MEDLIFE SALES PLAYBOOK · ACTIVITIES FAIR
UC Santa Cruz:
0 sign-ups at the activities fair.
A brand-new E-board at UC Santa Cruz hoped to match last year's activities fair numbers. They walked away with 300 QR sign-ups.
The UC Santa Cruz team at Cornucopia Activities Fair.
The starting point
Low expectations, high energy
The UC Santa Cruz chapter went into this year's Cornucopia activities fair with a completely new board. Their goal was modest on purpose: stay even with last year.
They also had a quiet advantage. At Santa Cruz, there's only one row of medical and health organizations at the fair, so a pre-health club with a clear story stands out. Most of the students who signed up were first-years and third-years, groups that are actively looking for a club to join.
“We're keeping our expectations low so that we could hopefully be surprised by it rather than disappointed.”
What they did · 01
Before the fair: get known first
The board treated the fair as the payoff of weeks of visibility, not the start of it.
- 01
Meet the Officers post
When Tillie shared the chapter's Meet the Board post, more than 25 students reached out to her directly asking to join.
- 02
“How to find us” video
The chapter posted a short video showing exactly where their table would be at Cornucopia.
- 03
Goodie bags
The team assembled bags with candy, fidgets and the chapter's website link to hand out on the day.
Almost 500 likes!
What they did · 02
At the table: everyone had a job
No one stood behind the table waiting. Each board member had a defined role:
Sign-holders
Walked the fair with signs pointing students toward the booth
Sign-up team
Two people focused only on getting students through the QR sign-up
Pitch team
Everyone else stood in front of the table and pitched anyone who looked over
They also asked students if they could take their photo at the booth, then posted those photos on Instagram with permission.
What they did · 03
The pitch: 30 seconds, human first
The opener was a simple question: “Have you heard about MEDLIFE before?” When students said no, the team asked if they could share a quick overview. Tillie's version covered:
What MEDLIFE is
Tap to flipMobile clinics that bring free health care to communities in South America and Africa without access to it.
Tap to flip backLast year's trip
Tap to flipThe chapter traveled to Lima, Peru.
Tap to flip backWho students shadow
Tap to flipDoctors, dentists, nurses, OB-GYNs, pharmacists and sometimes nutritionists.
Tap to flip backThis year's trip
Tap to flipTena, Ecuador, framed for students who love travel and helping people.
Tap to flip backThe year-round experience
Tap to flipFundraising and local volunteering so membership is worth their time all year.
Tap to flip backA concrete perk
Tap to flipThe chance to get CPR certified.
Tap to flip backShe deliberately kept it under 30 seconds so students never felt stuck listening. Notably, she never led with her board title.
What they did · 04
Social media: the engine behind the turnout
The chapter's marketing chair, Shannon, posts often, uses Stories, and creates on-trend graphics for meetings and campaigns like Moving Mountains. Many students who came to the table said they already followed the chapter on Instagram and had come by because of it.
0
Follower goal
~0
Gained in the first month
“A lot of people that came up to us were like, ‘I follow you on Instagram, so I wanted to come by.’”
@ucscmedlife · In motion
Behind the scenes · 0:35
Get ready for Cornucopia with us
1 / 4 · UC Santa Cruz
Take it to your chapter
Tillie's 3 tips
- 01
Be talkative and meet students as equals
Skip your title. Ask if they're interested in helping people and make it a human conversation.
- 02
Use social media to tell people where you'll be
Post your location and time, and have every board member repost it so it reaches beyond your own followers.
- 03
Make your table cute and hands-on
Eye-catching signs, photos with students and tactile giveaways turn an “information blob” into a conversation.
“It was very much a human connection sort of talk.”
Why it worked
Warm students. Clear roles. Human connection.
Tillie credits three things working together: consistent social media, an outgoing team, and a campus with few other medical clubs competing for attention.
Students arrived already warm
Instagram did the introduction before the fair, so the table conversation was a second touch, not a cold one.
The pitch did the selling, not the freebies
Goodie bags helped people remember the chapter, but Tillie says the conversation is what got students to sign up.
Clear roles meant no missed students
With people pointing, pitching and processing sign-ups at once, nobody who showed interest walked away without a QR scan.
The pitch answered “what’s in it for me?”
Shadowing, travel, CPR certification and year-round community gave students concrete reasons to join.