1. Kids- Story Walk
General Information
The story walk is a free program that we could offer at Legacy Park Community Center.
Children and their parents would start at the beginning of the 1.6 mile trail and walk around the trail.
Along the way there would be signs posted at the side of the trail with parts of a story on it. As the
patrons progress further and further on the trail then they would be able to read more and more of the
story. The ending of the story would be the end of the trail. This program would be offered once a
month for a couple of days. It would be possible to find stories with an exercise component to it and
allow patrons to interact with the stories so they are getting even more exercise.
Budget
See Attached
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
The target audience of this program would be young children or families with children who
want to make sure their kids are getting exercise. Another target audience would be children who are
overweight and need more exercise. Also, the target audience could be children who don’t want to take
the time out from being outside to read.
SWOT
Strengths
A strength of this program is that it allows parents to exercise with their children, and make
sure their children are safe. If parents are already walking around the Legacy Park trail then this allows
them to keep that routine up, but bring their child along with them too. Another strength would be the
ease of the program. Most of the time taken for this program would be to make the story signs and
place them around the trail. The last strength is that the program promotes two different areas of need
for children, exercise and literacy. This program allows children to get exercise while reading, thus
helping to increase exposure. Any program that can help to fight childhood obesity and promote literacy
goes over well with the community.
Weaknesses
A weakness of this program would be the different age ranges of people who may participate
in this program. It might be hard to implement stories for children of different ages and/or reading
levels, which may deter some people from participating. Another weakness is the length of the trail.
Some parents and children may not want to walk the whole Legacy Park trail, which would mean that
they may not participate in the program. This could be remedied by having different stories at different
lengths for the trail or using a shorter distance.
Opportunities
An opportunity for this program is to expand it to a nature walking program, which can
educate children about the outdoors while reading. Another opportunity is that the program draws new
2. members to Legacy Park Community Center and the use of the trails. Some parents may not have ever
been to Legacy Park and this program may take them out there for the first time.
Threats
A threat for this program would be the weather. If the weather is not cooperating then the
participation in the program will decrease. Another threat would be the other patrons who use the trail.
They may not like the trail being used by kids who are stopping in order to read the story that is posted
along the way.
Marketing
The event will be marketed in the same way as other LSPR events, including the following:
Social Media
Illustrated
Posters
Word of mouth
Other LSPR events
Email Blasts
Cross market with other kids programming
Cross market with Camp Summit
National Market Analysis
Overall conclusion
The StoryWalk program was developed by a group out in Maine for communities to use. Many
different organizations participate in the program or host some sort of Story Walk, but it is not
something that has spread to Parks and Recreation Departments across the nation. The StoryWalk
organization has reached out to many different community sectors and distributed 36 stories to various
organizations in Maine and Vermont in 2014.
Local Market Analysis
Warrensburg Parks and Recreation
This program is offered by WPR twice per summer for one week at a time. The stories are
posted along a trail for one week in order to allow patrons as much time to read the stories as possible.
One story is normally posted in June with the other being posted at the end of July. According to the
WPR Director the program is very successful and normally generates a lot of buzz on Facebook about
when the next one will be posted.
Gladstone Parks and Recreation
This program is offered twice per summer and is structured similarly to Warrensburg’s
program. The story is posted along the trail for one week at a time and there are two stories that GPR
post for their Story Walk throughout the summer. While there is an issue with actually counting the
numbers of participants in the program, since it is an open trail, the Director of Parks and Recreation
3. said that they have high attendance in their weekly storytelling class and have witnessed people
participating in the Story Walk multiple times.
Overall conclusion
There are a couple of Parks and Recreation Departments around the Metro that participate in
the program and have generated interest in continuing the program. Warrensburg Parks and Recreation
said they had success with the program plus it helps to bond families, increase reading skills, and
increase awareness about the various trails located around Warrensburg.
Description for the Illustrated
1. Looking for a way to combine exercise and reading at the same time? Come on out to
Legacy Park Community Center and participate in our story walk. Starting at the
beginning of the trail, walk the Legacy Park trail and stop to read parts of a story posted
along the way. Walk the entire trail to read the entire story.
2. Once a month for a week throughout summer.
3. Free
4. No deadline- Drop in program
5. Weekly throughout the summer
6. Legacy Park Community Center trails
4. Story Walk Budget
Revenues
Registration Fees $0.00
Total Revenues $0.00
Expenses
Paper $5.00
Laminating Paper $10.00
Stakes for sign $5.00
Full-Time Staff $100.00 1 hr/session, 4 sessions
Total Expenses $120.00
Net -$120.00
5. Teens- Archery
General Information
Many departments/agencies around the country have implemented archery and seen success
with the program. This program would be offered as a one month program in order to educate teens on
the proper technique, safety, and maintenance of a bow. The sport of archery has increased in
population throughout the country, especially with parks and recreation programs. Many of these
programs have seen great success with their archery program.
Budget
See Attached
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
The target audience of this program would be teenagers who have an interest in archery,
especially those who haven’t been able to find the time or space to get into the sport. Another section
of the target audience would be teenagers who have done archery before, but need to refresh their
skills or just have somewhere where they can practice.
SWOT
Strengths
A strength of this program would be the interest that archery has been gaining in the
recreation world. Many Recreation programs around the Nation are starting to build archery ranges
and/or implement archery programs into their normal rotation of programs. Another strength of this
program would be the interest in the Lee’s Summit community that archery has. Lee’s Summit has a
very active group of students who are interested in archery and are starting to branch out in the school
system to include middle school students along with the high school students who are interested in the
program.
Weaknesses
A weakness of this program would be the lack of space available at Lee’s Summit Parks and
Recreation facilities. LSPR does not have a dedicated archery range which means that the program
would have to go to another range in order to shoot or use one of the facilities that we have. Another
weakness could be the lack of interest in teaching the class. If LSPR uses a staff member to teach the
class there may not be interest in teaching it.
Opportunities
An opportunity of this program would be to partner up with the school district to increase
exposure of the program to the children involved. Since the school district has increasing interest in
archery, a partnership with them could be a boost to interest in the program through LSPR. Another
opportunity would be to expand the program based on interest and start to hold archery competitions
through LSPR.
6. Threats
A threat of the program would be the programs that are offered through the school district.
While the school district may increase interest in the program it may also hinder the program if patrons
choose to go through the school district rather than through Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation.
Another threat is the liability issue that comes with teaching archery. Any organization that implements
archery wants to make sure that they are teaching a safe program.
Marketing
The event will be marketed in the same way as other LSPR events, including the following:
Social Media
Illustrated
Posters
Word of mouth
Other LSPR events
Email Blasts
Cross market with other teen programs
National Market Analysis
James City County Parks and Recreation
The Archery 101 class offered by JCCPR is a beginning archery class for children ages 9 and up.
This class is a three week long class with each session lasting one and a half hours. The class is aimed to
teach the children the basics of archery and the cost is $50 for residents and $55 for non-residents.
JCCPR provides the students with bows, arrows, and targets and has a volunteer program to teach the
class. All of the instructors are certified through the 4-H program in Virginia.
Wheaton Park District
Similarly to other programs the Wheaton Park District archery program lasts for one month
and is aimed at children ages 8 and up. During this one month long class the instructor will teach
children the proper safety and technique of archery along with other subjects. All equipment is provided
by Wheaton Park District and the fee is $80 for residents and $100 for non-residents. The teaching of
this class is all done through a contractor and is held at a district facility.
City of Allen Parks and Recreation
City of Allen Parks and Recreation offers an archery program for children ages 8 to 18 and is
taught for 1 month. Each class lasts for one hour and happens one time per week. The class is taught by
a staff member of the City of Allen Parks and Recreation and all equipment is provided by the
department along with the facility use. The staff member that teaches the class is USA Archery Level 1
certified.
Plymouth Parks and Recreation
Plymouth Parks and Recreation archery program is a one month program for children ages 7
and up. This class occurs one time per week, but lasts for an hour and a half, which is more than other
7. departments. Like the other departments, however, the equipment is provided by Plymouth Parks and
Recreation. The cost for the program is $80 for residents and $92 for non-residents.
Overall conclusion
Many Gold Medal Parks and Recreation departments around the nation offer an archery
program, so I listed some of them that would be close to what we offered. At least 10 of the past Gold
Medal winners and/or finalists offer an archery program through their Parks and Recreation
department. Due to the increasing interest in archery, this comes as no surprise. Many, if not all of
them, have equipment provided by the department with the staff teaching the classes. All of the
programs reported great interest and normally full classes.
I believe that Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation would benefit greatly from a strong archery
program. As it is shown above, many gold medal winners and finalists offer this type of program, and
following their lead would be beneficial. Many programs had a minimum enrollment number of about
five or six with a maximum of 12 to 16 participants.
Local Market Analysis
Johnson County Parks and Recreation
The Johnson County Parks and Recreation archery program is aimed towards teaching 8-12
year olds the basics of archery. This is done through two, 90-minutes sessions. The price point for this
class is $29 for residents and $31 for non-residents.
Gladstone Parks and Recreation
Gladstone Parks and Recreation’s archery program is geared towards teenagers, with the age
range being 10-15 years old. All the equipment is provided, much like many other programs, but this
class is taught by a staff member of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Classes last for two
weeks and there is one class per week. The fee for this program is $15.
Lawrence Parks and Recreation
The program offered by LPR is for ages 7-16 and is for one session of lessons. These sessions
last for an hour and a half and are taught by certified instructors. The goal is to introduce the
participants to the basics of using a compound bow. The fee for this class is $10.
Turner Recreation Commission (Kansas City, Kansas)
This program is a month long session that provides the basic training for operating a bow. The
ages are 7 to adult and costs $30 per month. Each class is an hour long and takes place on Thursday of
each week.
Overall conclusion
Many Parks and Recreation departments around the metro area do not offer archery only
classes; they offer archery as part of a summer camp and/or day camp alongside other activities. There
8. are many independent organizations and/or clubs that offer archery lessons, but not many Parks and
Recreation departments. I believe that Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation could benefit from exploring
this niche and being one of the first departments in the area to provide a solid archery program. If this
program is implemented LSPR could qualify for a $500 rebate that is offered by Missouri Conservation
after the purchase of new equipment.
Description for the Illustrated
1. Ever wanted to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow? Come join us in learning how to
shoot archery. Bows and equipment will be available, but feel free to bring your own.
2. $50 per 4-week session
3. 1 Hour long class
4. 1 class per week for 4 weeks.
5. 3 sessions
6. HPCC/ External Site
7. At maximum the class would have three students sharing a bow and shooting at the
target. This would be repeated so there are five groups of three students.
Minimum: 5 patrons
Maximum: 15 patrons
10. Young Adults- Pickleball Instructional Class
General Information
This program would be young adults who were interested in learning how to play Pickleball in
a non-competitive setting. This program would provide all the equipment and space for new players to
learn how to play the game.
Budget
See Attached
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
The target audience for this program would be young adults, ages 16 to 29, who are
interested in learning how to play pickleball.
SWOT
Strengths
There already is a significant interest in pickleball offered by LSPR. The interest in our program
at Legacy Park Community Center could help attract younger players to learn how to play the game.
Another strength would be that pickleball is a growing sport and gaining more and more popularity. The
sport is starting to be introduced into schools which would help to spread awareness and increase
interest in it.
Weaknesses
A weakness of this program could be the location. Patrons may not be aware of Upper Banner
Park or the pickleball courts there. Another weakness could be the quality of the instructor. If the
instructor isn’t good then the patrons won’t enjoy their time, learn anything, or want to participate in
the program.
Opportunities
An opportunity of this program would be to generate enough interest in young adults who
take this class that they want to participate in our other pickleball programs. This would drive more
people to our leagues and to Legacy and continue to increase the exposure.
Threats
A threat would be all the other sport options that young adults have. They may not be
interested in learning how to play pickleball if they are able to go out and play something else. Another
threat would be the weather because if the weather is bad then we would have to cancel and
reschedule class.
Marketing
The event will be marketed in the same way as other LSPR events, including the following:
11. Social Media
Illustrated
Posters
Word of mouth
Other LSPR events
Email Blasts
Cross market with other programs aimed at young adults
National Market Analysis
James City County Parks & Recreation
JCCPR offers a beginner’s pickleball class for anyone ages 12 and up. This program is led by the
pickleball players in Williamsburg, Virginia and scheduled by them. The Parks and Recreation
department just helps to advertise and promote the class along with allowing the pickleball players to
use their facility.
Bend Metro Parks & Recreation District
Bend Metro offers an introduction to pickleball class for adults of any age. Their program is a
75-minute long class designed for beginners. While there is no set length to the class, it runs from the
beginning of June until the end of August, patrons are able to attend as many or as few lessons as they
feel they need to. For each lesson they attend the patrons pay $5/$6. All of the sessions take place on
Monday at the pickleball courts in Bend.
Plymouth Parks & Recreation Department
Plymouth offers a beginner’s pickleball class for ages 6-12. The class last for two hours and is
four days in length. The participants are taught the basics of pickleball. The cost for residents is $75 and
for non-residents it is $86.
Overall conclusion
Many Parks and Recreation departments around the nation offer an informal or volunteer led
pickleball class, but not an actual structured program. The departments that do offer a class are often
led by pickleball players and very relaxed in nature. I think LSPR would benefit from the growing
popularity and the uniqueness of this program.
Local Market Analysis
Kansas City Parks & Recreation
They offer a class for adults 18 years and older which is offered every Friday for two hours
during the spring. During this class patrons learn the basics of pickleball. The cost of this class is $10.
Johnson County Parks & Recreation
While Johnson County doesn’t necessarily offer a beginner’s class they do have a beginner’s
pickleball tournament and they have a two day clinic. The two day clinic has two sessions that last two
12. and a half hours each. During this time veteran pickleball players teach beginners how to play and let
them get hands on experience.
Raytown Parks & Recreation
Raytown has had a lot of success with their women’s pickleball clinic. However they do not
offer a class for pickleball beginners besides this women’s clinic. They have had success with the clinic
and had about 50 people attend their last clinic. In order to teach the clinic they have a 5 rated pickleball
player that teaches around the nation. The event has players from all around the Midwest including
Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa.
Overall conclusion
LSPR could fill a need in this area for a pickleball class since many Parks and Recreation
departments don’t offer any sort of beginner’s class. There are a couple of programs and a couple of
successful clinics that are hosted around the area.
Description for the Illustrated
1.Curious about the new sport of pickleball? Come out to Upper Banner Park to learn what the
sport is and how to play. All equipment is provided, but feel free to bring your own paddle.
2.1 day a week in the evening, every other week
3.1 hour long classes
4.$10 per class
5.7 days before class starts
6.Upper Banner Park & Harris Park Community Center
Minimum: 4 patrons per session
Maximum: 16 patrons per session
13. Pickleball Class Budget
Revenues
Registration Fees ($10) $240.00 3 patrons*$10*8 sessions
Total Revenues $240.00
Expenses
Balls $23.99 12 balls
Paddles ($15) $60.00 4 paddles
Full-Time Staff $100.00 0.5 hr/week, 8 weeks total
Total Expenses $183.99
Net $56.01
14. Adults- Outdoor Pickleball League
General Information
An outdoor pickleball league provided by LSPR would allow pickleball players a way to
compete against others to see who the best pickleball player in Lee’s Summit is. This league would take
place one day a week in the evenings on the courts at Upper Banner Park. Patrons are encouraged to
bring their own paddles, but LSPR will provide balls for the matches. Prizes will be awarded to the top
finishers in each league.
Budget
See Attached
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
SWOT
Strengths
A strength of this program would be the interest that pickleball has at Legacy Park Community
Center. Implementing a league would allow people who may be unable to play at Legacy or wanted to
play more, to have the time to play competitively. Another strength would be that the league would
utilize the brand new outdoor courts at Upper Banner Park. Since these courts are new, patrons may be
more interested in going out and playing on them.
Weaknesses
A weakness of the program could be that the patrons who already play pickleball are not
interested in playing in a competitive league and would rather just play with their friends. If patrons do
not want to play competitively then there will be no interest in the league. Another weakness is the
number of courts at Upper Banner Park. If interest in the league is substantial then the number of courts
at Upper Banner might be an issue and cause the league to run long in order to get everyone’s games in.
Opportunities
An opportunity of this program would be to expand and offer this league to more timeslots
and ages through the patrons of LSPR. Another opportunity would be that the league has a lot of success
and gains traction through the USAPA (United States of America Pickleball Association). Through this
traction LSPR could start to run sanctioned tournaments and increase the interest in pickleball around
Lee’s Summit even more.
Threats
A threat of this program would be the pickleball that is played at Legacy Park Community
Center. Since there is such interest in pickleball at LPCC, patrons may not want to play elsewhere or play
more than they already do while at LPCC. Another threat would be weather. If the weather is
uncooperative during the scheduled league time then it could cause some effects in having to move
15. games around in order to get everything in. The last threat would be patrons, not associated with the
league, wanting to use the courts at Upper Banner Park while league is going on.
Marketing
The event will be marketed in the same way as other LSPR events, including the following:
Social Media
Illustrated
Posters
Word of mouth
Other LSPR events
Email Blasts
Cross market with other adult athletics
Cross market with the pickleball program offered at Legacy Park
National Market Analysis
Athens-Clarke County Parks and Recreation
ACCPR offers adult pickleball for patrons ages 18 an older than takes place every Wednesday
evening from 6:30-8:30 pm. This league is aimed at beginners of pickleball with a learn as you play
attitude. The ACCPR does not charge a fee to play in the league, and does not offer any sort of prize or
award with the league.
Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation
WRPR offers an eight match adult pickleball league for intermediate players that starts in the
beginning of February and runs until the end of March. The league plays eight matches which are best
two out of three with a 45 minute time limit on them; after the season there is a single-elimination
tournament held to determine the winner. The structure of this league seems to be one of your more
typical sports such as softball, baseball, etc. In the last league WPR ran they had five patrons participate.
The entry fee is $99 for residents and $199 for non-residents.
Overall conclusion
Many Gold Medal Parks and Recreation Departments around the nation participate in drop-in
Pickleball play, like what LSPR offers at Legacy Park Community Center. Many of them have had success,
but haven’t offered leagues due to the fact many of the programs are aimed towards seniors. A quick
search shows departments like Wheat Ridge, CO and Athens-Clarke County as just some of the
departments that offer an adult pickleball league.
Local Market Analysis
Johnson County Parks and Recreation
While JCPR does not offer a pickleball league they do offer an eight-hour tournament for
senior citizens. During the tournament they have t-shirts, food, and prizes available. Alongside their
tournament JCPR also offers a senior clinic for people interested in learning how to play. This
tournament costs $20 to enter.
16. Raytown Parks and Recreation
Raytown offers a six week adult pickleball league for $40. This league provides the equipment
to the participants. This summer was the first time they had offered the program.
Overall conclusion
Much like nationally, many local parks and recreation departments offer drop-in pickleball
and/or beginner classes, but few offer leagues. I believe that LSPR would benefit from being a parks and
recreation department to actually offer a league and could draw interest not only from its own patron
base but from others around the metro area.
Description for the Illustrated
1. Want to test your pickleball skills against other players? Join the LSPR pickleball league at
the new Upper Banner Park pickleball courts. Balls will be provided by LSPR, but please
bring your own paddles.
2. 1 day a week in the evening, lasting 1 month.
3. 2 games per evening, best of 3.
4. Double league
5. $10 entry fee for the league
6. 10 days before league starts
7. Minimum of 5 games, depending on popularity.
8. Upper Banner Park & Harris Park Community Center
Minimum: 12 teams
Maximum: 16 teams
17. Pickleball League Budget
Revenues
Registration Fees ($10) $120.00 12 patrons*$10*1 league session
Total Revenues $120.00
Expenses
Balls $24.99
Awards $10.00 2 shirts at $5 per shirt
Full-Time Staff $50.00 0.5 hr/week, 4 weeks total
Part-Time Staff $30.00 1 hrs/week, 4 weeks total- Site Supervisor
Total Expenses $114.99
Net $5.01
18. Seniors- Poker Walk
General Information
Wanting a way to make your morning walk more interesting? Come to the Gamber Center and
take part in our Poker Walk. During a poker walk you receive a card for each lap you complete on the
trail. Once you complete five laps you can turn in your poker hand for a chance to win a prize or keep
walking for the chance to improve it. A poker walk is a great way to promote physical fitness while still
competing and having fun.
This program would be done every Thursday (flexible date) for the season and take place for
two hours every morning. The prizes would go to the best hand and would be something along the lines
of snack foods, chips, and household items. The best hand would be determined after the two hour
walking period and would be monitored by the front desk. The patrons would check in their final hand
with the service representative who would keep track of who had the best hand.
Budget
See Attached
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
The target audience of this program would be seniors. This program would allow them a place
to walk and get their physical fitness while still having fun. It would also be targeted at current patrons
of the Gamber Center and targeted to try and bring in new patrons from around Lee’s Summit.
SWOT
Strengths
A strength of this program would be that the target audience already has an interest in
physical fitness and walking. Many seniors are interested in staying in good physical shape, and this
program would allow them to do that. Another strength of the program would be the amount of people
at the Gamber Center. Since there already is a consistent amount of people at the Gamber Center in the
morning, this program would have great exposure to the people who are there during those times.
Weaknesses
A weakness of the program would be a disinterest from the patrons in walking for prizes. If
people are not interested in the prizes being offered through the program then they will not participate
in the program. Another weakness would be the stigma that is involved with poker. Some people have
issues with poker and might be turned off by a poker walk. Another weakness of the program would be
the cost. Seniors may not want to pay $1 in order to walk around the trail even if they have a chance to
win prizes.
Opportunities
An opportunity provided by this program would be to help LSPR increase physical fitness of
the senior citizens that use the facilities. This is another way that LSPR could help promote physical
19. fitness among the target market. Another opportunity would be that the poker walk could increase
traffic to Gamber Center and allow more people to have access to the facility.
Threats
One of the threats would be the weather. If the weather does not cooperate then people may
not want to walk outside. However, this program could be transferred insider the Gamber Center if the
weather is bad. Another threat is a lack of interest from the community. If the community isn’t very
interested in a walking program, they won’t be interested in walking for prizes as well. The last threat
would be the theft or damage of playing cards while the patrons are walking.
Marketing
The event will be marketed in the same way as other LSPR events, including the following:
Social Media
Illustrated
Posters
Word of mouth
Other LSPR events
Gamber Gab
Email Blasts
Cross market with other senior programming, such as bingo
National Market Analysis
Overall conclusion
Nationally there are a couple of organizations and colleges that do Poker Walk events in order
to fundraise, but not a Recreation Department that hosts any sort of program the way we would. I
believe this could be an advantage because people already know the idea of a Poker Walk, they just
don’t have a consistent program to participate in.
Local Market Analysis
Warrensburg Parks and Recreation
Warrensburg Parks and Recreation does a Poker Walk program with their seniors at their
senior center. The program has two, one-month long segments with competitions being held on
Monday and Wednesday of each week. The events last for two and a half hours during the day with
prizes being given out to the patrons with the best hands at the end. The prizes they give away are a
one-day use pass to their fitness facility or a one-day use pass to an exercise class for senior citizens.
Overall conclusion
This program has had success in Warrensburg when done at their senior center. WPR had
seniors who walked their track already and thought this would be a fun way to spice it up. I believe that
the success Warrensburg Parks and Recreation has had with this program could be duplicated if
20. implemented by Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation at Gamber Center and possibly Legacy Park
Community Center. The target audience, however, would be the patrons at the Gamber Center.
Description for the Illustrated
1.Wanting a way to make your morning walk more interesting? Come to the Gamber Center and
take part in our Poker Walk. During a poker walk you receive a card for each lap you
complete on the trail. Once you complete five laps you can turn in your poker hand for a
chance to win a prize or keep walking for the chance to improve it. A poker walk is a great
way to increase your physical fitness while still competing and having fun.
2.Thursday Mornings 8am-10am
3.$1
4.Seasonal
5.Gamber Center
6.Prizes to the best hand
21. Poker Walk Budget
Revenues
Registration Fees ($1) $96.00 8 patrons*$1*12 sessions
Total Revenues $96.00
Expenses
Prizes $10.00
Cards $5.00
Full-Time Staff $75.00 0.25 hr/week, 12 weeks
Total Expenses $90.00
Net $6.00
22. All-Inclusive- Family Camp-Out at the Amphitheatre
General Information
Come out and enjoy camping under the stars at our beautiful Legacy Park Amphitheatre.
Gather around the campfire to tell ghost stories, cook s’mores, and enjoy a night out under the stars.
Alongside your traditional camping activities you can take a canoe out onto the beautiful lake and even
cast out a line to catch some fish. This event will take place starting at 6 pm and occur every other Friday
from the first Friday in June until the last Friday in August. Everyone will meet at the Legacy Park
Amphitheatre and make sure to bring your own tent, sleeping bags, and flashlight. The camp-out will
cost $10/$15 and the registration is due the Monday of camp-out week. Supervision could be done by a
full-time staff member or by a volunteer and their family. Allowing a volunteer to supervise would allow
LSPR to save some cost while allowing the volunteer to partake in the program for free. I would
recommend looking into finding a volunteer for this position.
Budget
See Attached
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
The target audience of the Family Camping Trip would be parents who have young children
who might not be ready to go on a full weekend excursion to the wilderness. This program provides
them the opportunity to maintain an eye on their children and make sure they are safe while
participating in the same activities they could on a trip elsewhere. Another section of the target
audience is families who do not have the time or the money to go on a weekend camping trip out of
town. This provides them the opportunity for a quick and a cost-effective camping trip that can help
make memories that will be remembered.
SWOT
Strengths
The strengths of the program are that it is a unique program aimed towards the non-
traditional campers. The target demographic is one that cannot afford or does not have the time in
order to take a weekend trip to go camp somewhere. This program fits in perfectly for them because it
allows them to pick one or multiple weekend during the summer to have a relaxing camping trip,
without ever having to leave Lee’s Summit. The last strength of the program would be the frequency
that it is offered. While this is a weakness, as I discuss below, this is also a strength of the campout
because it allows parents the flexibility to pick a week that works for them. If a parent is unavailable for
a week there is still six other weeks that they can attend, rather than having to miss out if it was a one-
time event. This also allows people who had a good time one week to keep coming back and having the
same experience the entire summer.
Weaknesses
The weaknesses of this program are that there may be a lack of activities during the camp-
out. While some families may want to partake in camping out at the amphitheatre they may not be
interested in fishing and/or going out on the lake. In instances like this there may not be as many
23. activities for them to participate in. Another weakness would be the potential for injury while outside.
While this is something that happens anytime that you go outside, being around a lake or out in the
amphitheatre may exacerbate the chance or severity of injuries that occur. The last weakness could be
the frequency in which the activity occurs. While this is also listed as a strength, some families may not
be interested in coming to a campout multiple times in the same summer so they may only choose one
or two weeks in which to participate. This would cause a fluctuation in numbers and a need to market
the event for the full duration of the summer.
Opportunities
The opportunities that are derived from this event are an increased interest or awareness of
the Legacy Park Amphitheatre. This program would be another way to market and promote the
amphitheatre as well as getting patrons out and allowing them to see what it is like for themselves. If a
patron has a fun time at the campout at the amphitheatre then they may be more likely to attend one of
the other events at the amphitheatre. Another opportunity would be to increase Lee’s Summit Parks
and Recreation’s image in the community. This program allows LSPR to reach out to more citizens in the
community and attract more people to other LSPR events.
Threats
One of the threats to this event is the weather. As is the condition with any outdoor event,
the weather is a factor to the success of this event. If the weather is too hot or too cold or if there is rain
the event may have to be postponed, moved, or cancelled. Another threat is that people may not have
the proper equipment to campout at the amphitheatre overnight. This would make it so they are unable
to participate in the event. The last threat would be the “Great American Family Campout” that Johnson
County Parks and Recreation puts on. This event takes place during the middle of our planned program
time and may draw patrons away from our event for a week or two.
Marketing
The event will be marketed in the same way as other LSPR events, including the following:
Social Media
Illustrated
Posters
Word of mouth
Other LSPR events
Email Blasts
Cross marketing with other family programming
Cross marketing with other kids programming, e.g. Camp Summit
National Market Analysis
Bend Metro Parks & Recreation- Bend, OR
They offer an overnight exploration trip that involves rafting and camping out in the
wilderness with everything provided by Bend Metro Parks & Recreation. Bend Metro Parks and
Recreation provides all the equipment to the patrons for this program. This is not a very good
comparison to what we would offer through our Parks and Recreation department, but something that
24. we might be able to expand to if there is substantial interest. If there is vast interest in the program then
we could expand our programming to overnight trips to more scenic locations.
Denton Parks & Recreation- Denton, TX
Denton offers a 4-day long campout experience for $150. This program is offered for children
who are grade 1-5 and held at the local middle school plus staying at cabins in Turner Falls Park. The
activities offered are very similar to what we would or could offer in camping, fishing, hiking, outdoor
games, and campfires and comes out to $37.50 per day for a child.
Plymouth Parks & Recreation- Plymouth, MN
They offered a camping experience at the Hilde Amphitheatre, but it was a one-time event at
the beginning of August. According to the Plymouth website the average attendance at this event was
400. During the event there are playground games, a storyteller, a movie, nature walk, catered food,
and a campfire plus s’mores. The cost per family is $12 for residents and $15 for non-residents.
However, the Director of Parks and Recreation for Plymouth said that the event was not successful in
the past and no longer run it.
While this event was a one-time event, it is still a good comparison for our pricing point and
location. This might help to support the cause to make our camping program a once a summer type
event rather than something that is offered bi-weekly. It is hard to know for sure what the success of the
program was.
Overall conclusion
While there are several camping programs offered by some of the nation’s top Parks and
Recreation departments, none of them are similar to a bi-weekly family camping program like the one
detailed below; this causes some issues with providing good analysis about our program. From the
programs we do have to use we can see that our pricing point and amenities are similar to other ones
that are offered. Plus, these other programs show that there is room for expansion or to shift the format
to a once a year type event.
Local Market Analysis
Kansas City Zoo
The Kansas City Zoo provides an educational opportunity to spend the night with Polar Bears,
Penguins, or in Africa. Patrons are required to bring their own tents, flashlights, and sleeping bags. The
cost of these nights ranges from $30-$40. These programs are offered every couple of weeks by the zoo,
for a total of about 3-4 times a month, but you can choose your own date and choose your own private
overnight. While this is a good educational experience I believe that it isn’t similar enough to the
program we might offer in order to cause issues with our program, but it might be in the future if we
were to expand to try and make the campouts more educational.
Raymore Parks and Recreation
They offered a family camp-out three (3) times, but did not offer it the last two (2) years due
to scheduling conflicts and a lack of interest. The program that was offered by Raymore Parks and
25. Recreation was an overnight camping event held at one of the local parks that cost $12.50 per person.
RPR provided dinner and breakfast with overnight entertainment and orienteering. Their program
sounds similar to what LSPR would be able to offer, but at a better cost for the patrons of LSPR. A typical
family of 4 would pay $50 in order to campout, but their program was only held one time per year.
Johnson County Parks and Recreation
They host an annual campout sponsored by Bass Pro Shops called “The Great American Family
Campout”. It is a one-time event in July (19th
-20th
) and runs from 2pm to 10am. As part of the package
fee you receive passes to Shawnee Mission Park Beach, pedal boat rental, and tickets (plus early
admittance) to the Park’s production of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. Campers are required to bring
their own equipment and dinner on Saturday night is not provided. However, a breakfast of donuts,
juice, and milk is provided on Sunday morning. The cost for a family of 4 is $30, for an individual it is $10,
and children under 3 years of age are free.
While this is an annual event that has a history behind it, I believe that it is not a threat to the
family campout we would provide. This event is comparable to ours in the fact that it is overnight and
you have access to water, but it is a one-time event. This event would go on during the proposed time of
our event, so that might affect the numbers of participants at our event for that one week, but it
shouldn’t affect the long-term viability of the program. This would be the biggest local threat to our
camping program, as I detailed in the threats portion of the SWOT.
Jackson County Parks and Recreation
While they do not offer a campout program, they do have the facilities to offer one.
Overall conclusion
Very similarly to the national market there aren’t many camping programs offered locally and
even fewer of them are not once a summer type events. The Johnson County campout shows that a
camping program can succeed, for a very reasonable price, in this market. It might be worth a discussion
about making the camping program a one-time, all-day event rather than something that is repeating,
similar to what Johnson County does.
Description for the Illustrated
Come out and enjoy camping under the stars at our beautiful Legacy Park Amphitheatre.
Gather around the campfire to tell ghost stories, cook s’mores, and enjoy a night out under the stars.
Bring your tent, sleeping bags, and flashlight. The program will take place Friday evenings/Saturday
mornings from 6pm to 8am. The cost of the program will be either $10. Registration is due Monday the
week of the camp-out. The program runs from the first Friday in June until the last Friday in August (6-7
weeks) and takes place at the Legacy Park Amphitheatre. Make sure to bring your own tent, sleeping
bags, and flashlights.
Minimum: 9 families per week
Maximum: 40 families per week
