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Attracting New Players

There are four requirements for clubs keen on attracting and retaining new members:

Ensure your local community knows about Bridge and your Club (awareness)
Ensure your local community knows that Bridge is fun for all ages (reputation, attractiveness, relevance)
Have multiple methods for people to find out that you're holding lessons or open days (it only takes one well-timed invitation when steps 1 and 2 are in place)
Become masterful at making your club a place where new players want to stay (a friendly, welcoming, encouraging environment)

These 6 methods are what most bridge clubs are using to achieve steps 1-3 above:

Word-of-mouth (encouraging existing members to spread the word)
Flyers (letterbox drops, flyers at local community centres/gyms/other clubs/libraries etc.)
Newspaper and radio community features (often free - can also tailor the media/PR stories below to suit your club and community and send to your local journalist with some quality images for some free coverage)
Signage (outside your club and at a prominent roadside)
Events (local markets, community gatherings - have a table of people playing and chatting to the public - NZ Bridge has an event marketing kit you can borrow - see below and email [email protected] for access)
Social media (free community page posts and paid Facebook advertising - click here to find out how to run a campaign for your club)

Key messages to help promote Bridge:

Bridge – it’s a seriously fun card game
Make lots of new friends
Good for your memory
Challenging, competitive and exciting

Here's an update shared with regional committees and the NZ Bridge board in June 2025.

Marketing Attraction Initiatives - Update June... (1.57MB)

Marketing Materials

Examples of marketing materials you could adapt for your own use.

If you are needing design support, email [email protected] clearly explaining what you need and your budget.

Large Posters advertising Bridge (13.72MB)

Regional Newspaper Advert example (0.03MB)

Newspaper Advert Example2 (1.00MB)

Magazine Advert Example (0.39MB)

Pull-up Banner Example (0.40MB)

Road Side Sign Example (5.91MB PNG file)

Image Library

There are a collection of images available here that you can use in your marketing material.

Event Marketing Kit

A great way to invite people into Bridge is to have 1-2 tables playing at a community event, where interested people can ask questions and find out more. NZ Bridge has an event marketing kit, designed to make your event stand more inviting and professional. The only cost to clubs is freight. It comes with banners, flags, signs, costumes, bunting and step-by-step instructions.

Contact: [email protected] for more information.

With this kit, you'll have everything you need to create a memorable, professional display and engage with your audience. We even won an award at the Christchurch Agricultural Show because of it!

Media/PR Stories

Media Stories that can be adapted and supplied by clubs for local media

Regional Newspaper Editorial example - lessons (0.89MB Word document)