As a philosopher once said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” So that begs the question: Are your guests “doing without” musical entertainment that could enhance their enjoyment of your park and boost your business at the same time? If the answer is “yes,” you just may want to change your tune.

As a philosopher once said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” So that begs the question: Are your guests “doing without” musical entertainment that could enhance their enjoyment of your park and boost your business at the same time? If the answer is “yes,” you just may want to change your tune.

 ARVC member-park Clay’s Park Resort in North Lawrence, Ohio is a great example of a campground that makes music an integral part of their guest experience. So, we asked Stephanie Axtell, event marketing specialist for Clay’s Park, to share some best practices for using music to boost their business. Here are two ideas she shared:

1. Hire a Local DJ

“We host family dance parties every Saturday night at a pavilion in our campground,” Axtell says. “This is one of our most highly-attended scheduled activities and absolutely plays a factor in the guest experience.

This season, we also implemented after-hours parties at our Adventure Water Park. These celebrations were open to our campers after swimming closed for the day. We implemented fun lighting (tiki torches, neons), family games and DJ entertainment from 8 pm-10:30 pm. Swimming was not permitted. The Beach Concession Stand and Tiki Bar offered drink specials and food specials. This was very successful for us this summer. We had great attendance and generated positive income.”

2. Leverage Live Entertainment

Clay’s Park also schedules live entertainment all season long at multiple locations throughout the resort.

“We book a variety of solo, duo, trio and full band groups.” Axtell says.

The campground hosts local and regional bands at the water park every Saturday and Sunday afternoon during the swimming season. She says guests enjoy the entertainment and she described how having live entertainment positively impacts their business.

“Many bands bring a following which results in additional camping sales,” she says. “These original bands promote our brand on their own social media accounts which enhances our reach and positively displays our support of local and original music. We often utilize a mobile concession/alcohol setup directly by the stage (to supplement existing concession stands) which has resulted in an increase in revenue.”

Axtell says live music is an integral part of the business model at Clay’s Park.

“Not only does it increase our ancillary income operations, but it also contributes to our activities programming, has a positive impact on our branding and plays a strong role in delivering a unique guest experience—an experience that results in campers choosing Clay’s Park Resort and choosing to return.

How to Get Started

If you want to start playing music at your park, the first step is to get the proper music license to avoid copyright law infringement which can result in costly fines. But don’t worry—ARVC has your back.

The ARVC Combined Music License, an exclusive ARVC member benefit, allows you to secure coverage for both ASCAP and BMI at a drastically reduced rate with savings of up to 50 percent. You can also sign up for a discounted SESAC license through ARVC.

You may see other music licenses advertised in our industry, but don’t be fooled—the ARVC license provides better coverage and will save you more money than any other license offer available today!

Get your ARVC Combined Music License today, but don’t delay—open enrollment for the 2020 Combined Music License ends December 2, 2019.

To learn more about the ARVC Combined Music License, visit arvc.org/Music.