As a new pattern pilot with only one contest under my belt it has always been the cost of admission (airplane price). Along with that is the cost of attending a contest. My closes contest is the one I attended is still a 2 1/2 hour drive. Most if not all contests are two day events which either you drive back and forth or make an overnight stay. At least in my neck of the woods that is the case. It may be different in your area. Maybe a few single day contests for sportsman and club would be in order. I'm thinking a single day would be easier to sell to a hosting club to give up "their field" for a day rather than a whole weekend.
The other factor is the intimidation factor. You show up, in my case, with a Pulse XT40 setting in the midst of $3000+ 2M ships and you think you don't have a chance. You aren't even considering you are in the "beginner class". So now you have yourself psyched out thinking you've wasted your time coming here and blew the entry fee....... OK so My first experience was not this bad as I used to compete in pylon racing back in the Quarter Midget days so I had a feeling of what to expect. BUT, this is what I felt at my first pylon race. No difference for a pattern contest and in fact I had some of that feeling.
So my suggestion for Club class and Sportsman would be to limit wingspan and or weight. Well maybe limit is to strong.... SUGGEST wingspan and weight limits. The weight limits should be a MINIMUM weight to discourage the super light weight models. IMO the 2M ships are very fragile. We don't need that in club and sportsman. We need some ruggedness built in to withstand the mishaps that happen when flying. Maybe even to provide a list of suggested air frames. There are some fairly affordable "pattern" air frames on The World Models web site for those that want a "pattern" airplane.
As far as the sequences for club and sportsman I'm not sure what could be done to simplify them. Make sportsman too simple and the jump up to the next class is to big and you discourage pilots from trying to advance a level. I don't know what the answer is.
As long as I'm on the soap box...
My opinion is the weight limit for pattern is ass backwards. The weight should be 11 pounds minimum, NOT maximum. Guys could still build 11 pound 2M planes but it gives the option of building with not so "exotic" materials maybe driving the cost down a bit... maybe... Everybody says excess weight is bad so a heavier plane is only going to hurt. Or is it????? OK, here is the big one.... Attitude. While I will have to say the guys I met at my contest were pretty nice I see some at that contest (well any contest for that matter) and more so in forums like this one that have the attitude you can only compete with a 2M air frame. You must run electric and you must have spent several thousand dollars. High dollar servos are always suggested, etc. Always the best of the best is suggested. REMEMBER we are trying to help the newbie get started here. I've been in the hobby long enough to know better. But the newbie might not. He or she will start adding up the cost and are never to be seen again. Heck even I am intimidated by the costs and therefore are always trying to get by on the cheap with used everything as that is what my budget allows.
OK, I just put my flame suit on so have at it! LOL
Ken
EDIT: Gyros, Limit them to Club and Sportsman classes only. Give the new guy a chance to fly nice. I see a club class pilot using one. That same pilot will start to use one in Sportsman but knows they will not be allowed next class up so will discontinue the use in prep of moving up a class.