How to Organize A Zumba Demo
So what is a Zumba demo? It’s a public Zumba Fitness class that anyone can watch or participate in. They are a useful way to bring your Zumba business to a new audience and are easier to organize than a flashmob or Zumbathon.
Sometimes you will have to pay for a Zumba demo – eg. By taking a stand at a trade show, but depending on where you’re based – you can often organize demos at little or no monetary cost.
A Zumba demo can be a fun addition to a larger event and if you’re open to it, people will often invite you to do a short demo at sporting events, cultural events, even weddings and in sports stores.
When I first created my Zumba business I created an action plan and I decided to do regular demos as a way to build up my business. I asked the Universe for help with this and what do you know? Two dozen demo opportunities came my way.
If you’re reading that and thinking ‘that’s all very well if you have offers of demo slots but what if you don’t ?‘
Start out by braintstorming possible demo locations in your city.
For example shopping malls, big events or even local events.
Contact these potential locations by email and ask if you can do a Zumba Fitness demonstration.
Be sure to bring their attention to the benefits it will have for them :
- A Zumba demo can add extra value to an existing event
- It gets people moving (something that town halls like)
- It’s free for the organizers and can attract the ‘Zumba crowd’.
Follow up your email with a phone call.
See if you can bring your own sound system so that you don’t need to plug anything into a socket (which will limit the potential number of venues).
This means that the only thing you’ll need is space and a stage.
You can also ask your students if they have any ideas for potential venues.
People will amaze you with their generosity.
For example one of my students was married to a local figure who did the compering for events in our city. She invited me to do Zumba demos at several festivals, concerts and events that were taking place, including one with DJ Mams and Luis Gersao.
Practical steps to take once you have a date and venue :
1) Decide if you’re going to do it with other instructors or alone with your students.
2) Tell your students about the demo – well in advance ! You can write about it on your blog and create a Facebook event.
3) Create your playlist and make sure that you add the songs (if new) to your class playlist so that students have time to learn the choreography. Pick a song that is easy to do – so that members of the public are encouraged to take part.
4) Write a press release and send it to your local media contacts. You can also make a short video about the demo, upload it to YouTube and drum up interest that way.
5) Design a flyer or have one designed, print and distribute them. Give them to students too.
6) Ask the students who will come on the day to write their names on a list – so they are committed to coming with you. Make sure they also know where the venue is and how to find it.
7) Find someone who can film you on the big day and someone else (ideally) who can take photos of you. It will be useful to have photos and videos to share of the demo – so that it has a longer ‘shelf-life’ than just the people who saw you on the day.
8) Speak about the demo frequently in the run up to it – ensure that everyone knows about it !
9) On the day itself be sure to arrive in plenty of time. Check that your video and photo people are OK with what they’re doing and that your sound system works. Before leaving you can send out a quick press release reminding local media that you will be there. You can also send a group text message to your students to get them excited about the event.
10) Do the demo! Have fun!
11) Send a thank you message afterwards to your students and the demo venue.
Use the footage to create a video within 24 hours and upload it to YouTube and your blog. Send a press release with 2-3 photos to your local press contacts and update your Facebook page with them too.
Congratulations! You’ve organized your first Zumba demo. The rest will be easier after the first one.
