Blue Bell Country Club transformed its ballroom into a drive-in movie setting, complete with golf carts, concession stand, and ample room for “parking.”
As the saying goes, “Into each life, a little rain must fall.” But rather than look upon a gloomy forecast as a detriment to hosting club events, Blue Bell (Pa.) Country Club sees it as an opportunity for a creative offering.
When General Manager Kristopher Fair worked at another club prior to coming to Blue Bell, he created an “indoor drive-in movie” for families. Initially planned for outdoors, the event had to be moved inside because of inclement weather, but still turned out to be a success.
THE GOAL: Enhance the already-popular children’s event calendar at Blue Bell CC with a unique, weather-proof option.
THE PLAN: Transform the club’s ballroom into a drive-in movie setting, complete with golf carts, concession stand, and ample room for “parking.” THE PAYOFF: A well-attended outing that will now be a regular event—for adults as well as kids. |
“It had rained horribly that day, but instead of lightning hitting us, this idea did,” he recalls. “When I came to Blue Bell in January 2015, it was one of the first events we introduced for our youngest members.”
Creating exciting programs for kids ranks high on Fair’s list of priorities. “Just as it’s important for our ladies to be able to play golf on Saturday morning with no tee-time restrictions, young children need to find value in their experiences at our club as well,” he explains.
Every month, Blue Bell CC hosts member events that cater to different age demographics. On a sunny January Sunday, the Old-Fashioned Drive-In Movie outing came to town, and landed rave reviews.
Prior to the event, the movie outing was promoted to members and their families via a coloring page in the children’s menu in the club’s dining room. “The menu always has the next kid’s event on it, to make both parents and children aware of what is happening,” says Fair.
Member events at Blue Bell typically fall into one of two categories—retention or recruitment—and the movie outing was promoted to bring added value to the membership. Like all of the children’s programming, there was no fee to participate. Children ages 10 and under were treated to popcorn and refreshments, with oversized candy bars and boxes of Mike and Ike candies available for purchase.
To set the stage, the club’s ballroom was emptied out, and chairs and tables were replaced with golf carts, which had been driven through the main lobby, past the restaurant and parked all around the ballroom by staff.
“Yes, we removed the keys from the carts prior to our participants’ arrival,” notes Fair.
The main bar was repurposed as a candy and concession stand, and popcorn containers were distributed to fit inside the golf carts’ drink holders.
Kids had the option of watching the featured flick, Finding Dory, while either sitting inside the carts or lying on the carpet.
“Our projector and sound system are built into the ceiling,” says Fair. “This was a big help, as there were no blind spots from any cart.”
With 93 kids in attendance, the drive-in movie was deemed a hit with all ages. “Our parents requested that we do another drive-in movie—but for them,” enthuses Fair.
The children’s social-programming calendar is filled for the remainder of this year, but the club is expected to offer the event again in 2018.
“With no cost, a fun-filled winter Sunday afternoon was full of excitement, giggles and smiles,” Fair says. “This was a win for the members and our club as a whole.”
As if members’ enthusiasm wasn’t enough to validate the event, the club recently learned of a facility in Florida that implemented the same idea for its members.
“They told us their members called it ‘brilliant,’” Fair says proudly. “And to think it all came to be because it rained one afternoon.”
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.