Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is holding a Facebook Fan Appreciation Weekend April 16 through April 18, 2010, where its Facebook fans will gather for a fun-filled weekend to commemorate its 1-year anniversary on the social networking site. This event is the first to take place on a campground in the United States and one of very few events of its kind hosted by any business or group.
"There is a natural fit between campers and social media. Campers are very social people. They love to interact and form new friendships at campgrounds," said Barb Krumm, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Ocean Lakes Family Campground. "Facebook has proven to be the perfect platform for Ocean Lakes and our loyal guests."
Ocean Lakes will stream live video of the event activities, post photos, take polls and encourage attendees to post and share on their Facebook fan page while fans at home will be able to view and vote on favorite videos and photos from the events. Attendees at Ocean Lakes' Facebook Fan Appreciation Weekend will participate in social-media themed mixers, or "Social Meetyas," and contests including a mini golf tournament.
Residents around the region who are Facebook fans of Ocean Lakes Family Campground and would like to reserve one of the remaining sites can still make plans to take part in the festivities. They must RSVP through a special invite on Facebook and make site reservations by calling 1-800-722-1451 for a campsite or 800-845-2229 for a rental house.
A huge factor in Ocean Lakes' culture is the golf cars, with more than 5,000 on the 310-acre oceanfront camping resort property. Event coordinators are debuting some new contests like the "Ocean Lakes Golf Car Challenge" and the "Ocean Lakes Golf Car Rodeo." Saturday night will wrap up with fans around a beachfront bonfire and weenie roast.
"The events have to be fun and entertaining," said Krumm. "We are trying to hold an event for both our 'in-person' Facebook fans and our online fans - a kind of 3-D versus 2-D experience."
Fans had to RSVP on Ocean Lakes' Facebook fan page. Attendees who register by April 10 will receive a specially designed T-shirt to commemorate the campground's 1st anniversary on Facebook. Fans who can't attend in person can attend on the fan page and also get included in special drawings for fan prizes.
Since joining Facebook in April 2009, Ocean Lakes Family Campground has gained nearly 13,000 fans. It was verified as an authentic Facebook fan page in February after passing the 10,000-fan mark. On average, more than 3,500 people visit the campground's Facebook fan page each week with daily posts generating around 20,000 impressions a day.
"We started asking our fans how they wanted to celebrate our 1-year anniversary on Facebook, and many of them suggested that we have this type of event," said Krumm. "We incorporated many of their ideas into the activities that we have planned for the Facebook Fan Appreciation Weekend, and there will be some special surprises for them along the way. We're thrilled to host this event to show our appreciation to our Facebook fans and hope that this will be the first of many future Facebook weekend events to come."
For more information about Ocean Lakes Family Campground, visit www.oceanlakes.com or become a fan on Facebook.
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