How Clubs Can Cash in on the Experience Economy
Earlier this year, as a part of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting; the organization issued an article that boldly stated “ The shift to an experience economy has the power not only to change how we spend our time and money, but also to promote inclusion and democratize happiness.” As the club industry works to combat member attrition and gain a share of the fiercely loyal Millennial population, here are a few ways clubs can cash in on the four pillars of the Experience
How Creating Memorable Moments Can Prepare Your Club for the Next Generation
It’s no secret that the traditional private club model is changing and while change may feel a bit scary (Look how far this club in Europe is going),the only constant in this world is change and without it, there is no moving forward. Global club trends and consumer expectations present a very exciting time for the club industry! A few months ago, we discussed the hotly-discussed topic of bringing Millennials to clubs and offered some suggestions to combat the top perceived r
Pardon the Disruption
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein “Disruptive innovation” has been a buzz phrase in several industries: hotels (AirBnB), transportation (Uber), food service (Blue Apron), retail (Amazon Prime), Technology (Waze), Entertainment (Netflix), office space (WeWork) and even airlines (Wheels Up)…to name a few. In the golf industry, there are also disruptors like TopGolf. Yet, when we think about our club members we
Should You Send Your (Sacred) Cows to Pasture?
An earlier version of this article was originally published in BoardRoom Magazine in 2014. Author Marc Goben, in his book Brandjam, makes a case for emotional branding suggesting that brands today must shift from communications and commodities to emotion and inspiration. If we want to touch people on an emotional level we must find ways to reach people individually to fulfill their emotional needs. Happy club members will continue to patronize where they feel welcome, comfort
Provisions: Cultivating Opportunities with a Wine by the Glass Program
Wine by the glass offerings can be a strong contributor to a private club’s food and beverage program, creating a fun social environment for
A Service “Blueprint” Helps Build a Great Member Experience
Here’s a familiar sight at every golf club: Long-time members arrive, eager for a relaxing day on the course. Their tee time comes up, and after stopping in the golf shop for their cart reservation, they go out to the first tee to begin their round. They’re cheerfully greeted (by name!) by the staff, led to their cart, which is clean and charged and ready to go, and a great day of golfing begins. It’s precisely this seamless scenario that led them to join this club in the fir
Provisions: How to Handle Special Orders
A well-known bit of fact in Club food and beverage service is that special order requests occur every day, multiple times a day. Special requests often create friction and stress between service staff and back of house, and can bring unintentional discomfort to members and guests who may feel that their request is seen as an inconvenience. Since special requests occur with such frequency, preparing for the inevitable would be a good course in managing them. Chefs never want t
The Importance of Strategic Architectural Design in Club Operations: Part 1
STRATEGY MUST INVOLVE OPERATIONS. I wish I could poll chefs, servers, bartenders, and managers working in facilities that weren’t designed with daily operations in mind. Or controllers and finance committee members who fret about the labor cost of their club every time there is an outdoor event or large influx of members in for dinner. Or a strategic planning or house committee who is trying to understand why the members continue to talk about dissatisfaction with speed of se
June 14th is National Bourbon Day!
Did you know? Yes, June 14th has been declared "National Bourbon Day" and today, just for fun, I'd like to talk a little bit about one of the libation's most famous cocktail interpretations: the Old Fashioned. Perhaps most commonly associated these days with Don Draper, the suave and slightly unbalanced ad man we all loved to hate on the hit period drama Mad Men, this drink dates way further back than the 1960’s--to a whole other set of 60’s, in fact: 1862. Jerry Thomas' Bar
Why Millennials Matter: Golf Trends for the Next Generation
This article originally appeared on Golf Business Monitor in January 2017. A follow-up piece is planned for September to find out how tings are going. Most golf clubs operating in the 21st century know that there are changes afoot in the industry; complex changes that are requiring us to rethink how we attract and retain new members. One of the biggest changes is the tremendous growth of the millennial market, those born between 1983 and 2000 although there are no formal gene
