Lessons Learned

Prepared by <YOUR NAME HERE>

Lessons Learned Purpose and Objectives

It was my pleasure to attend the Club Managers Association of America’s recent 91st World Conference on Club Management and the Club Business Expo held in San Francisco, CA. The Conference offered club management professionals the opportunity to take part in 75 education sessions, peer networking events and preview the latest products and services available in the industry at the Club Business Expo.

With up to 22.5 hours of continuing education credit available, the event was a sound investment of my time and club resources resulting in both tangible personal and professional benefits. Based on these sessions coupled with industry networking opportunities, I can confidently validate several of our existing management practices and discovered new ideas that we can immediately implement.

The objective of this report is to share all relevant information for the implementation of new operational efficiencies within the club.

Event Overview

Day One: March 2

After arriving in San Francisco and checking in, attendees were treated to an afternoon of education. The thirteen available sessions included Club Brands, Gender Neutral Marketing, Strategic Technology Planning and New Thinking in Facility Design.

<NAME WHAT SPECIFIC SESSION OR ROUNDTABLE YOU ATTENDED.>

Day Two: March 3

The morning started with Opening Business Session where attendees heard from featured speaker Isaac Lidsky. As profiled in Inc. Magazine, “Isaac Lidsky may possess the most eclectic resume in business. Over the years, he has been a child television star (he played series regular “Weasel” on NBC’s “Saved By The Bell: The New Class”), a Supreme Court clerk (for Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg), and the co-founder of an internet startup. More recently, Lidsky has used his gift for logistics to build one of the fastest-growing construction businesses, transforming an unsophisticated $11 million concrete subcontractor that was hemorrhaging money into an industry-leading $150 million construction services company—in 5 years.” His talk was inspiration, and attendees were educated on how to recognize opportunities in a world that can’t see clearly.

The afternoon’s general education session featured Navy Seal and Leadership Expert, Curt Cronin. Over his 16-year-long career as a Navy SEAL, Curt Cronin deployed thirteen times and spent more than four years overseas. In that time, living and working in an environment where milliseconds made the difference between life and death and winning and losing, he honed his talent as a catalyst for transformation and rose to eventually lead the nation’s premier SEAL assault force. Curt addressed the art of leadership, organizational change for the information age, and the talent of harnessing courage and heroism to inspire and empower individuals and teams.

Education continued on day two with fourteen additional concurrent sessions including Helping Leaders Fly, Creating Better Restaurant Managers, Monetizing the Wellness Experience and Aquatics Safety.

Day Three: March 4

The day began at 8:00 a.m. with five different sessions including Information Security, Maximizing Membership Retention Through the Use of Data and Effective Marketing and Innovations in Member Experience and Food & Beverage. <INSERT WHAT SESSION YOU ATTENDED.>

Next, I had the opportunity to visit the Club Business Expo. Approximately 250 club-industry specific vendors shared their latest products, services, and resources. INSERT A SENTENCE ABOUT AN INTERACTION WITH A VENDOR/SERVICE PROVIDER WHO MIGHT HAVE A SOLUTION OF INTEREST TO YOU CLUB.

In the early afternoon, I participated in the Career Opportunities Mentoring Showcase. At this job fair and networking forum, I connected with hospitality industry students and potential future team members for our club. Approximately 300 students from top hospitality programs around the country attend this event.

Following this event, education was available on a number of topics including Golf Course Resource Management, Food and Beverage Trends for Future Success and The Truth About Millennial Golfers. <INSERT WHAT SESSION YOU ATTENDED.>

Day Four: March 5

Education sessions began at 8:00 a.m. with 90-minute educational sessions including Lean In, Using Industry Benchmarks to Frame the Development of Three Unique Fitness/Wellness Experiences, and the Art and Science of Storytelling.

<INSERT WHAT SESSION OR ROUNDTABLE YOU ATTENDED.>

After this session, I had the opportunity to browse the Idea Fair (think the science fair of great club operations ideas). There were more than 200 entries submitted by club managers from all over the country. <SHARE A SPECIFIC ENTRY THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA AT YOUR CLUB.>

During the afternoon, attendees could choose from a fifteen, one-hour educational sessions including A Look at Today’s Fine Wine Business and Where It is Headed, presented by Dennis Cakebread of Cakebread Cellars.

<INSERT WHAT SESSIONS OR ROUNDTABLES YOU ATTENDED.>

I also had the opportunity to attend the evening’s Networking Event which took me to the St. Francis Yacht Club, overlooking San Francisco Bay. <INSERT A SENTENCE ABOUT SOMETHING INTERESTING YOU SAW THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO YOUR CLUB OR A NETWORKING CONNECTION.>

Day Five: March 6

It was another full day of education and opportunities. The day kicked off with featured speaker, First Female Iron Chef, Restaurateur, TV Personality, Author, and Lifestyle Entrepreneur, Cat Cora. Cat continues to be a leader in her industry as she masterfully synchronizes her award-winning talents with mainstream accessibility, all while she evolves into a space beyond the culinary world.

During the middle of the day, nine, 90-minute sessions were offered including How to Effectively Communicate with Generation X and Millennial Members, Building a Culture of Engagement, Navigating the Working Relationship and Expectations Between the Banquet Coordinator, Executive Chef, and General Manager, and Sustainability at Your Club. <INSERT WHAT SESSIONS OR ROUNDTABLES YOU ATTENDED.>

The day ended at 3:30 p.m. with the Closing Business Session, spotlighting Airbnb Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Chip Conley. Bestselling author, hospitality entrepreneur, disruptive business rebel and social change agent, Chip Conley is a leader at the forefront of the sharing economy. He shared how he helped to transform a promising home sharing start-up into what is today the world’s largest hospitality brand.

The Sessions I Attended Of Note

·  Sample: Clubs’ Compliance With the Americans With Disabilities Act

·  Sample: Continuous Improvements That Members Want

·  Sample: Legal Compliance for Clubs

·  Sample: Maximizing Retails Sales With Dollars Per Round

·  <INSERT YOUR OWN>

Ideas for Immediate Implementation

Idea / Department

Ideas for Implementation in 2017

Idea / Department

Ideas for Implementation in the Next Three Years

Idea / Department

About CMAA, the CCM, and Future Opportunities

The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is the professional Association for managers of membership clubs. CMAA has close to 6,700 members across all classifications. Manager members run more than 2,500 country, golf, city, athletic, faculty, yacht, town and military clubs. The objectives of the Association are to promote and advance friendly relations among persons connected with the management of clubs and other associations of similar character; to encourage the education and advancement of members; and to assist club officers and members, through their managers, to secure the utmost in efficient and successful operations.

The Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation was established in 1965 and 2015 marked its 50th anniversary. The CCM indicates that a club management professional has completed a rigorous course of study and training and shows a dedication to proficiency and expertise in club management. The CCM is the hallmark of professionalism in club management. It is a valuable and widely-respected mark of a manager’s commitment to professional development and the club industry. In order to receive the CCM designation, one must be a Professional member of CMAA for at least six years, invest time in specified education requirements, attend at least one World Conference on Club Management and maintain activity within their local chapter. After these conditions have been met, the individual must pass the CCM Exam. On-going maintenance requirements are required every five years for individuals to continue to use the designation. Attainment of the CCM title shows a long-term commitment to professional development and club management.

The 92nd World Conference on Club Management and the Club Business Expo will be held February 24-28, 2019, in Nashville, TN.