How to turn holiday bookings into loyal, year-round customers
Holiday camps are a fantastic way to introduce new families to your coaching business, but too often, young athletes attend once and don’t return. That’s a missed opportunity. With the right approach, your camp attendees can become repeat customers, club members, or long-term athletes in your programme.
Here’s how to build loyalty, encourage repeat bookings, and turn a one-time visit into a lasting relationship.
1. Make the First Impression Count
Parents decide quickly whether they trust your organisation. From the moment they book to the moment they leave on the final day, their experience matters.
Make it seamless by:
- Offering easy online booking and payments
- Sending confirmation emails with key info, locations & timings
- Greeting parents and athletes personally on arrival
- Ending the camp with a thank you message or certificate
With Coordinate Sport, bookings, payments and automated email reminders are handled in one platform, so your operation looks professional from day one.
2. Collect Feedback And Act on It
Don’t wait for parents to complain, ask for feedback proactively.
- Send a short survey after the camp
- Ask about communication, coaching quality, safety, and organisation
- Use positive reviews in your marketing (with permission!)
- Address concerns quickly to show you care
This simple step makes parents feel heard, and more likely to book again.
3. Keep the Conversation Going
The biggest mistake coaching businesses make? Going silent once camp ends.
Instead:
- Send a thank-you email within 24 hours
- Share camp photos or highlight moments
- Invite them to your next term-time sessions or holiday camps
- Offer early booking discounts or loyalty perks
Using Coordinate Sport, you can automate follow-up emails and segment your audience so parents only receive relevant offers and reminders.
4. Offer Clear Next Steps
Make it easy for parents to stay involved after camp by giving them simple, direct options.
For example:
- “Join our weekly sessions, starting next Monday”
- “Book our October half-term camp before spaces run out”
- “Try our mini-membership, 4 sessions for £X”
Remove the guesswork. Parents shouldn’t have to hunt for information.
5. Build a Membership or Loyalty System
Repeat business grows when parents feel valued. Consider:
- Membership packages (monthly/termly payments)
- Sibling or returning customer discounts
- “Bring a friend” referral rewards
- Camp loyalty cards or digital reward points
Coordinate Sport helps track bookings, attendance and membership so rewarding loyalty becomes easy, not admin-heavy.
6. Show Progress & Development
Parents will happily return if they see their child learning and growing.
You can:
- Share simple progress updates or skill certificates
- Offer end-of-camp reports or feedback
- Invite athletes to development squads or trials
- Show before/after results or videos (with consent)
Development creates emotional investment for both athlete and parent.
Turning Camps into Community
One-off attendees are great. But long-term clients are what sustain a coaching business.
By creating great first experiences, staying connected, and using smart systems to manage communication and retention you turn holiday bookings into lasting relationships.
Ready to turn more campers into loyal customers?
With Coordinate Sport, you can manage bookings, automate follow-ups, track attendance and build long-term athlete relationships all in one platform.
