A Message to our Club Industry Colleagues

Dear Club Industry Colleagues:

Greetings and best wishes from KOPPLIN & KUEBLER for a great holiday season!

As we head into 2010, we thought we'd share with you our optimistic outlook on the year ahead! Frankly, based on the many conversations we've been having with clubs, general managers and board members, we're tremendously encouraged that a number of positive things are occurring in the private club industry.

We have traveled the country in the past several months, talking to general managers and board members from nearly 30 states. In our opinion, there is a clear "wake up call" going on in the club industry! We see engaged, focused, competent and charismatic leadership within club boards, recognizing that they need to set clear goals and objectives for their chief executive, then "get out of the way and let him/her manage and lead the operation"!  And, we’ve seen the quality of leadership of management continue to raise the standards of innovation, creativity, engagement and financial acuity, and do it with the ‘service heart’ that is fundamental to this industry!

While some clubs have cut back significantly on services, trimmed expenses and/or downgraded the general manager's role, we've seen a large number of club boards understand that now more than ever private clubs need to provide more services and better quality products to the members. We have observed general managers and their department managers lead their club operations with innovative solutions and imaginative new concepts to re-energize their private club membership. Those leaders firmly recognize and believe that now is the time to make their clubs even more valuable and important in the lives of their club members.

Clearly, most successful private clubs and their chief executives have been very judicious with their decisions and they have focused on being cautiously proactive rather than "knee-jerk reactive." Yes, we've seen some of the latter, but candidly, those clubs and their managers likely weren't going to be successful in the long run anyway; the strong years of the economy only covered up many of their shortcomings or shortsightedness.

Friends, this is not optimistic hype or bluster……..based on recent activity we anticipate a very busy year in 2010. We're gratified to find a true separation of quality leaders and private clubs out there right now, and believe that much of what has happened in the industry, while difficult for many people has had a necessary and sometimes appropriate "purging effect."

No one is happy to see anyone lose a job or to read about a club going into bankruptcy or converting to a public operation.  At the same time, it has been a very good "wake up call" for many clubs and managers. Additionally, the “good news” effect has been that some club boards and managers have actually listened and learned! Many have been prompted to creatively lead, recognizing that in this "new club world" doing the same old thing, even in long standing traditional clubs, just doesn't work like it did in the past.

We look forward to seeing you at the World CMAA Conference in San Diego where we will be discussing with you, our club leaders, the important issues regarding our industry. We hope that you are as optimistic as we are when it comes to the many good things happening today; and with what we expect will happen in 2010.

All the best for the New Year!

Dick and Kurt
www.kopplinandkuebler.com