Pretty much any lure that’s thrown into the pond to first attract the interest of existing and potential members, and then securely hooks them, usually brings in something worthwhile.
At last month’s Club Managers Association of America conference in San Diego, I was part of a panel devoted to the topic of affinity groups—the “clubs within the club” that are organized, formally or informally, to bring together those who share common interests or hobbies. Topics, subjects or activities around which affinity groups are formed can run the gamut from the very physical (martial arts, mountaineering, etc.) to the very cerebral (lecture series, astronomy and the like).
My contribution to the discussion, in fact, was primarily to offer that from my “30,000-foot view” of the industry, it’s hard not to understand why all clubs aren’t rushing to form as many affinity groups as they possibly can. From what I’ve seen as I travel from club to club and interview managers and department heads about what they’re trying to do to distinguish their property and add value to their memberships, pretty much any lure that’s thrown into the pond to first attract the interest of existing and potential members, and then securely hooks them, usually brings in something worthwhile. Overall, I’ve seen little downside to affinity-group efforts—and conversely, when I see clubs that are struggling, it’s usually not hard to find evidence that they’ve done little to try to expand what they offer to a wider base of member interests.
Certainly—as those on the panel with me (Ted Gillary of Detroit Athletic Club and Meredith Chase of Collier’s Reserve CC) who are charged with helping to direct the daily operations of a club pointed out—management needs to monitor both the individual affinity groups that are formed under their purviews and the totality of the concept, to help bring structure and discipline to the process and avoid the dangers of disorganization and “affinity group overload.” Groups that are allowed to spin out of control or have undue dominance of a club’s facilities or culture can quickly create internal resentments within a membership and be damagingly disruptive.
But properly managed, a robust affinity-group program is clearly proving to be one of the best ways to engender across-the-board member loyalty and spark wider-ranging interest in joining and being active in a club, and to sustain ongoing appreciation for the consistent value that a club can provide. And brainstorming ideas that can be floated among the staff and to the membership about the types of groups that could be formed at a club really shouldn’t require much effort at all.
As I was reading this issue’s feature article on summer-camp programs, in fact (“Standout Summer”), it struck me that most, if not all of the topics and activities that were being used or suggested for camp themes really lent themselves to youth-oriented affinity groups that could be offered by a club year-round. Especially for parents whose children aren’t otherwise occupied with sports teams and other school-based activities, club groups that could spark and maintain kids’ ongoing interest in everything from adventuring to cooking to community service could have special potential to attract and retain family memberships—and win those families’ affinity for being part of your larger group for life.
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