Tag: events

GGA Partners Speakers Featured at CMAA 2021 World Conference and Club Business Expo

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Sessions will focus on strategy, member feedback mechanisms, the next generation of club members, club trends, and member communications.

TORONTO, Ontario – Skilled specialists from GGA Partners, a trusted advisor to golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities around the world, will be presenting trends and tactics on a variety of subjects during the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) 2021 World Conference and Club Business Expo this week.

As with other major conferences in 2020 and 2021, the CMAA World Conference will be virtual, allowing attendees to login and learn effective ways to manage member feedback, attract the next generation of members, the latest industry trends, and how to effectively communicate their brand message.

GGA Partners specialists will lead the following discussions:

Monday, March 8 – Ask the Experts

Michael Gregory, a partner in the firm will join Trevor Coughlan from Jonas Software for a thirty-minute “Ask the Expert” session to discuss club feedback systems for members and customers.

Tuesday, March 9 – Setting Strategy for Long-Term Success

Partners Henry DeLozier, Stephen Johnston, Derek Johnston, Michael Gregory and Craig Johnston will be joined by several directors and managers to lead a three-hour session using real-life case studies allowing managers to interact and learn from each other with the GGA team providing ideas and solutions to enhance processes, research, and efficiency.

Thursday, March 11 – Adopting Proven Methods of Engaging the Next Generation of Club Members

Michael Gregory will lead a panel of club managers from Desert Mountain, Prairie Dunes Country Club, The Briar Club, and The Country Club through a discussion of their perspectives on how clubs can adapt and develop their offerings to meet the needs of the next generation of members and customers.

Thursday, March 11 – Ask the Experts

GGA Manager Bennett DeLozier will join Amilcar Davy from CMAA to discuss early results from the CMAA Trends Survey entitled A Club Leader’s Perspective: Emerging Trends & Challenges.

Friday, March 12 – Keys to Effective Communications

GGA Director Linda Dillenbeck and Manager Bennett DeLozier will share insights into the steps club managers can take to ensure their communications are clear, concise, and effective.

“Our business is helping clubs, large and small, to operate more effectively,” commented Derek Johnston, a partner in the firm. “The CMAA World Conference provides an outstanding platform to share knowledge and experiences with club leaders from around the globe.”

 

 

About GGA Partners

GGA Partners™ is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities. We are dedicated to helping owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives, and maximize asset performance.

Established in 1992 as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice, our global team of experienced professionals leverage in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success. For more information, please visit ggapartners.com.

 

Media Contact:

Bennett DeLozier, Manager
GGA Partners
bennett.delozier@ggapartners.com
602-614-2100

Connect with GGA Partners at the #CMAAVirtual Conference

Date:
Connect with GGA Partners at the 2021 #CMAAVirtual World Conference & Club Business Expo
March 8-12, 2021

The 2021 CMAA World Conference & Club Business Expo offers five days of stellar educational programming and the opportunity for those in club management to refresh their skills and industry knowledge, connect with fellow professionals, and explore the latest innovations and best practices.

Each year, we at GGA Partners look forward to syncing up with club managers to celebrate their successes, learn more about the challenges they are facing, and help them develop and implement a game plan for success.

As a long-standing CMAA Business Partner, we jump on every opportunity to facilitate education sessions which bring club managers together for knowledge-sharing and thought-leadership. In the hope that our paths will cross, you are invited to register for any or all of GGA’s education sessions, engagements, and activities.

Otherwise, swing by our virtual exhibitor booth, help yourself to some of our latest insights and resources, and be sure to get in touch with us by saying hello in the chat, scheduling a meeting, or dropping us a line. Let’s have a conversation about what you and your club are working on in 2021, we are always willing to assist club managers.

 

Monday, March 8

Networking Break: Ask the Expert – Feedback Systems

1:30pm-2:00pm EST

Join Trevor Coughlan from Jonas Software and Michael Gregory of GGA Partners to ask questions and discuss club feedback systems for members and customers.

ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

 

Tuesday, March 9

In-Conference Workshop: Setting Strategy for Long-term Success

11:00am-2:00pm EST
*Requires separate registration

Strategic planning is on everyone’s mind these days. One of the most frequent questions about strategy seems to be “Given the current environment, how do we actually set strategy for long-term success and sustainability?” and followed closely by “How do we implement a strategic plan in our club?”

This three-hour session is a hands-on approach using real-life case studies, allowing managers to interact and learn from each other, with the GGA team providing ideas and solutions. The session will leverage GGA’s processes, research, and experience and provide engaging opportunities for delegates to contribute.

During the first half of the session, participants will have the opportunity to learn from the GGA team and subject matter experts in strategic planning, governance, communications, member feedback, market research, financial planning, and analysis.

During the second half of the session, participants will be separated into smaller virtual breakout rooms with fellow club managers. In these virtual rooms, participants will have the opportunity to share their initial thoughts about the case and discuss solutions with their peers. The breakout rooms will subsequently rejoin to form one large group, at which point participants will be asked to respond to questions about the case using real-time polling software. Responses to the poll are individual and anonymous. This dynamic session will allow participants to see how their responses compare to their peers and hear from GGA how their answers may differ from industry best practices.

The session will conclude with the case solutions being shared with participants. By the end of the session, participants will achieve a better understanding of the importance of strategic planning for private clubs, proven processes for setting long-term successful and sustainable strategies, how strategic plans are implemented and become advocates for strategic planning at their respective clubs.

Join the GGA team: Henry DeLozier (Partner), Stephen Johnston (Partner), Derek Johnston (Partner), Michael Gregory (Partner), Craig Johnston (Partner), Fred Laughlin (Director), Eric Brey (Director), Linda Dillenbeck (Director), Bennett DeLozier (Manager), and Ben Hopkinson (Manager).

ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

 

Wednesday, March 10

Club Business Expo

12:30pm-1:30pm EST

Swing by the GGA Partners virtual exhibitor booth, help yourself to some of our latest insights and resources, and be sure to get in touch with us by saying hello in the chat, scheduling a meeting, or dropping us a line.

VISIT THE GGA PARTNERS BOOTH

 

Thursday, March 11

Adopting Proven Methods of Engaging the Next Generation of Club Members

10:30am-11:30am EST

Research findings highlight how clubs can adapt and develop their offerings to meet the needs of the next generation of members and customers. Hear from four managers whose clubs are quite different, and whose perspectives represent the next generation of club managers. The panel discussion will provide valuable insights about Millennials, the challenges they face, and the opportunities for clubs to be more relevant to the next generation of club members in their membership structure and pricing, offerings, and experiences provided.

Join Michael Gregory (Partner, GGA Partners), Jay Johnson (GM/COO, Prairie Dunes Country Club), Daniel Moreno (The Briar Club), Kristen LaCount (GM, The Country Club), and Passion Graham (Clubhouse Manager, Desert Mountain Club).

ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

 

Networking Break: Ask the Expert – Club Trends

1:30pm-2:00pm EST

Join Bennett DeLozier from GGA Partners, and Amilcar Davy from CMAA, to discuss early results from the CMAA Trends Survey entitled A Club Leader’s Perspective: Emerging Trends & Challenges.

ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

 

Club Business Expo

3:30pm-4:30pm EST

Swing by the GGA Partners virtual exhibitor booth, help yourself to some of our latest insights and resources, and be sure to get in touch with us by saying hello in the chat, scheduling a meeting, or dropping us a line.

VISIT THE GGA PARTNERS BOOTH

 

Friday, March 12

The Keys to Effective Communications

12:30pm-1:30pm EST

Join Linda Dillenbeck (Director, GGA Partners) and Bennett DeLozier (Manager, GGA Partners) for insights into the steps club managers can take to ensure their communications are clear, concise, and effective. In this session, we’ll discuss how clubs can forge stronger bonds with members, and successfully engage prospective members in the wake of these fundamental shifts in perceived value.

ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

 

 

About GGA Partners

GGA Partners™ is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities. We are dedicated to helping owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives, and maximize asset performance.

Established in 1992 as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice, our global team of experienced professionals leverage in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success. For more information, please visit ggapartners.com.

The Power of Women

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Women are widely regarded as connectors, more likely to invite family members and friends to join them in activities and pursuits than their male counterparts. With that in mind, GGA’s Linda Dillenbeck explores ways in which clubs can increase their appeal to women and unlock new customers in the process.

You have probably read articles encouraging clubs to increase their efforts to attract women and families as a strategy to improve long-term private club sustainability.  Most articles focus on amenities clubs may choose to add or expand, such as adding swimming pools, more casual dining options, or even introducing other sports, such as tennis.

Although the amenity package offered will certainly be a part of a prospect’s decision-making process, equally important, if not more so, is the atmosphere and ambiance a prospect will experience while visiting the club.

Make perception reflect reality

Let’s start with a simple sobering fact; your perception of your club is probably not most people’s reality. To gain a clear picture of how your club is perceived by women and families, you first need to understand what’s important to them and the type of experience they expect.

Conducting a walk-through with different profiles of female and family customers can provide invaluable insights. It’s something all club leaders should be encouraged to do.

To supplement individual club efforts, and help operational teams understand and improve methods of providing a welcoming experience to women and families, I interviewed a number of private club members and club professionals across North America, with some interesting feedback.

“Women are more social then men,” commented Teresa S. “They want to find a connection beyond business or golf, and really get to know someone. If those opportunities are provided through club events, women will bring their family and friends to share in the experience,” she added.

The vast majority of women play golf to have fun and socialize, rather than to post a score. As Kathy G. outlined: “Staff should encourage women and families to play the game as they wish, as long as it doesn’t impede others.”

Comments from several women players related to tee sheet access and were summarized by what Tiffany N. shared.  “The times ladies are allowed to play, typically on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, are not conducive to those of us who have careers. Until private clubs open up their tee sheets, it will be difficult to attract more play for business and pleasure,” she said.

“I always find it interesting when I approach the first tee and meet the starter,” stated Paula F. “They think they are being helpful by telling me where the forward tees are located. They make that statement based on gender, not skill. My advice to any course operator is to instruct their starters to remember this thought: ‘If you wouldn’t say it to a male golfer, don’t say it to a female golfer’.”

Create fun and relaxing events

Keeping two thoughts in mind – women value social experiences and enjoy connecting with family and friends while having fun – will help staff understand the elements your club should focus upon when planning events. To help you get started, here are some examples of events designed to gather women, their families and friends at the club.

  • Schedule ‘Play as you Wish’ days, inviting members to bring family and friends to play golf using formats such as alternate shot, best ball, or middle of the fairway tees that won’t impede play, but will be less intimidating for those who are not avid players.
  • Create ‘Share the Game with a Friend’ days which are crafted to be informative and fun. Instructors can provide basic tips, along with their Top 5 Ways to Feel Comfortable on the Course (positioning this as ‘Course Etiquette’ is not a good idea). Follow the range time with the opportunity to play three holes after which everyone can gather for fun, food, and have the opportunity to ‘ask the pros’ questions that arise from their experience.
  • Hosted events, conducive to family and friends that don’t involve golf, but focus on entertainment and enjoying time spent with each other. For example, a pumpkin-decorating contest with the club providing the pumpkins and tools, an annual gingerbread house-decorating event for the holidays, or a charitable giving day where members bring items (to which the club adds more) and come together with other members, families, friends and staff to assemble care packages for the local shelter.

Know your audience

Women I know do not believe they deserve special treatment because of their gender. Rather, they simply want to have the opportunity to share experiences with friends and family in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where the goal is having fun and creating some lasting memories of time spent together.

When you provide a relaxed and friendly club atmosphere as a stage, where women can accomplish this goal, they will be your most loyal recruiters, spreading positive word-of-mouth advertising and peer-to-peer reviews across their social networks, encouraging family and friends to connect through your club.

The Family Opinion

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Member surveys are not as clear cut as simply gauging satisfaction or opinion of members. GGA’s Andrew Milne explains how, by reaching out to include spouses or family in club surveys, you can gain invaluable insights on how your club is viewed in the context of modern family life.

Renewing a club membership used to be a straightforward matter. The member receives dues notification, pays a subscription, and club life continues. But as much as club managers may want that to be the case, increasingly, it simply is not.

The perfect storm of increased time, family and economic pressures for members means leisure outings are more heavily scrutinized and, occasionally, result in the end of membership and/or the club’s prominence in an individual’s day-to-day life.

Rather than having these decisions debated behind closed doors, with no prior knowledge that they even exist, clubs do have a vital tool at their disposal, in extending a bespoke member survey to spouses and family members.

Branching out

GGA spouse and family member surveys were introduced nearly a decade ago and what we have learned during that time unambiguously supports their role in helping club leaders develop a product and service that is relevant to the whole family.

Among the headline findings collated from across North America, we found:

  1. Clubs typically underestimate utilization by spouses and families. The introduction of spouse and family surveys helped clubs better understand utilization patterns in order to:
    • Realize greater operational efficiencies
    • Develop better informed events calendars
    • Target specific groups of spouses and families with relevant information
  1. Significant variances in capital project support. Spousal and family member support can vary up to +/- 15% when compared to primary member support. Combine this with their increased involvement in the membership purchase decision, and the importance of building a plan which appeals to all comes into sharp focus.
  2. Restrictions to access are a key concern. When contemplating any membership alterations which involve increased time and/or amenity restrictions, input from all member categories will help to arrive at more reasonable, rational and accepted changes and mitigate any negative impact to satisfaction levels.

A club for the entire family

Identifying the importance of both spouses and families is one thing, making changes to the club operation to increase their satisfaction levels (alongside those of primary members) is another.

Do the benefits outweigh the time and resource investment?

If it’s about an underlying connection, then yes. More interaction with spouses and family members will inevitably put the club more front-and-center in their minds, and help clarify its attributes and future role among these individuals.

There are more reasons to engage this audience too:

  • It improves buy-in for future decisions (as supported by survey findings). For example, if family members indicate their dissatisfaction with the current junior leagues at the club and provide insight on how they wish to see them improve, they are more likely to participate after the club implements an updated junior league program.
  • Spouses and family members will feel valued, and appreciate their opinions are being solicited, captured, and considered with care.
  • With the increasing influence of spouses and families on lifestyle and recreation choices, engaging them can help shape the future relevance and strategy for the club and drive overall membership sales.
  • A key challenge for clubs around the world is finding and engaging young prospects to grow the membership pipeline within the club. Collecting feedback from family members can identify the key drivers for this demographic and help position the club to best appeal to this group.

Moving out of the comfort zone

It may seem counter-intuitive to develop a future vision for your club formed from the views of those who may appear not to spend a great deal of time there.

However, across the world we are witnessing clubs making moves towards developing amenities and services which appeal to the entire family and encourage them to spend more time there. These are the clubs already profiting from family and spousal survey insights, building out the core of their membership to now include spouses and family members, and simultaneously becoming a more appealing destination to prospects.

Taking the first steps are difficult, but by seeking a wider base of opinions you might be surprised by what you learn and the future opportunities that arise.

Bringing Innovation and Creativity to Events (Case Study)

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However big or small the event, there’s always reason to inject creativity and innovation to make it memorable for all involved. This is an approach Medinah Country Club has pioneered for over 95 years. So, what are they doing, and what can you learn? We turned to General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, Robert Sereci, for the answers.

In what ways have you brought innovation and creativity to the events you have hosted?

While we have brought innovation to many events, at Medinah Country Club we view innovation as a strategic advantage that we leverage across all facets of club operations. From food and beverage to technology, innovation plays a critical role in our success.

Despite our significant recent investments in amenities, we realize that, ultimately, these amenities are only vehicles to facilitate relationships and strengthen our community.

Our approach to events focuses on larger, traditional club events like Easter, Mother’s Day and Halloween, while consistently developing smaller events, focused on appealing to a targeted demographic who share similar interests and passions.

We also work around the seasons. Many are surprised that a golf-centric club like Medinah hosts events around ice skating, sledding, and cross-country skiing in the winter months. But this keeps members engaged, mixing with other members and makes the club more a part of their everyday lives. We even host roller skating, where we convert our ballroom into a roller rink!

Family involvement is also key, and offers an opportunity for us to be creative. For instance, we invite families to join our executive chef for an educational experience as he taps our trees for maple syrup, to learn about egg production from our farm hens, and to learn how honey is harvested from our three bee colonies, all on our club property.

We also sprinkle in ingredients which are true to Medinah, and showcase the best of what we have to offer. Our Medinah Food Truck regularly roves around the property serving parties, and we use our portable wood burning oven or smoker to supplement indoor and outdoor club events.

Who drives this commitment to innovation, and why is it so integral at Medinah?

In our case, my team and I drive this commitment. I suspect this is not that different for most other clubs. Club Boards genuinely demand innovation from their management team, yet they embrace and find comfort in conformity. Clubs are notorious for conforming with the majority and have learned to embrace the status quo in order to align with the opinions and behaviors of neighboring clubs. This pressure to conform can have a significant negative impact on management’s engagement, creativity, and ability to innovate, and ultimately the club suffers.

Innovation is not important for innovation sake. As more clubs expand their offerings and amenities become ubiquitous, we, as clubs, must shift our focus from building structures to building memories. Like the corporate world outside our gates, we have migrated into an “experience economy,” where our members place greater importance on experience. Fitness centers, spas, and racquet courts are now the norm and very few members get impressed by these shiny new toys. Today’s members are looking for, and paying for, memorable unique experiences. These unique experiences are what makes successful clubs stand out in the eyes of the current and prospective membership.

How do you capture new, creative ideas AND make them happen?

Capturing ideas is the easy part – getting buy-in and execution is the hard part.

There is no shortage of ideas. My team and I look not only to our peers for ideas, but more importantly, we look at what others outside of our industry are doing and determine if and how it is applicable to us. The truth is, many of our innovative ideas at Medinah may be innovative for the club space, but in reality, they are almost common practice in the public space. Clubs are too quick to dismiss ideas from other segments by thinking “that would never work here.” While that may sometimes be true, we seek out those principles or ideas that would work and determine what we would need to do in order for those ideas to be successful at Medinah.

What’s your best example of bringing innovation to a high-profile event? What made it successful?

While many clubs go out of their way to squash nonconformity, at Medinah, we encourage it. I genuinely promote constructive nonconformity. That type of thinking is how we introduced the Tiny House Hospitality Package during the recent BMW Championship hosted at Medinah. The goals were twofold:

How can we create a unique memorable spectator experience and capture additional hospitality at a mid-range price point? The answer – place several Tiny Homes at specific locations on the golf course.

This was the pitch – Ever dream of watching a professional golf tournament from your backyard? Now you can. Introducing the Tiny House Hospitality Package for the 2019 BMW Championship. Invite your friends and colleagues to watch the top 70 players tee off just feet from your fenced backyard. In addition to witnessing the tournament up close, you will have access to a tiny house with all the accommodations of a home.

Not only was this the first time a Tiny House has been used in this way, but also the first time a Tiny House has been featured on a course during a professional tournament. This was a massive success and will likely now be a standard hospitality offering for future tournaments. The positive press we received was truly remarkable.

What else can other clubs learn from Medinah, whether they are staging high-profile events or member events?

In order to foster innovation, you must have a culture that not only encourages those who are innovative, but, more importantly, doesn’t penalize those who fail. Too many clubs focus on the ideas and innovation, and not enough on developing a culture of trust, where innovation and creativity is celebrated.

As the COO at Medinah, I have worked tirelessly to strengthen the trust between myself and the board. The board has provided me with a large safety net. In return, I have provided my team with an even larger safety net, allowing them to take risks and challenge the status quo. There are very few mistakes my team can make that I cannot get them out of.

Clubs must become comfortable with the unknown. If you want to accomplish something unique and memorable, you must be willing to take on risk. In general, clubs are culturally rigid and, as a result, are very risk averse. Club boards and members have a very low tolerance for failure and so club managers take fewer risks, thus, innovation comes to a standstill. Arguably, clubs with greater recognition and resources can afford to take more risk, but I believe the exact opposite to be true. When a small, unrecognizable club fails, the city may be aware; however, when a club with a global brand fails, the whole world will know.

How to Develop an Enviable (and Profitable) Events Calendar

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A thriving events calendar, if delivered well, can propel member satisfaction and loyalty to new levels. But first you need to understand what works, and how to measure event success. We enlisted the help of GGA’s Patrick DeLozier, who has over 14 years’ experience delivering events at some of the top clubs in the country, to explain what clubs need to know.

A thriving events calendar has been a staple at the top clubs I have been fortunate to manage in recent years. Are they hard work? Yes, absolutely. Are they worth it? Without a doubt.

I have witnessed first-hand how events create memorable and meaningful moments in people’s lives, strengthening the bonds they have with a club and enriching relationships with other members.

While a number of events you deliver may not quite achieve this ‘magic’, there is a formula and steps you can take to deliver a compelling events calendar.

Keeping it fresh

The key to delivering outstanding club events lies in not standing still. Inject some creativity and fresh ideas into each and every event. This does not mean needing to stage new events every year, but adding new twists or new dimensions to established, traditional ones.

Sometimes this could be as simple as hosting an event in a different area of your property. Not only does this create a different ambience, it also serves to introduce members to parts of the property they may not normally see, or facilities they may not typically utilize. This is something we would routinely do at Augusta National to great success and satisfaction amongst members.

Timing it right

Simply put, one of the critical things to get right is timing. It can be easy to overlook, but so fundamentally important. Clubs of a certain size will need to communicate with other departments to avoid internal date conflict with other events, but all managers should also be attuned to events happening elsewhere either in the community or beyond.

Sports events, school events or charity fundraising events may all impact your club’s event calendar, so don’t fall into the trap of choosing the wrong date and marketing the event before needing to change. The same can be true of major sporting events such as the Super Bowl or The Ryder Cup. Set dates carefully, then market them with confidence and assurance.

Understanding what works

Fundamentally, you want members to engage with and enjoy the events your club chooses to stage. And when it comes to measuring success, their satisfaction should feature prominently. But events need to be well attended for them to be viable, both from a satisfaction standpoint for members and commercial standpoint for the club.

At the point of conception or planning, it will help to determine what constitutes reasonable participation numbers for particular events. This will provide a sound barometer of success not only for the current year, but future years too. If the popularity of certain events begins to grow, you can begin to unpick the reasons why and use the insights to fuel ideas for new ones.

When it gets to the events themselves, attend. Especially If you are relatively new to the club; it will give you the opportunity to engage with members and see for yourself how the events are received. Although we want to put a measure next to all aspects of an event, sometimes you have to accept some events carry a special aura – which you can only experience by being there.

Beyond the event, there can be a tendency to focus on what’s next, but don’t miss out on the crucial feedback and insights. There should always be a team debrief for those involved in the event delivery. Typically, we would spend 10% of the time on what went well and 90% of the time on how we could improve, with all staff and committee members challenged to come up with new ideas covering all aspects of event delivery.

Externally, send a feedback form to event attendees (do this quickly, so that you collate as many insights from the most members possible while the event is still fresh in their memory). This will enable you to identify areas for future improvement and pick up on any negative feedback (where appropriate).

Bringing it all together

By implementing this defined approach to event delivery, from planning through to evaluation, you will establish a culture of measuring success, defining continuous improvement, and translating this through to the events you choose to stage.

Combine this with a sprinkling of creative flair and you should have the basis for a calendar of thriving, well-attended events.

It may take some time to get there, but the impact on member satisfaction and the bottom line will be more than worth waiting for.

Boosting Your Club’s Brand Through Events

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Sustaining a lively events calendar can be challenging – on a practical level, operational level and commercial level. However, even though they may not always pay their way, they are fundamentally important to conveying what your club is, and what it represents. GGA’s Linda Dillenbeck explains why.

Beyond access to an enjoyable round of golf, people join golf and country clubs to socialize with each other and participate in unique experiences. To many, the social aspect of country club life is even more important than the golf, particularly when only one member of the household is an avid player. Whether it is a member/guest golf event, wine tasting dinner, holiday celebration or speaker series, events will build relationships and friendships within the membership that will increase the sense of community throughout the club.

Equally important is the fact that well-planned and thoughtful events will provide the Club the opportunity to enhance its reputation and standing among members. One of the best things that can happen after an event is to have participants telling their friends about the incredible experience, which creates a desire to be part of that experience.

Anyone who has planned an event understands that success doesn’t happen by accident. Rather it requires a combination of creativity, organizational skills, cooperation and, most importantly, a keen attention to detail.

Present Your Brand in a Creative and Consistent Manner

The type of events to include on your club’s social calendar should reflect “who you are” as a Club, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun and have a creative theme that sets your event apart from the myriad of options available to private club members.

Creativity does not have to mean expensive. As a private club member I recently spoke with told me, “My favorite event is the Show Up and Shut Up Halloween tournament.

“Everyone comes dressed in costume and on two holes you hit your drive wearing a pumpkin on your head. It’s so different from so many other events in which I play and provides an entire day of fun and entertainment for my guests.”

While a Show Up and Shut Up event might not be in keeping with your brand image, that should not discourage your creativity in developing themes and memorable touches more in keeping with your brand. This might be a badge of honor tee gift (think beyond shirts, hats and golf equipment), a surprise egg with a special present in the annual Easter celebration or a wine not available to the general public presented by the winemaker during a special dinner. Your goal should be to think different, because when you do, your brand and club will become known for its must-attend events.

The Devil is in the Detail

Small details can have a big impact. They can be the difference between a good event and a great event, between memorable and forgettable, or the difference between clearly communicating who you are and being vague and predictable.

Are all names spelled properly on place cards? Are the pins set in spots that will allow for a quick pace of play? Is there an adequate quantity of the proper wine glasses for the tasting? Can your team identify all members by name? Is there adequate signage to direct guests to the proper place within the club? All of these questions and more should be asked and answered before event day.

Events Create Content

Another benefit of a robust event schedule is that is provides fresh content for your club newsletter, social channels and website. To capture the content, a staff member should be assigned the task of taking photos, not only of the members and guests, but of the special details. For example, the place setting for a wine dinner, the line-up of carts or the baskets of treats to be given out during a Halloween event. Pictures are a very effective way to tell your event story so create a wish list of the images you want and need, and take plenty.

To encourage participants active on social media to post about their experience create a hashtag of your event name and include it on invitations, golf carts and tables. This will help to expand your story across all social platforms.

When appropriate, it is beneficial to consider inviting a prominent member of the media to participate in your event. For example, the food writer might be invited to a wine tasting dinner or the business editor could be invited to a speaker series session featuring a noteworthy presenter.

Successful events don’t happen by accident. They require a lot of hard work. But when done properly, events will provide members and their guests with experiences they can’t get anywhere else. When that happens, your brand becomes the talk of the town – and that will deliver prospects to your door.

What Makes Members Happy

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“Establish an atmosphere which fosters a sense of community and belonging – that is fundamental to member satisfaction.” – GGA Senior Associate Martin Tzankov

In a recent interview, GGA Senior Associate Martin Tzankov revealed the results of member survey findings from a sample of private clubs that are subscribed to GGA’s Strategic Intelligence platform, all based in and around the Greater Ontario region in Canada.

The Key Findings of the sample study were these:

  • Social Atmosphere and Food & Beverage ratings were most directly related to overall club satisfaction
  • Golf Course and Practice Facility ratings did not strongly relate to overall member satisfaction
  • The Clubhouse Experience bears a moderate correlation to overall satisfaction

Martin went on to discuss the findings and why some aspects of club life are more closely linked to satisfaction than others in today’s market:

Did it surprise you that the golf course and practice facilities were not more directly linked to member satisfaction?

In some ways, yes. It’s something I imagine most club managers would think is number one when it comes to satisfaction. But in the context of members and membership, the course is something they know and that they (most likely) got to know before they joined. It may change or evolve over time, but this study suggests there are other aspects of their membership that are more directly related to their satisfaction at any one time.

Social atmosphere was found to be most directly related to club satisfaction. Is this an emerging trend that you have witnessed from other club data in recent years?

It’s definitely something we’ve seen over the years on a case-by-case basis through our engagements and this data reinforces our first-hand observations. A sense of community and belonging is so important to club members. This has actually not really changed over time, however the definition of what a sense of community and belonging is has certainly evolved. Increasingly, members are looking to be part of a club that is friendly and welcoming to families, and one that creates social opportunities for its members to interact and spend time with one another.

The notion of shared experiences, added to the distinct feeling of being part of something, does feel like the sweet spot all clubs should be striving to create for their members. This is backed up by the data and, I suspect, would be backed up by more far reaching extensive research too.

Why do you think Food & Beverage ranked so highly in relation to member satisfaction?

It’s almost the opposite to the golf course, in the sense that the food and beverage offering is something they are unlikely to have experienced many times, if at all, before they became members. So, by the time they become a member, if it does not meet their expectations, a survey tends to be where this is reflected.

Despite the questions relating to food quality, menu selection and the like, there’s a broader social context too. The club is somewhere a member wants to be proud of, perhaps even invite others along to experience – so when certain aspects are not up to the standard they expect, this can be a source of discontent.

With the findings of the study in mind, what one or two takeaways can you recommend to club managers with a view to improving the experience and satisfaction for their members?

I’d focus on bringing your members together – create opportunities for members to spend time and socialize together at the club on and off the golf course. A sense of community and belonging plays a pivotal role in member satisfaction.

The club should be viewed as the vessel which enables members to live out social experiences with other members, their families, friends and guests, so by opening up these opportunities, members can expand their network within the club and become more rooted in the social fabric.

When you observe your members using the club and its amenities through this lens, it can help empathize with what they care most about, or what voids may exist in the member experience.

Any final conclusions to draw from the findings?

The findings have reinforced our observations into which areas specifically impact member satisfaction most. But for the moment, this is really only an indication. We’ll soon be embarking on more extensive analysis, taking account of clubs further afield, looking more closely at individual responses and mapping these to member satisfaction. This will provide an even more robust basis to examine where clubs really need to focus their attention in order to enhance the experience for members.

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