Bonnie Scoggins, SVP Marketing, Invited Clubs
Clubs face no shortage of opportunities or expectations. Members want new experiences. Families are using clubs differently. Communication habits continue to evolve. At the same time, clubs are investing heavily in amenities, programming, and member engagement initiatives designed to stay relevant and useful to members.
According to Bonnie Scoggins, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Invited Clubs, those changes are creating an important challenge for club leaders in maintaining a clear sense of identity while adapting to a rapidly changing environment.
Scoggins will explore that topic during her session, “The Club Industry’s Identity Crisis,” at the 2026 Engagement Summit, October 5-6, at the University Club of Chicago.
Ahead of the event, Club + Resort Business spoke with Scoggins about the forces shaping clubs today and why clarity has become increasingly important.
Club + Resort Business (C+RB): Where are clubs feeling the most pressure to change right now, and what identity challenges is that creating?
Bonnie Scoggins (BS): Clubs are facing pressure from all directions. Member expectations are changing. Family dynamics are evolving. Demand for experiences continues to grow, and clubs are also trying to stay relevant to future generations.
The challenge is that many clubs are trying to adapt without first defining what should remain constant. When identity isn’t clear, change can become reactive rather than intentional. Every club can’t be everything to everyone. You have to know where to draw the line.
-Bonnie Scoggins, SVP of Marketing, Invited Clubs
C+RB: Why do you think so many clubs are struggling to clearly define who they are?
BS: Because it’s easier to define what you offer than what you stand for.
Most clubs can list their amenities, but the strongest clubs can articulate what makes their experience distinct. In a rapidly changing environment, clarity requires discipline, and that’s often harder than adding a new amenity or membership product.
C+RB: Do you think some clubs are trying too hard to appeal to everyone? What impact does that have on membership growth, retention, and communication strategy?
BS: Yes. The desire to attract more members can sometimes lead clubs to broaden their message to the point where it loses meaning.
The clubs that grow sustainably tend to have a clear identity and attract members who connect with that identity. When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. Communication becomes less effective and member expectations become harder to manage.
C+RB: You’ve worked with more than 150 clubs nationwide. What separates the clubs that communicate their identity clearly from the ones that don’t?
BS: The strongest clubs know exactly who they are and consistently reinforce that through every touchpoint, from membership sales and programming to member experience and communications.
They aren’t trying to imitate what another club is doing. They understand their own story and communicate it with confidence.
C+RB: In your view, what’s the difference between a club evolving and a club chasing trends?
BS: Evolution starts with identity. Trends start with external influence. Great clubs are willing to change, but they filter every decision through the question, “Does this align with who we are?” Chasing trends often creates short-term excitement but long-term confusion.
C+RB: What do today’s members expect from club communication that they didn’t five years ago?
BS: They expect communication to be more relevant, timely, and personalized.
Members are consuming information differently than they were five years ago, and they have far less patience for generic messaging. More importantly, they want communication that helps them understand and see the value and experience of their membership, not simply a list of events and announcements.
-Bonnie Scoggins, SVP of Marketing, Invited Clubs
C+RB: Are there communication habits that unintentionally make clubs feel generic?
BS: Absolutely. When clubs rely on the same language, imagery, and messaging as everyone else, they begin to sound interchangeable. Some of the most effective communications I’ve seen don’t try to sound like a private club. They sound like that specific club.
C+RB: What are the warning signs that a club has lost clarity in its identity internally before members notice it externally?
BS: One of the biggest signs is when every new idea seems equally important and every shiny object gets chased.
Another is when different departments describe the club in different ways. When leadership, membership, marketing, and operations aren’t aligned around a shared understanding of what the club stands for, inconsistency eventually shows up in the member experience.
C+RB: Why do membership and marketing leaders need to be part of this conversation?
BS: Sales and marketing go hand in hand, and success depends on alignment. A club’s identity isn’t simply a branding exercise. Membership and marketing teams are often the first people responsible for translating what the club stands for into a message that prospective and current members can understand. They play a critical role in shaping expectations, attracting the right members, and reinforcing the club’s value every day.
Marketing paints the picture, sales shows and closes that picture, and operations ultimately has to execute what was marketed and sold.
C+RB: If attendees leave your session at the Engagement Summit with one realization, what do you hope it is?
BS: That the goal isn’t to become more like other successful clubs. The goal is to become more clear, more intentional, and more distinctive in who your club is. The clubs that thrive in the future won’t be the ones that follow every trend. They’ll be the ones that understand themselves the best.
