Santa’s holiday visit is a tradition at most clubs. In he comes with his big jolly belly and his bright white beard, granting ho-ho-holiday wishes to all he sees. But when Santa himself stops drawing in members, it’s time to call for a backup.

For years, the Carolina Country Club, Raleigh, N.C., hosted a complimentary annual function built around a visit from Santa, where children had the opportunity to have their pictures taken and the club served complimentary cookies and punch. “Member participation had been waning,” says Gustavo C. Muzzolon, CEC, Assistant General Manager. “We needed to reinvigorate the theme and we wanted to generate a new source of revenue for this annual function. So we called on Rudolph.”

THE GOAL:Carolina CC (CCC) wanted to replace an annual function that had previously been free and built around a visit from Santa with a themed, revenue-generating event.THE PLAN:The club’s Youth and Social departments teamed up to plan a multifaceted “Rockin’ Rudolph” breakfast with Santa that included many activities to appeal to a wider range of ages and taste. THE PAYOFF: CCC significantly increased member participation by changing the format from a relatively small event for which members weren’t charged to a very popular, multi-generational function that generated a good new source of revenue.

With a 2009 goal of augmenting member participation in club events, the club’s administration, social, youth and communications departments teamed up to plan a multifaceted event full of holiday-themed activities that would appeal to a wider range of ages and tastes.

“Scheduling events in December is always a challenge, but once we identified the best day (Sunday, December 6), it became a matter of promoting it,” says Muzzalon. Targeted e-mails, poster signs and the club’s newsletter were all used to get the word out.

The new format—which attracted nearly 500 people from multiple generations—offered a much more festive event that included gingerbread house decorating stations, a full breakfast with reserved tables, a bar, and many other entertainment activities that encouraged participation by the whole family, such as carriage rides, a face-painting clown, and a balloon artist.  And of course, Santa and Rudolph were there for photos as well.

“The Rockin’ Rudolph Breakfast was a great opportunity to engage the members in another activity at the club,” says Muzzalon. “Plus, it showcased the club’s culinary and event-planning skills.”