Danajill Bee Fit

Tips and Tricks to Promote Your Zumba™ Events
-Part 2-
By: Lizz Larrauri

Today I will tell you everything I know about how to have a successful Zumba-thon. But first, what is a Zumba-thon?
 
Is it a...

• Zumba™ triathlon where people compete to dance for hours? 
• Zumba™ instructors competition? 
• Zumba™ event with a ton of people? 
• Long Zumba™ class that last hours and have a lot of different instructors performing? 
• Zumba™ class to showcase different dance styles? 
• Zumba™ class to promote the brand and instructors in the area? 
• Zumba™ class where I can dance and win free stuff? 

Interesting thoughts, and you may be surprised at the definition of what a Zumba-thon really is! A Zumba-thon is a Zumba class that can last from an hour to two hours, three hours or four.....Even MORE! In my area, these events are usually held for two to three hours. It is NOT a Zumba™ marathon or competition. It is a fun longer class organized to contribute to a special cause. When we say special cause, we are referring to a charitable organization. A good example is the Zumba™ Sponsored “Party in Pink”.

Zumbathon 2017

We do not mean to raise money to buy Zumba™ wear or other personal items, etc). At these events, most of the money from sale of the tickets are used to fund the charitable cause the event is contributing to. There are a few caveats. A minimum percentage of sales may be used to pay for expenses like a venue or a DJ. For more information on planning your next Zumba-thon, and the do's and dont's of expenses, most of the information you need can be found at Zumba.com under your instructors tools.

If the purpose of having a Zumba0-thon is to showcase instructors and there isn't a valid cause or theme, you CAN still have your special event, but it is recommended that it a Master Class. Please don’t call your class with guest instructors and no charitable cause a Zumba-thon since it has the possibility to create confusion in the Zumba™ community. We will talk about Master Classes in another occasion.

Here are my top 10 tips to have a successful Zumbathon:
1. Date: Choose a date for your event that doesn’t fall on a Holiday or during events like the Superbowl or the opening of Aquaman with Jason Momoa!

2. DJ: If your venue doesn’t have a good sound system, hire a good and reliable DJ. Or look into renting a sound system for the day of your event.
3. Instructors: Invite a lineup of instructors that are diverse with various styles across many gyms to participate. You will find that the staged is ROCKED with a plethora of experience, personality and flair! Personally, I think the more the merrier!
4. Share the Stage: This is SO important! Share the stage. Spread the love. Include the new kids on the block. By this I mean to invite new instructors to participate. This small gesture really goes a long way helping someone that is new to the Zumba™ community.
5. Ticket Prices: Set a goal and figure out the best way to get there. Do not price tickets too high. It is better to have 100 people donating, joining the event and having fun rather than just 20 people paying a high price and not meeting your goal.
6. Promotion: Make a nice flyer to promote your event, and post the marketing everywhere on Facebook and IG. Don't forget to tag everyone you know and make sure to invite all your friends
7. Share! Share!: Print the flyer. Yes! A paper copy, and share with all the Zumba™ fanatics in your area. Some instructors will even help by promoting within their own groups and classes.
8. Pick a theme: Picking a theme is fun and adds an element of creativity to your event! You can get creative and have everyone dress a certain color, or have everyone dress up. Good examples area: An 80’s party, Games of Throne (think Drogo), Valentines, etc 

9. Find sponsors: Sponsors will help you promote your event. They may also donate freebies for your raffle if you plan to have one. (Movie tickets to go see Aquaman with Jason Momoa are acceptable😁)
10. Have fun: Remember why you are there! You are there to have fun, dance, be with your Zumba™ family, and raise money for a great cause. Zumba-thons are not competitions. It is not a competition neither for instructors participating on stage and it is not a competition for people attending the event.

I hope you found this information useful. Until next time! Stay tuned for my next article, and don't forget to find me on Instagram to keep up-to-date with pictures from my events!