About our Martial Arts Festival at Improve shopping mall on Dec2 and 3, 2017, I thought to write earlier a post to thank everyone, but I was not able to finish as been super busy.
This my post is based on my memory, so my apologies in advance if I have forgotten to mention anyone.
In Scandinavia people say thousands-thanks, and Chinese say ten-thousand-thanks, meaning thank you so much.
20k Thanks to:
- Our team at Improve for kiosk tables, stage, TV screens, sound facility, $5000 grand prize, food supply, Toronto transportation for team China, dinners and hotel accommodation: our MAC president Oleg, Katherine, and new vice presidents Maggie, Sarmen and Krill.
- Lily team for calling hundreds martial arts schools in Toronto, for sponsorship, for design and print of the ticket, and t-shirt: Lily, Twinkle, Chloe and John.
- Polly team of creativity, under extreme work load and deadline for design and printing, many thanks to Amelia and Liam for the wonderful festival logo design and program book!!
- Our great emcee team for their professionalism: Viorica, Kali, Astera and Andy !
- Improve media team for Internet and Intranet promotion clips and audio before the event, video recording during the event, TV interviews at CP24 and CityTV: Joseph and Sasha of GilMedia, John Worden and Leon.
- Great leadership of our new vice president Jack Gao, and the great performance of his volunteer performance team: World Champion Ming Zhu, Taichi expert Zhidong Sun, PhD Richard Luo and Canadian National Champion in Straight Sword Rebecca Luo and himself.
- Team performance and CityTV interviews support by well known Ji Hong Taichi School led by Sifu May and Sifu Liang.
- Wayland Wushu team impressive performance directed by chief instructor Sifu Wenqi Li, classmate in Beijing famous SSH Sport School with the famous movie star Jet Li.
- Shaolin Team from China in a very rush time period, overcame time zone and travel difficulty, performed longer hours to support us.
- The great effort and huge organizational works of Helen Yuhong Song, her team of 20 more stylish performers of Wean Art Centre.
- LIVE video shooting by Richard Fox, seasoned network television and CBC cameraman.
Achievement:
- Martial art schools in Greater Toronto Area appreciate our event, Martial Arts Festival:
There are many talented martial art experts in Greater Toronto Area. This our event has formed a great platform for martial arts schools, and individual heroes. Our Festival event has united not only martial arts schools in GTA, but also assembled heroes in GTA. Some schools came from Ontario, beyond GTA area.
During this Festival, we have collected 528 emails for the new list in our database for future emailing marketing.
After our event, exciting school owners contacted us proposing future event plans, such as: Kelvin Ho of organizing Taichi Pushing Hand, Canada Division Competition for World Finale in China(Daqing Shan); Sifu Sunny Le of regular teaching classes in Improve lobby; Sifu Li of well known Wayland Wushu School of Chinese New Year event in Improve.
- Audience like Shaolin team and our Festival:
Some audiences traveled from far, some parent called us for children teaching schedule. 2 audiences wanted to buy the broad swords and other weaponry brought by Shaolin team of China.
An exciting audience Tony, a TTC technician in parking lot came to congratulated us offering to be a helper for next year our Festival; During event and after the event, audiences, parents and new students asked us for schools where they can take classes of Yang Taichi, Taichi Fan and Shaolin style classes;
- Charity organization for Leftbehind Children education in China, by auction of artworks of our own young Canadian artists and we donated to chairperson Amy Li and her team from the charity organization, Love Foundation Canada!
- From 23 Nov 2017 Gilmedia started Google PPC to promote “Martial Art Festival at Improve” event;
- CityTV BT TV interview (Breakfast Television)
Date: Thursday Nov 30th, 2017
Address: 33 Dundas St E, main entrance on Victoria
Arrive: 7:15am
Rehearsal: 7:30 – 8:00am Sarmen and Daniel supported by Ji Hong Taichi School
On Air: 8:40am
Performance Run Time: 2 minutes
- CP24 TV interview Shaolin team from China led by our VP Maggie:
Date: 6:45am – 7:00am, Saturday Dec 2th, 2017
Address: 299 Queen Street West
- LiveCanada Streaming TV
VIP Interviews: 13:00 – 18:30pm Saturday Dec 2th, 2017
On Air: 13:00 – 18:30pm Saturday Dec 2th, 2017
- 2 video clips of 30 seconds running on TV Stations:
GlobalTV
CityTV
CP24
*Run Time: Nov 20th, 2017 to Dec 3th, 2017
- The same sound track for 2 videos as audio clip running on Radio Stations:
FAN
MOVE
Edge
*Run Time: Nov 27th, 2017 to Dec 3th, 2017
Lesson learned:
- More audience needed: more creative media channels needed to strategically find the better ways;
- Too many performance hours in 2 days that was difficult to fulfill. So we had to find and invite as many as possible schools. For that I followed up with around 200 schools after Lily team called them. Some schools are new to me, that I did not know them before. I noticed 2 performance were not attracting audience. Next year we should screen schools, if we have sufficient schools.
- I know most the top Chinese martial art experts in GTA, but for non-Chinese martial arts schools, I will need your help.
Plan for next year Martial Arts Festival:
- Include more schools in GTA, even public schools of TDSB and York Region Board Of Education;
- Invite more police and Brazilian jiu-jitsu style martial arts;
- More competitive, and going internationally by connecting to other competitions in China and globally;
- Invite more famous individuals, celebrity impact;
- Greater educational programs and seminars for audience;
- Promote more sport equipment sponsor companies in Ontario.
Your suggestions welcome.
Happy New Year !
Menghui Nie 416 565 5122
