An exciting schedule of educational activities has been organised for the 2016 Festival - please alert relevant people in your Club to the following:

1. Directors - Join a conversation with Australia's Dr Laurie Kelso (Secretary of WBF Laws Committee) and Sean Mullamphy (ABF's Chief Tournament Director) together with Jeanne Van Den Meiracker (WBF Deputy Chief Director) at lunch time on Friday 15 January and/or Thursday 21 January 2016.  All directors (of any level) are welcome.
2. Teachers - A network meeting facilitated by the ABF National Teaching Coordinator, Joan Butts, is being held on Monday 18 January at 6.30 pm.   Topics to include the Teachers' Accreditation Program, the Forum, the ABF education website and a general Q&A session.  All bridge teachers are welcome. Register at teaching@abf.com.au .
3. New Players - Two workshops by Joan Butts scheduled for 9.00 - 9.40 am on Wednesday 13 January ('Mastering the Finesse') and Thursday 14 January ('A Balancing Act').  These will be held in the Eureka Room on the Ground Floor - at the back of the Hotel.  Please alert your newer players who are attending the competition as 'Mastering the Finesse' is being held on the first morning of the event.

Full details about the SFOB Education Program, which includes celebrity speakers Matt Mullamphy, Ron Klinger, Will Jenner-O'Shea and Andy Braithwaite, can be viewed here.

Click here to access information about the 2016 Summer Festival of Bridge.

For your club notice board - information for your members about our National sponsors. To access, click here and download item 18.

Each of these offers has saved members of our affiliated clubs a lot of money - so remember, happy members make great bridge ambassadors!

Please support those who support our sport!

Continuing on from the seminars conducted in 2015 (Perth, Bunbury and Ballina), I will be facilitating another FREE marketing seminar in Canberra on Monday 11 January 2016.

This seminar will be held in the ABF premises at Fyshwick from 10.00 am - 1.30 pm.

The focus of the seminar will be how to :

• 'grow' your club - this will include information about ABF research findings
• create a welcoming and friendly club culture;  and
• develop a strategic approach to education (for all levels of your membership).

Free ABF promotional material will also be made available.

The ABF will be providing morning tea and a light lunch.  Participants from the Monaro and Cootamundra clubs qualify for travel assistance grants from the Bridge Federation of the ACT (BFACT).

To Register:  Nominations to Roy Nixon, President of the BFACT,  at roy.nixon@live.com.au or by phone to 0423 943 220 by Monday 4 January.

This is a good time of year to provide your community newspaper with information about your club.

They are often on the hunt for articles/photographs of social activities during the festive season and people in your community will often be working out what they will 'learn' or 'do' to keep themself engaged and/or busy in the coming year.

Remember:  A copy of any article must be sent to me at marketing@abf.com.au as it is a brand management issue for the Australian Bridge Federation.

Congratulations to the Denmark Bridge club (WA) which affiliated with the ABF two years ago and has recently held its inaugural congress.  Over 100 players from clubs around Western Australia participated.

Check out the newspaper coverage of the event (and take note of the spectacular venue) here.

I will be working on the Enquiry Desk at the Summer Festival of Bridge from 12-24 January 2016.  Please introduce yourself to me if you have any marketing queries or suggestions. 

I will have some free promotional material available for interested club administrators.

Have a very happy, healthy Christmas and New Year.