Neil Maurer is the PGA director of golf and club operations at Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, Delaware.

Neil Maurer on the importance of creating a party atmosphere:
Demo days and sidewalk sales almost always attract a nice crowd of regulars, but in order to help bring in new customers and entice everyone to stay and shop for longer periods of time, I turned our events into parties. We made our demo day a real block party by bringing in grills for food, kegs of beer and playing a classic rock streaming radio station over our P.A. system. Our members loved the complementary food, beer and music and the parties brought in more people who spent more time and more money.

Neil Maurer on the business impact of creating a party atmosphere:
In 2013, before creating party-like atmospheres, customers spent an average of 30 minutes at our demo day. Now, they spend over an hour at our block party. In addition to the time spent increases, our attendance ballooned to 100 people, of which each person spent an average of $240. Addtionally, our members received the food & beverage for free, but guests paid a nominal fee, which helped boost another portion of our business’ revenue. Even our sidewalk sales saw an increase in traffic and a $2,000 increase in revenue, purely because of our music and because we marketed it as a fun event, rather than a simple sale.

If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email nmaurer@troongolf.com