Governors Club created the 30-Day All-Access Pass program to connect both current and prospective members through club events.
Developing member relationships is something that every good club strives to do, but finding innovative ways to cultivate them requires forward thinking. Such was the agenda for the executive team at the Governors Club in Chapel Hill, N.C., which recently created a 30-Day All-Access Pass program to connect both current and prospective members with club events.
“The majority of our members have relocated from all across the United States and around the world,” explains Sara O’Leary, Vice President, Director of Marketing and Membership. “They are an accomplished, affluent and highly educated group that desires a club environment supportive of premier recreational, social and cultural activities.”
To appeal to these individuals and their thirst for new adventures, the Governors Club initiated the 30-Day All-Access Pass, which entitled member referrals and prospective members to use of club facilities, along with invitations to a series of golf, fitness, tennis, dining and cultural activities.
Available this past spring for a $500 activation fee (which could be applied as a credit towards the club’s initiation fee), plus monthly operating dues, the pass was marketed through direct-mail and digital campaigns. Prospective members were able to activate their passes online, and also received invitations to club events electronically. They were then granted access good for any time between April 1 and June 30.
According to O’Leary, all-encompassing events—those that “combined recreational activities with a deliberate social component”—were the most successful. One such example was the Wellness Center’s Aerobithon Extravaganza, which O’Leary describes as “a full day of 15-minute sessions that provided a flavor of all of our 30-plus, weekly group fitness classes,” followed by a social mixer.
The Governors Club, which was featured as C&RB’s July 2014 cover story (“The Strong State of The Governors Club”), was also able to tout its women’s golf association, which it proudly claims as one of the largest in North Carolina (with over 200 golfers). With the 30-Day All-Access Pass, the club was able to utilize its golf facilities for a series of clinics aimed at men, women and children that included lunch, dinner or cocktails. In addition, the club’s award-winning culinary team offered a number of specialty dining events and live cooking demonstrations that were well-received.
Thanks largely to such a well-rounded roster of offerings, the program was a hit, generating over $625,000 in initiation fees, with additional revenues in food and beverage, golf, tennis and fitness.
“It revealed a successful transformation of club offerings, moving beyond fixed amenities and traditional events to promoting our club culture and thriving social environment that becomes part of one’s lifestyle,” says O’Leary.
Looking forward, Governors Club plans to adapt the 30-Day All-Access Pass by expanding the club’s outreach program via regional or national marketing efforts. “Our members are genuine, and enjoy opportunities to welcome others to the Governors Club family,” says O’Leary.
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