Park Pilot Program
08-05-2009, 04:30 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Park Pilot Program
Has anyone heard anything about what, if anything Muncie plans to do with the PPP? I seem to recall that the AMA planed to revisit the issue and see if it was a viable program, or not. The membership numbers don't show that its doing any great things for improving the membership rolls. Anyone have any word on this?
Bill, AMA 4720
Bill, AMA 4720
08-06-2009, 08:55 AM
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RE: Park Pilot Program
Numbers?
Have we seen any new numbers
since the end of the year's blurb about PPP having 1100 (including the Open DropDowns) ?
I waited half a year to see numbers on how many PPP upgraded to Open,
are they so proud of that success that they wont shout it out with glee?
We really need a tally,
How many Opens dropped down vs how many PPP upgraded to Open
in this insanely expensive experiment.
Have we seen any new numbers
since the end of the year's blurb about PPP having 1100 (including the Open DropDowns) ?
I waited half a year to see numbers on how many PPP upgraded to Open,
are they so proud of that success that they wont shout it out with glee?
We really need a tally,
How many Opens dropped down vs how many PPP upgraded to Open
in this insanely expensive experiment.
08-06-2009, 04:10 PM
#3
RE: Park Pilot Program
Not an answer to the question, but maybe an idea as to just where the EC focus may be looking.
AMA Web Site; AMA EC Minutes, April '09:
"9. New Business
a. AVP Report – withdrawn, will report in July
b. Membership - informational
C. Bauer noted that in reviewing the membership reports Council receives on a regular basis, the group of members that are most steadfast in renewing their membership is the Senior Citizens (always in the 90 percentile). The percentage of AMA member population that is 55 years of age and older is 23.4 % (this was in 2007); this age group increases roughly one half to one percent per year. To Bauer this indicates AMA should be marketing to this group; they stay members for the longest time, have the highest renewal rate of anyone and the proportion is getting greater all the time.
The President felt this is important information and noted that the Education Department is looking at this demographic."
AMA Web Site; AMA EC Minutes, April '09:
"9. New Business
a. AVP Report – withdrawn, will report in July
b. Membership - informational
C. Bauer noted that in reviewing the membership reports Council receives on a regular basis, the group of members that are most steadfast in renewing their membership is the Senior Citizens (always in the 90 percentile). The percentage of AMA member population that is 55 years of age and older is 23.4 % (this was in 2007); this age group increases roughly one half to one percent per year. To Bauer this indicates AMA should be marketing to this group; they stay members for the longest time, have the highest renewal rate of anyone and the proportion is getting greater all the time.
The President felt this is important information and noted that the Education Department is looking at this demographic."
08-06-2009, 05:37 PM
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RE: Park Pilot Program
From Dec 1997 article.
Fishing in the wrong part of the pond.
The quest for new membership has been going on for some time. We are constantly looking for the ways to attract the youth, competing with little league, TV, MTV, video games, the mall, and girls. It was bad enough when we just had girls to worry about. Maybe we are fishing in the wrong spot. If we look back over the recent past and ask were the new members we have attracted have come from, we find that they are the Seasoned Citizens. Many have not built a model plane since they were a kid. Many never built one, but through a friend were introduced to Radio Control and soon became hooked.
Consider the demographics, millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age in the next few years with time on their hands and cash to play with and a mind set that lets them indulge themselves and a driving need to do something different.
What will they be looking for, now that the job career is behind them? They will be looking for social interchange. Their minds will be looking for new challenges. They have an inherent interest in the past (aviation history that they grew up with and a chance to relive some of it with models of the vintage planes they vaguely remember hearing about). They will be looking for something fun to do, something that can consume the energy they brought from their jobs.
I talked with some new club members, those that have just started in model aviation and what attracted them. It was in most cases through a friend that brought them to the field or they happened to wander into his workshop or saw him loading planes in his car. Once they joined the group they were hooked, the frequent get-togethers at the field, the mutual support on building projects, the travel to fly ins and the general feeling that they were more than a couch potato and doing something just a bit more challenging than could be handled by the average bear. They were doing something fun, interesting and physically and mentally stimulating, yet something that they could do as the infirmities of age crept up on them. While golf scores may start to ebb, model-building skills seem to flourish with age. Something for nice weather and something for those cold rainy days. Something they could look upon with pride of accomplishment. Yes and maybe even a break from the regiment of golf everyday, something they could do if, when and where they felt like it, in the solitude of their workshop or in the social whirl at a busy day at the field. Something that could totally consume them.
So we bring in the rare 14-year-old and then loose him in a couple of years to college, job, family - for maybe a half century before he has the time and money to "get involved" in R/C again. Lets look to those that have passed that half-century and have the time, inclination, resources and interest once they discover the hobby. Most of them will be good for at least another 20 years or more to enjoy the hobby with us . . . and there are a lot more coming along behind them.
At our mall shows in the past the only real interest was shown by those OUTSIDE of the age range 6 to 60. How about a great article in AARP magazine? Stop by your local Sr. Citizen center for a show and tell on Radio Control. I know the old timers have taken over the hobby, (have you looked at the local golf course lately) but we have a steady supply of them well into the next century . . . they do have the time to keep the grass mowed and facilities in top shape and raging hormones won't distract them (well most of them). Even today's teen-agers will grow older someday and find that the boob tube just doesn't hack it any longer and Betty Lou is getting a bit long of tooth.
We have the right bait; we just have to fish in the right hole.
Fishing in the wrong part of the pond.
The quest for new membership has been going on for some time. We are constantly looking for the ways to attract the youth, competing with little league, TV, MTV, video games, the mall, and girls. It was bad enough when we just had girls to worry about. Maybe we are fishing in the wrong spot. If we look back over the recent past and ask were the new members we have attracted have come from, we find that they are the Seasoned Citizens. Many have not built a model plane since they were a kid. Many never built one, but through a friend were introduced to Radio Control and soon became hooked.
Consider the demographics, millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age in the next few years with time on their hands and cash to play with and a mind set that lets them indulge themselves and a driving need to do something different.
What will they be looking for, now that the job career is behind them? They will be looking for social interchange. Their minds will be looking for new challenges. They have an inherent interest in the past (aviation history that they grew up with and a chance to relive some of it with models of the vintage planes they vaguely remember hearing about). They will be looking for something fun to do, something that can consume the energy they brought from their jobs.
I talked with some new club members, those that have just started in model aviation and what attracted them. It was in most cases through a friend that brought them to the field or they happened to wander into his workshop or saw him loading planes in his car. Once they joined the group they were hooked, the frequent get-togethers at the field, the mutual support on building projects, the travel to fly ins and the general feeling that they were more than a couch potato and doing something just a bit more challenging than could be handled by the average bear. They were doing something fun, interesting and physically and mentally stimulating, yet something that they could do as the infirmities of age crept up on them. While golf scores may start to ebb, model-building skills seem to flourish with age. Something for nice weather and something for those cold rainy days. Something they could look upon with pride of accomplishment. Yes and maybe even a break from the regiment of golf everyday, something they could do if, when and where they felt like it, in the solitude of their workshop or in the social whirl at a busy day at the field. Something that could totally consume them.
So we bring in the rare 14-year-old and then loose him in a couple of years to college, job, family - for maybe a half century before he has the time and money to "get involved" in R/C again. Lets look to those that have passed that half-century and have the time, inclination, resources and interest once they discover the hobby. Most of them will be good for at least another 20 years or more to enjoy the hobby with us . . . and there are a lot more coming along behind them.
At our mall shows in the past the only real interest was shown by those OUTSIDE of the age range 6 to 60. How about a great article in AARP magazine? Stop by your local Sr. Citizen center for a show and tell on Radio Control. I know the old timers have taken over the hobby, (have you looked at the local golf course lately) but we have a steady supply of them well into the next century . . . they do have the time to keep the grass mowed and facilities in top shape and raging hormones won't distract them (well most of them). Even today's teen-agers will grow older someday and find that the boob tube just doesn't hack it any longer and Betty Lou is getting a bit long of tooth.
We have the right bait; we just have to fish in the right hole.
AMA member until death do us part!
