Value of airshows for recruiting

[AdAstra]

This has been a great and very informative discussion!

One important maxim of recruiting: go to where the people are. We take the time/effort/expense to go to air shows because CAP is an aviation organization and the air show audience is by-and-large interested in airplanes. Some may even be interested in CAP....

A couple of comments on the photo of the pop-up display:
     1) 10-12 years ago NHQ bought two of these for each wing --- today no one at our wing remembers or knows where they are!
     2) Limit yourself to a couple of large, poster-size photos, not a bunch of smaller ones shown here. More impact, and easier to stop that guy walking past your display at 60 mph. I use three large photos (each about 36" high) plus two large CAP Missions signs, all backed by an International Orange backdrop.
     3) These light-weight displays are made for indoor use. Outdoors, on a ramp, they all too often become kites! Be aware.

A few years back, after working in CAP info booths and in the commercial trade show business, I put together the following:

Guidelines for Working in the Civil Air Patrol Information Booth

The way you conduct yourself while working in the information/recruiting booth is a direct reflection on Civil Air Patrol. Remember that the people walking by your booth may be conference attendees, "looky-loos", former CAP members or prospective members. You may be the first, last or only Civil Air Patrol representative this person meets. The impression with which he/she walks away is vital.

Some simple rules of etiquette:
        > Don't eat, drink, smoke or chew gum during your shift.
   > Don't hang around the booth when not on duty.
   > Don't leave the booth for any reason during your shift without telling your supervisor. Then, make sure someone is available to cover for you.
   > Don't visit with other booth staffers while on duty. Attendees are reluctant to disturb staffers who are engaged in conversation.
   > Don't sit down. This says to attendees that a) you're bored and uninterested, or b) you're tired and need a break.
Adapted from Doug MacLean, MacLean Marketing

Guidelines:
        > Be courteous and polite at all times.
   > Keep your uniform and appearance proper at all times.
   > Keep the booth, display, table and floor clean and attractive looking at all times, free of trash and extraneous material.
   > Become a general expert on Civil Air Patrol and its activities. Do your homework and prepare before reporting for duty. At the very least, read the recruiting brochures and CAPM 50-1, Introduction to Civil Air Patrol.
   > Prepare a short, concise description of Civil Air Patrol and its missions. Example: "Civil Air Patrol is the civilian, volunteer, benevolent auxiliary of the United States Air Force; its three missions are emergency services, aerospace education and the cadet program." Practice, practice, practice.
   > Be ready to discuss in more detail those areas in which the attendee is interested. Listen to the attendee and answer his questions. Answer honestly; don't try to fake it. If you don't know an answer, ask one of the other booth staffers.
   > Work together as a team, supporting each other's strengths and weaknesses. Ask a cadet to explain the Cadet Program to an interested teenager or parent. Let the pilot explain flying and emergency services. Don't interrupt the presentation of other booth staffers (unless, of course, there's a glaring error).
   > Use all available visual aids to tell the Civil Air Patrol story: photos, charts, videotapes, etc. Showing is much more effective than merely telling.
   > If someone is genuinely interested in joining Civil Air Patrol, ask them to complete a recruiting referral card, which will be forwarded to the nearest CAP squadron, and give them meeting information about the squadron.
   > Thank each person you speak with for his/her interest in Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary.