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Media Corner

About ABMP

ABMP's International Massage Week

Lend your hands...
Lend your heart...
Make a difference!

Participation Counts!
ABMP is proud to sponsor International Massage Week. Since 1995, ABMP members have given their time, money and effort to help those less fortunate, while also promoting themselves and the profession. The Eleventh Annual International Massage Week will be celebrated July 17-23, 2005.

If every ABMP member donates just two hours of time during the week, we can make a real difference in our communities. ABMP looks forward to including you as a participant in International Massage Week.

There are many ways to get involved. Here you will find information to help promote International Massage Week through your practice and involvement in community events. The ideas are just a partial list. Use your imagination! Participation in your community will pay dividends with greater visibility for your practice. ABMP suggests giving complimentary massages, while asking for donations which will go to a charity. International Massage Week has been designed to promote ABMP, its members and their practices, and the profession as a whole.

Here are a few marketing suggestions to promote your profession during this special event:
. Provide discounts to senior citizens
. Establish special "Lend a Hand" promotions such as discount coupons (call ABMP to request)
. Ask clients to bring a can of food to each massage session for donation to a local charity
. Donate a massage session to be auctioned for charity
. Offer on-site massage for telethon telephone workers
. Create specialty offers (students, police/firemen, etc.)
. Bring the message of massage to local health fairs

Why should ABMP members get involved?
Exposure.
Successful business is based on filling a need and marketing that service. The success of your practice will be determined by the extent of your marketing efforts. Participation in community events is an excellent way to gain exposure for your services while also making important contacts in the community.

Recognition.
Everyone appreciates a job well done. ABMP members who participate in International Massage Week and send ABMP a summary of their activities will receive special recognition in Massage & Bodywork magazine or the ABMP newsletter. Let us know what you've done!

Satisfaction.
There is no greater feeling of fulfillment than participating in an event that helps others.

More Great Ideas for Community Participation Throughout the Year
On-site massage for any of the following events or groups:

. College Students During Exam Week
. Tax Relief for Accountants
. Attractions and Tourist Sites
. Convention Halls and Convention Groups
. Health & Fitness Clubs
. Health Food Stores
. Hospitals: Waiting Rooms, Doctors, Nurses, Staff
. Cultural Events: For the performers at ballets and plays, during intermissions, for fundraisers
. Holiday Events and Gatherings
. Veteran's Hospitals
. Substance Abuse Patients
. Hospices for the Terminally Ill and their Families
. Animal Shelters

Three Steps to Promotion
Coordinate local groups of ABMP members and assign responsibilities. All good projects need leaders. ABMP needs individuals willing to coordinate and lead efforts in their community. Establish certain areas of responsibility that can be delegated to others, but establish a key person to oversee the projects. One person should administer your local area's contribution to International Massage Week.

Contact your local media and inform them about International Massage Week. An example of a press release is located at the end of this article. Customize your own and submit it to your local news organizations (radio, television, newspapers) with your name and phone number as the contact. Try to schedule an interview with them either over the phone or in person. Suggest to the broadcast media that you'd be interested in doing an "on-air" program (especially for radio). It might be advantageous to corral some fellow practitioners, since a group may be more successful in being heard. Watch for special events where you can volunteer your time or your services. We need to know what's happening in your area. Please send copies of any promotional material to ABMP.

Pool your talents. Establish a network with fellow practitioners to share costs in advertising. For example, five practitioners could jointly buy ad space in the local newspaper to promote International Massage Week and offer a 20% discount to all first-time clients during the week. The benefit? Exposure for all participants, as well as a more unified public image to promote therapeutic massage. Click here to find other ABMP members in your area.

ABMP Support
ABMP has developed banners for use at large events to promote ABMP and International Massage Week. The use of a banner is free to members, but a refundable deposit is required to ensure its return. ABMP has also developed posters and gift certificates to celebrate International Massage Week to post in your practice, health club, etc. You can call 800/458-2267, ext. 641 for posters and gift certificates. These are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. We will attempt to fill all requests.

Participation Guidelines
Please follow these guidelines when participating in any community event during International Massage Week.

Document everything. We want to know about your good work! Write up a report detailing the event, the beneficiary, the size of the event, participation by massage, bodywork and somatic therapies practitioners, and the response from the community.

Take pictures! We would love to have pictures of your community events featuring participation by massage, bodywork and somatic therapy practitioners. Pictures (content and space permitting) may appear in the Different Strokes newsletter.

Promote ABMP. Be proud of your professional affiliation! ABMP is here to support you, and exposure for ABMP will help your practice too. If you are participating in events that have printed programs or brochures, use your ABMP logos to advertise your support of the event.

Be aware of your limitations. Don't bite off more than you can chew; being an effective volunteer includes knowing how much is enough. Don't overextend yourself. Also, be aware of your liability as a volunteer. Don't work on the elderly, infants or emotionally-challenged individuals without proper training.

Sample Press Release

[INSERT DATE SENT]

CONTACT: [YOUR NAME & PHONE HERE]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOCAL MASSAGE THERAPISTS "LEND A HAND" TO THE COMMUNITY

Members of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) are "lending their hands" to the community for International Massage Week, July 18-24, 2004.

_________________ of ____________________ (member leader name and their company name or name of community) is coordinating the efforts of volunteers in [name of function-providing services to senior centers...working with Habitat for Humanity...collecting donations of non-perishable food and clothing for battered women's shelters, etc.].

Participating massage therapists are collecting non-perishable food items and clothing at their places of business to donate to [RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION]. Donations will be accepted through [DATE]. [List participating locations, if appropriate.]

ABMP is working with thousands of its members to coordinate similar events throughout the country. ABMP is celebrating International Massage Week by helping to sponsor community and charity events through the week of July 18-24, 2004.

For more information, contact [leader name, area code and phone NUMBER]. ABMP can be contacted at 800/458-2267 or fax 800/667-8260.

For more information on ABMP's International Massage Week, contact angie@abmp.com.