Promoting Activities

In the retirement community where I work, promoting my activities is an important element of my job as activities director. I use a few different methods. I use written announcements that are available twice a week, my in-house television community's channel, a monthly newsletter, posters on a bulletin board next to my sign up sheets and a magnetic board in the main lobby. Today, I want to talk about the magnetic board in the lobby.  

We bought a large brass floor easel and a magnetic board to advertise the foremost activities happening in the community. Due to space it is really important that you control the items on the board, so that your residents know that this is the place for them to find the "need to know at this moment kind of stuff." I like to keep mine in date order, so I am constantly moving the poster that are on the board around once I remove or add one. Usually there is a poster for the week's movie, the week's entertainment, a special meeting, guest speaker, etc.  Location is important, so make sure if you are going to add this to your community, that you have a good place to put it. 

If you can not find a big enough magnetic board, as your religious leader in your community if he has a source where he gets his supplies. I can not remember where we got ours, but I think that is where it came from. Also, thanks to the internet, you can make your own if you want. Here is a Martha Stewart video on how to make your own magnetic board. Remember that you could also frame the board with a frame that you might find in a thrift store or that a family might leave behind once a resident passes away.

In the past, I had magnets that looked like picture frames, or picture frame corners. Once those wore out, I found round black magnets at a local store. They worked fine, but kind of jumped out at me every time I walked by the board and it just didn't feel right. It dawned on me after a few months that there was an easy solution and that it was in my desk the whole time! I had small smiley face stickers in my desk that I used from time to time on notes that I'd send to residents that would work perfectly. Now, when I walk by the magnetic board, I see smiley faces instead. (And yes, it does take an extra minute to make sure they are all facing the right direction, but it is worth it.) 

Is there a place that you can add a board like this to promote your most current programs??

Give it some thought and then do it with organization and style.