Curling Bonspiel & Social

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

On February 11th, Beacon Hill Club did something never attempted at the Club before - we hosted our first ever Curling Bonspiel & Social. Capitalizing on our recent ice rink renovation and people's fascination with curling in the winter Olympics, we decided to host our first curling tournament (bonspiel) to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for our members.

The event included four lanes of curling, 8 participants per lane. Each time we set up the registration, it sold out in days, leading us to add lanes and times to accommodate more members. At the end of the pre-registered timeslots, the final hour was dedicated to open play which many members participated in. In addition to the curling portion, there was plenty of entertainment for the casual spectator. In the viewing area, we set up three tasting stations from the Club's current vendors (Scotch, Wine and Craft Beer). Members could select their favorite and vote for it to be added to the winter drink menu. With the addition of Beer Pong, Cornhole, and an outdoor BBQ, the event had something for all 160 participants in attendance.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

The idea was generated as a follow up to a team discussion of ways to capture recent momentum within the Club. After emailing out the first announcement, the designated 96 spots filled up in 3 days. We added 16 more spots which filled up almost immediately. We finally added another 16 spots to accommodate a total of 128 curlers. Because this was such a unique event that had never been experienced at the Club, or by any of our members elsewhere, there was a tremendous amount of excitement.

Skaters registered for preferred times and were assigned lanes when they arrived at the event. Each group was given instruction both on and off the ice and all registered members had the opportunity to perform each function of the curling team, from sliding the stone to sweeping it to its goal! Members reactions were excitement and enthusiasm. They laughed and had a blast as they all learned a new sport together.

The event was so successful that it has already been added to the 2019 social calendar.