The RYA Affiliated Clubs 2018 Conference for the North East region on Sunday 2 December has a full schedule of inspirational ideas to help clubs get set for a vibrant year ahead.

The event at Leeds Trinity University will provide updates on the RYA support available to clubs and 14 specialist workshops covering a whole range of topics.

Delegates will have a chance to discover the latest thinking on all areas of making their clubs sustainable for the future, whether it's engaging existing members or the local community to find new ones, running environmentally-friendly facilities and events, or tackling social media, insurance, GDPR and funding bids.

Keynote speaker and special guest will be RYA Director of Racing Ian Walker. The double-Olympic medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winner is looking forward to sharing his insights and hearing the views of club members from across the region.

He said: "I have been RYA Director of Racing for 12 months and I am looking forward to attending the RYA North East Affiliated Clubs Conference in Leeds to share some of my lifetime sailing experiences and discuss what life after professional sailing has been like at the RYA. I am looking forward to meeting old friends and new faces and better understanding the challenges and opportunities facing clubs in the North East.”

Tickets for the conference are free and include lunch. The day starts at 9.30am with registration and refreshments ahead of a 10am start time, with a full programme of speakers and workshops concluding at 4.15pm. There will be three rounds of workshops, offering a wide variety for delegates to choose from:

  • Running environmentally sustainable clubs & events: Discover and share best practice from what is happening in the region. With plastic waste and our impact on the environment high on the agenda, this workshop provides the opportunity to discuss what your club and its events can do to safeguard its local waters and wildlife for future boaters.
  • Club Insurance - Understanding and managing your key risk exposures: It is vital that clubs evaluate and manage risk effectively. Endorsed Insurance brokers Gallagher, provide an overview of club insurance and identify key areas for consideration.
  • Retaining junior sailors in your club: Discuss how RYA OnBoard ideas and good practice can help support your club and junior membership. Learn about the broader learning benefits that being on the water can provide for the younger generation and how this can help you promote your junior programmes.
  • Attracting sailing's future customers: Following on from the key note presentation, this workshop will delve deeper into some of the customer insights and the developing consumer, participation and social trends. We will also be sharing good practice and looking at and how some clubs are already diversifying in order to maximise these future opportunities.
  • RYA Racing Services - resources to support your club racing: Meet the volunteer and staff team who look after racing services. Have you ever wanted advice on writing race documents and running races? Do you know who to ask about the racing rules and how to settle disputes? Have you ever wondered “why is my handicap always wrong?’’ Through video case studies and testimonials find out more about what is on offer and how this may help you deliver the best possible racing for your members.
  • Reaching new members through your club website: Your club website is your shop window and one of the first ports of call for prospective members, so it needs to be right for you to be successful. This workshop will identify what good looks like, what simple steps you can take to improve your website, and how to improve your Google rankings. Delivered by our social media partners SocialB.
  • How to write a successful funding bid: We will help to provide you with an understanding of the key elements that need to be included in any funding application to give it the best chance of success.
  • Honda Youth RIB Championship: How to get involved and develop your young members potential. This workshop will explore how your club can get involved with the 2019 Honda RYA Youth Rib Championship programme and the benefits taking part can bring to your young members and the wider club environment.
  • Developing your coach and instructor team: This session will focus on how clubs and the RYA are finding and training coaches and instructors. We will share best practice from other clubs and explore what support the RYA can offer you in developing a coach/instructor development plan.
  • GDPR - Keeping yourself compliant: An update on the recent General Data Protection Regulations. Lessons learned so far, keeping yourself compliant and maintaining standards.
  • Reaching new members with Facebook post boosting: Boosting a Facebook post is an effective way to grow attendance and increase retention from open days and Start Sailing courses. We will explore how to create a good post and use free and paid for boosting. Delivered by our social media partners SocialB.
  • How to improve your club members’ satisfaction to keep them coming back: We’ll be using the Club Members Satisfaction Survey outcomes to explore themes and trends across different groups of members. We’ll discuss what clubs can do to improve and decide on possible actions for your club.
  • Finding alternative sources of funding: From crowd-funding to debentures, during this workshop we will explore alternative methods of funding for clubs, equipment and activity delivery.
  • How reaching out to your local community can benefit your club: The communities we live in are diverse and our clubs are stronger when they reflect this. Consider innovative ways clubs are reaching out and including participants who may face barriers to their involvement.

To find out more and book your FREE place, find all the details on our Affiliated Club Conferences page.