Hi Guys,

Town centre bar, usually heaving, but now the quiet period, so using a change of tactic and having some fun with the punters, giving out bottles of plonk and cheap DVD players etc.
It's keeping them in, but I could do with a few more ideas.
What bit's of fun do you do in your bar, from quick giveaways, to more drawn out ones.
All help would be appreciated !!!

Here are a few idea's most will need authorisation and agreement from the management though. I passed these onto the management of a former residency of mine and it did increase the club / bar admissions.

Theme Nights - "School Disco's" are now quite popular thanks to the appearance of sites like schooldisco.com

Referal Schemes - Free Bottle of plonk for those who bring a group of friends

Nominated Driver - Gets free soft drinks all night when he / she brings a carful of people

Membership Database - more of a club idea, but having incentives to join a membership scheme such as reduced admission (again club only applications) if they fill out a form to become a member. This info can then be used for Birthday mailings, text messaging and emailing of promotions - such as "Come to XXXX Bar on Friday with D.J Philcol spinning RnB and Dance - shots @ £1, Happy hour 7 - 8 bring 4 friends and get a free bottle of xxxx" - these direct text / email mailings really do work especially amongst the 18 - 30 age groups.

Birthday Mailouts - Again more of a clubby idea - but use it to direct mail free entry / bottle vouchers to those about to celebrate a birthday.

Keyrings - Cheesy but can pull the punters especially the giggling girlie brigade. These machines can be hired cheaply and produce a photo taken of them and their mates at the bar / club and added to a cheap keyring. Charge £1 and you make a tidy proft too.

It's a proven fact in leisure marketing that if you run promotions and games which will draw the Girl's in.... then the blokes will soon follow. So try new idea's which will encourage the girlies.

Bill, these are getting popular these days. I think the "machine" is actually a modded laptop and printer / embosser itself rather than a physical machine as such. I have a m8 who works in Radio at Liverpool and they use them at club nights all the time - it was him who gave me the idea in the first instance. I'll email him for some further info on what is involved and where to hire / buy them and post it up