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National Massage Therapy Awareness Week
Massage Therapy-
the Future of Preventive Medicine
National Massage Therapy Awareness Week
October 23-29, 2011
The Report [.pdf]
from This Year's NMTAW.
Thanks to everyone!
NMTAW is a nationwide effort to increase public awareness of the many benefits of massage therapy. Our theme this year encourages the public to view massage as an important part of their health care. NMTAW gives us as massage therapists the opportunity to share with the community massage therapy’s contribution to health and wellness. Join the AMTA CT Chapter in celebrating National Massage Therapy Awareness Week 2011.
The reasons to get involved are endless—to promote your profession, to build your business, to meet fellow massage therapists, to network with your community, and many more. In the past, members have chosen to participate in community outreach programs at local health centers, banks, and health food stores. Also, some members presented a panel discussion at their local library while others choose to target Town Hall making massage awareness visible to their local government. For four years running groups of members have acted together to conduct University Day, which targets higher education institutions providing chair massage and distributing information to students, faculty, and staff. If you are interested in coordinating a University Day Event this year please contact Karen Jensen. (see contact info below)
In honor of NMTAW’s fifteen anniversary AMTA has put together a list of 15 Ways to Celebrate NMTAW. Download 15 Ways to Celebrate National Massage Therapy Awareness Week . [.pdf]
Be sure to check out the AMTA’s on-line resources as well. Check out AMTA's resources here . Don’t miss their Volunteer Connections! This great feature allows therapists to post events that they are coordinating in order to attract volunteers. It also gives members a great opportunity to see what is happening in their community and allow them to step up and say “Count me in!”
What happens during NMTAW 2011 is up to you! You can make this year’s celebration as big or as small as you want. The main purpose is to just get out there and share what it is you do. We all know the many benefits of massage—NMTAW is our chance to let everyone else know!
What will you do to celebrate? Be sure to REPORT how you celebrated NMTAW 2011. Join us at the October Chapter Meeting and share with everyone what you did during NMTAW 2011. Then submit your report form through the AMTA National webpage by November 1, 2011 for consideration in an AMTA publication. Also, be sure to email your completed form to Karen Jensen
theblackant@hotmail.com to be printed in the CT chapter newsletter.
Check out our previous years' reports. See the bottom bar on the menu below.
University Day Events & Coordinators
Eastern CT State University
Tuesday, October 18th, 10am to 3pm
Coordinator: Pat Shimchick education@amtactchapter.org
University of Hartford
Monday October 24, 2011
12pm-2pm
Coordinator: Evan Williams
99@yahoo.com
University of Connecticut at Storrs
Wednesday, October 26th, 10am to 2pm
Coordinator: Karen Jensen
theblackant@hotmail.com
Choosing and Event Location
Contacting an Event Site
Event Site Resources
Member Involvement
Publicity
NMTAW is a superb opportunity to promote your own business within your community. Get creative in your approach to the week and look to the AMTA CT Chapter for some thoughts and suggestions on how to make the best of this exciting week.
Choosing and Event Location
There are many different choices for where to hold a massage demonstration during National Massage Therapy Awareness Week. These are a few suggestions: A Wellness Center, Youth Center, Physician's Clinic, Hospital, Spa, Health Club, Health Food Store, Retirement Home, High School, Fire Station, Bank, Library, Church or other places of faith. Post Office, Corporate Office. Choose a place that you are passionate about and a group of attendees that you would like to share the benefits of massage with.
Contacting an Event Site
How you approach a potential event site is very important. Sending an email or letter to the appropriate contact person is a great start but making a personal contact either over the phone or in person is usually more effective — either way be sure to follow-up with your contact. Here we've listed some sample letters that can be used to help you make that initial contact with folks within your community. They're easy to use — you only need to cut and paste the information that pertains to your specific municipality or corporation that you intend to solicit. You can also use these letters as inspiration and adapt them to fit whatever specific location you choose. Have fun and remember to keep a positive attitude in the soliciting process. Remember: PEOPLE LOVE MASSAGE!
Downloads:
Corporation Letter [.doc][.pdf]
Public Service Letter [.doc][.pdf]
Event Site Resources
The following are some necessary forms and a list of supplies that you may need on the day of your event. Don't forget to take lots of pictures that can be used for publicity after your event.
- Client Intake — The Client Intake Form should be used the day of your event as a way to gain consent and gather pertinent health information from the participants. You can choose which format of the form you like best.
Form 1 (full page) [.doc][.pdf]
Form 2 (half page x 2) [.pub][.pdf] - Event Report Form [.doc][.pdf] — Use this form to report the success of your event to the AMTA CT Chapter. You can include some of your photographs as well.
- Supplies List [.doc][.pdf] — This is a suggested list of items for National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, designed for both the Event Coordinator and Volunteers. This should give you a good idea of what you need to bring with you on the day of the event.
- Massage Benefits Fact Sheet [.doc][.pdf] — This is a list of some benefits of massage designed to help prepare you for any questions or outreach dialogue you may have at your event. There are so many wonderful benefits for all ages, genders and abilities.
- KNEAD TO KNOW Facts [.doc] [.pdf] —
The Benefits of Massage Therapy are research based:
The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) has a number of Position Statements regarding the benefits of Massage Therapy.
Member Involvement
You can use this letter to contact AMTA members by email or letter to participate in your event. You should contact them at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the event. It is important to give therapists time to adjust their schedules so they can participate and reap the rewards of this national publicity. Also remember that a letter is a good way to make an initial contact, but following up is essential. You can find therapists in your local area by using the AMTA's Find A Massage Therapist on this site's home page.
Member Outreach Letter [.doc][.pdf]
Publicity
The media is a great way to help you create a buzz about your event to increase attendance or showcase the results of your event. Either way it's wonderful to see massage positively highlighted in the news. Contact your Local Medial including: daily newspapers, weekly community newsletters, campus newspapers, monthly publications with local and statewide distribution, television and radio stations, including specific news, talk, and community affairs programs, as well as employee and member newsletters published by area businesses, industries, allied health professionals, schools, churches, and community groups.
- News Alert [.doc][.pdf] — A news alert notifies the media of an upcoming event, well in advance. It is used to "flag" editors and journalists to add the event to their calendars and to indicate that details will follow in a future news release.
- Query Letter [.doc][.pdf]— Query letters are simple and effective tools to generate media interest in a story on your program. A query letter can introduce a story or a public service announcement about massage therapy and your program.
- News Release [.doc][.pdf] — You can announce the details of your event to the media with a pre-event news release. After the event, you can also distribute a news release that provides a summary of the results of your program.
- Radio/TV Public Service Announcement [.doc][.pdf] — Public service announceents (PSAs) are brief messages — 10 to 30 seconds — of community interest. Television and radio stations donate airtime for these announcements based on the public service value and quality of the announcements.