakfast
- Members Breakfast gathering – include hike
- attend Hike Ontario meetings – networking with other hiking groups – Wilmot, Region of Waterloo
- attending Waterloo Region Land Development Town meetings
- send out letters inviting membership to particular groups – such as boy scouts and girl guide groups- Bimini