Park District "Sold" on Marketing Position

by Nancy Chamberlain

"This position has promoted more visibility for the Park District more access to nontax monies', and a positive step into the present"

Frank Mushow Elmhurst Park District Commissioner

"Marketing in the year 2000 will bring many changes to the recreation field. Some will be easy to adjust to, and others will be more complex." So wrote Colleen Callahan, Manager of Marketing and Revenue Development for the Elmhurst Park District. If she were noting her own job experience, she might have said, "Marketing at the park district level will bring many changes to the recreation field.

The Elmhurst Park District, under Director of Leisure Services Charles Balling, recommended the creation of the marketing and revenue development position in 1989 in response to the mandate of their board to run the park district like a business. "Also I saw the movement away from supporting many of the Park District special interest programs with tax dollars to having the participant pay through fees," Balling said.

Colleen came to the newly created position with an MBA in marketing from Rosary College and five years experience in marketing at Donnelly Directory. Her total job responsibility is broken down to 25% of time spent on fund raising and 75% on marketing. Her marketing tasks are further divided: 45% on strategic planning and the marketing mix at Courts Plus, the District's fitness and sports complex; 10% on overall park district marketing, including the golf course and parks; 8% on the senior center; 7% for early childhood, special events and performing arts; and 5% on the two outdoor pools.

"I act as a consultant," Colleen explained. "Advising staff and managers on how to better serve the Elmhurst community to focus on their leisure needs through promotion, pricing, creating a public image and measuring needs, perceptions, preferences and consumer satisfaction through surveys." To do this. Colleen prepares demographic data needed by staff in each area. Together they formulate marketing plans, including promotional schedules, and ways to implement them. "It's been gratifying to have the staff think about programs and facilities from a marketing perspective," Colleen said. "My first thought was, where do we start? Everything was new and we wanted to do it all!" She sees her role as a catalyst succeed when staff gets excited about the alternatives they've discovered using marketing techniques. "I'm here to get them focused and to help," she added. Colleen also helps increase Park District awareness in the public and corporate sector as well as in the professional marketing area. She's completing her second term as a director of the American Marketing Association.

She sees marketing becoming a stronger factor in park district management as tax revenues decline. "It's important for each district to focus on the needs and wants of the user and find alternatives to revenue," Colleen said. She believes the percentage of time she now spends on fund raising will increase in the future. Currently her revenue development tasks include promoting the Elmhurst Park District to local service and community groups, applying for grants, seeking gifts

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and donations from individuals, securing sponsors for special events, and seeking corporate sponsors for selected services.

What impact did the emphasis on marketing have at Elmhurst? Larry Lanciotti, Manager of Membership Services of Courts Plus responds:

"As park districts face increased competition, they find their revenue base becoming stagnant or shrinking. Through the use of a planned, consistent marketing effort, in coordination with quality programs/ facilities and excellent customer service, park districts have the ability to increase their market share and expand their revenue base." Larry indicated that their marketing efforts have helped the Elmhurst Park District to communicate the importance of health and fitness to its residents. The result is Courts Plus over 5,000 members (82% residents) and the annual retention of over 75% of its members, 10% better than the industry average for health clubs. A more dramatic testimonial comes from Elmhurst Park District Commissioner, Frank Mushow: "Seeing is believing. My reaction to a full-time marketing position was, 'is it justifiable?' Today I know the end justified the means. This position has promoted more visibility for the Park District, more access to non-tax monies, and a positive step into the present. Most things cannot sell themselves, they must be sold."

Elmhurst Park District is not alone in their marketing concern. According to Jini Clare, Director of Communications for the Naperville Park District: "We realize the importance of well- planned marketing efforts. This includes pricing our programs and facilities carefully, surveying the public about its needs and wants, targeting our promotions to various age and interest groups, and attempting to deliver our services in places that are convenient and accessible. Our strategic plan addresses many of these issues, and we follow these guidelines as carefully as our resources permit"

Colleen Callahan has addressed park district marketing in four sessions at IPRA conventions with topics such as "Let's Talk Marketing," "Get It To Print" and "A Focused Strategy To Delivering Leisure Services." She's a regular contributor to Get the Message, a publication from the IPRA Communications and Marketing Committee and is a member of the PRPRA group, comprised of park and recreation PR and marketing members.

Nancy Chamberlain is the Communications Supervisor/or the Arlington Heights Park District and member of PRPRA, the Park and Recreation PR Association.*

Illinois Parks & Recreation * July/August 1994 * 21