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Clubhouse Europe Buying Group – page 20

ISSUE 15

CMAE European Conference – review and rewind Club Awards 2018 – announcing the winners Interviewing techniques – welcome to'Tombstone-ing' Management Development Programme – dates for the diary

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WELCOME

Welcome Paraphrasing the Scottish songwriter, David Scott, “We live in an age of discovery and rage” and it is troubling to see the amount of anger seemingly drowning out the voices of reason and diplomacy.

It is important to have some form of sanctuary from those in society that feel the need to express the strongest of opinions, often with the deliberate aim of causing offence and hurt. For some, this may be a nurturing family home, for others it may be hill walking or fishing. We are, however, a social animal and our clubs provide a safe and enduring community activity that is becoming increasingly vital in our turbulent world.

Traditional private member clubs are repeatedly derided for an adherence to rules and seemingly arcane traditions. The counter argument is that almost all club rules require that people are treated with dignity, respect and consideration.

In other words, anger and hostility is kept in check in a club environment, with members being quickly chastised for any transgression. The anonymity of the Internet that encourages the despised act of ‘trolling’ simply cannot take place within a club environment.

It is perhaps time that we learn to celebrate this element of club life and better use it as a recruitment tactic in our marketing. It is pleasing, therefore, to note that this edition contains advice on staff recruitment in particular from our great friend and MDP stalwart the ebullient Gregg Patterson from across the Pond. As always, sound advice is mixed with great humour and startling eye-openers which will make you re-think your standard interview techniques.

Further thoughts for the day – in fact your entire career – come from Mike Braidwood CCM who reflects on the MDP one liners which continue to serve him well. (Mike has recently been appointed as Chairperson of the CMAE’s Education Policy Board.)

One in particularly resonates with me at this point in time – ‘change what you can, manage what you can’t’. Do that and then you are truly adept at helping provide the safe, peaceful harbour so much required in these days of rage. For you, your staff and your members.

I wish you a very rage-free festive period and hope to meet as many of you as possible in 2019 at one of CMAE’s many events.

David Roy CCM

Contributors

Mike Steven Braidwood CCM Brown FBII

Ian Crombleholme

Sean Ferris

David Foster

Torbjörn Johansson

Derek Johnston

Caroline Scoular

Nick Sellens

Rob Hill

Mark David Newey CCM CCE Roy CCM

CMAE Board of Directors Jennifer Allmark jennifer.allmark@gmail.com David Balden CCM dcb@caledonianclub.com James Burns CCM jburns@milltowngolfclub.ie Pierre Chevallier CMDip pierre.chevallier@adgf.org Judy Hutton CMDip judy@portstewartgc.co.uk Alberto Iglesias CCM aiglesias@fdlgolf.es Michael Newland CCM Michael.Newland@RoyalPorthcawl.com David Roy CCM manager@crailgolfingsociety.co.uk Javier Reviriego gm@valderrama.com Cindy Schoenrich CMDip cindy@gstaadyachtclub.com Graham Stewart CCM director@golf-lalargue.com Mary Lou Watkins CMDip Marylou@northberwickgolfclub.com

Editor Caroline Scoular caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk Design David Foster Editorial Nick Sellens Sales and Marketing Manager Leigh-Ann Ogilvie Circulation Jonathan Hardy Administration Debbie Goddard Debbie.Goddard@cmaeurope.eu Publishing Director Sean Ferris sean@alchemymedia.co.uk;

Clubhouse Europe is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing Ltd. ACP Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1TX United Kingdom t. +44 (0)1753 272022 f. +44 (0)1753 272021 e.info@alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk

CMAE The Club Managers Association of Europe 1b Bagshaw Close Ryton on Dunsmore Warwickshire CV8 3EX United Kingdom t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359

President, Club Managers Association of Europe The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers or the CMAE. Clubhouse Europe does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 3

Contents 28

16

5 News round-up News, views and latest dates and details of CMAE’s Management Development Programme.

8 CMAE Conference Review Hailed a great success, we revisit November’s Conference with a picture gallery.

12 Catering for change Steven Brown, a regular CMAE deliverer of sessions on Food & Beverage Management, offers insights from his extensive travels around UK and European golf clubs.

26 Strategic Business Intelligence

36 When is a redesign necessary?

There are steps a club manager can take now that will lead to consistently better decision making at the Club, says GGA.

So you’re thinking about changing your website? Top advice from the experts at Studio44.

37 Words of MDP wisdom 28 At the club bar An up-to-the-minute spotlight on ultra-light beer for the bar.

Mike Braidwood CCM presents the ‘one liners’ that have resonated with him since he started the MDP journey.

30 Social Media Awards

39 CMAE Alliance Partners

Is your club using social media to engage with members? Then we want to hear from you.

Latest news from Finland, Holland, Ireland and Spain.

22 Broadband – a sporting chance

32 CMAE at the Club Awards

42 Tribal Tuesday

The rules of fan engagement have changed and sports fans are no longer just spectators but active participants.

Clubs across the UK and CMAE member clubs came together to celebrate the Club Sector in November. The night in pictures.

Leadership – going back to common sense with Alastair Curbbun CCM.

16 Thinking Tombstone Gregg Patterson, inspirational speaker and presenter at innumerable CMAE events and sessions, explains the value of “Tombstone-ing” when recruiting the perfect fit for the club.

32

39

For more information on any of these articles or to contribute to our next issue, contact Editor Caroline Scoular. e. caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk t. +44 (0)1753 272022 For more information on the CMAE, its events and/or courses contact Debbie Goddard. e. Debbie.Goddard@cmaeurope.eu t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359

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News from the frontline CMAE CAREER MOVES The club recruitment industry understands the value in up-to-date education as Richard Wood of Colt Mackenzie McNair reinforced when speaking at November’s CMAE Conference.

“We advise all our clients that the chances of a candidate being successful as a Club Manager is significantly enhanced by continuous education,” he said. “A standout pathway we recommend is the CMAE.” Jerry Kilby CCM promoted to GM of Woodcote Park CMAE member Jerry Kilby CCM has taken up the role of General Manager of Woodcote Park Golf Club in Surrey. He has over 30 years in the golf industry including senior roles such as the Marketing Manager of the PGA, the founding Executive Director of the UK Golf Course Owners Association, the part-time CEO of the CMAE and General Manager of the Nad Al Sheba Club in Dubai.

Joyce Burnett CMDip appointed General Manager at Helensburgh Golf Club Joyce Bennet CMDip has joined Helensburgh Golf Club as General Manager. Previously Club Manager at Muckhart Golf Club, she has completed CMAE’s Management Development Programme (MDP) parts 1 and 2 plus her MDP Golf Management and has gained the Club Management Diploma (CMDip).

Chris Duffy CMDip appointed as GM Huddersfield Golf Club, Yorkshire, has appointed CMAE member Chris Duffy CMDip as its new General Manager. He previously worked as Event Staging Manager at the European Tour Qatar Masters and Head of Golf Operations at Doha Golf Club. He is an active member of CMAE and has completed all five MDPs as well as participating in the CMAE European Conference and the CMAA World Conference.

New GM for Horsley Lodge Horsley Lodge Golf Club has appointed Richard Odell as General Manager. Richard, who is on CMAE’s MDP path and is a qualified Class AA-PGA Professional, was previously General Manager of Sherwood Forest Golf Club. Prior to that he was Director of Golf at Branston Golf & Country Club.

CMAE leads the way The Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) conference took place at the H10 Andalucia Plaza in Marbella, Spain from the 18-20 November, attracting over 100 delegates from 20 different countries.

Attendee Ross Matheson, Manager of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, said: “Wimbledon is synonymous with excellence and properly expects that our member services are delivered to the highest standard. Attendance at the CMAE conference

helps ensure that we can consistently achieve very high levels of member satisfaction.”

• For a review of the event turn to page 8 in this issue.

CMAE clubs triumph at 2018 Club Awards CMAE members from Datchet Water Sailing Club, Formby Golf Club and Roehampton Club were among the finalists of the UK’s club glitterati who attended the 27th Club Mirror Club Awards in Doncaster on November 29, 2018.

Formby Golf Club won Marketing Club of The Year, Roehampton won Sports Club of the Year and Refurbishment of The Year while Datchet Water Sailing Club was applauded in categories including Business Initiative of the Year.

• For a full report see pages 32-36 in this issue.

Live streaming from the event available at this QR code.

Images on Facebook available at this QR Code.

love.golf take golf to London Golf’s love.golf coaches took to the streets of London in November, tasked to make golf appeal to a younger female audience. The team quickly recruited office workers from nearby businesses for a memorable and unconventional golfing experience.

Participant Laura Shaw, said: “It was very much a leap into the unknown – we went outside feeling golf was really not for us, especially with all of its rules. But the coaches were really friendly and energetic.

They just let us hit the ball and play and have fun. It turned out to be a brilliant way to spend our lunch hour and gave us a totally

different view of golf!”

• www.love.golf CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 5

NEWS – MDP PROGRAMME

Management Development Programmes The Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) has announced the dates of its Management Development Programmes (MDPs) from January 2019 onwards. The MDPs are created to develop the careers of those working in the club sector to the benefit of themselves, the club and the sector as a whole.

T

he CMAE’s Management Development Programme (MDP) is a series of courses and learning opportunities designed for those working as club general managers, club secretaries and in other senior positions at sports, city and business clubs as well as for those who aspire to these roles in the future.

“The courses gain industry-wide praise and I’d suggest that anyone who’s still not sure if they should join the MDP journey should take a look at the testimonials on our website to get a real flavour of just how impactful they are,” said Director of Education Torbjorn Johansson.

Fernando Padron, Director de Operaciones, Real Club Valderrama , for example, describes his MDP as an amazing course. “It provided tools and taught me new skills to become an even better leader. I now feel much more confident and competent as a Club Manager. It really has been a great addition to my MDP educational path,” he said.

The CMAE Tribe concept is also a key element of the MDP success, as Gary Beves, Assistant Manager, Golf at Goodwood explains. “The CMAE talks of a tribe mentality and how being part of that tribe is of great value to you as an individual, which after experiencing first hand I couldn’t agree with more. The people I met on the course I will most certainly remain in contact with both professionally and personally,” he said.

For more testimonials, visit https://www.cmaeurope.org/mdp-testimonials or use this QR code.

DATE

LOCATION

HOST

MDP Part 1 28 Jan - 1 Feb 4 - 8 Feb 11 - 15 Feb 11 - 15 Mar 12 - 16 May

Manchester, England Troia, Portugal Amsterdam, Holland Cardiff, Wales Dubai, UAE

L&HC AGGP EGCOA Wales Golf Dubai Golf

MDP Part 2 11 - 15 Feb 18 - 22 Feb 12 - 16 May

Stirling, Scotland Marbella, Spain Dubai, UAE

SGCMA AEGG Dubai Golf

MDP 3 Strategy & Leadership 21 - 25 Jan 12 - 16 May

Stockholm, Sweden Dubai, UAE

CMAE CMAE

To register your interest in attending any of the above courses please contact debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.eu or use this QR code.

MDP to debut in Amsterdam The Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) in collaboration with the Dutch Golf Federation, the Club Managers Association of Holland, the Netherlands Golf Course Association and the Golf Course Association of Europe have confirmed that Amsterdam is to host the MDP part 1 course on 11-

Food and Beverage programme takes place in Marbella The CMAE’s Food and Beverage Management programme was completed in Marbella, Spain with 24 club industry professionals from seven different countries taking part in the five-day residential programme that covered a broad food and beveragebased curriculum.

The week started with a presentation from F&B consultant Steven Brown on F&B costings, wages and stock taking. (See pages 12-14 for more from Steven).

6 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

Delegates also enjoyed hands-on experiences at the renowned Les Roches International Hospitality School, as well as education sessions which included HACCP Compliance, special events planning, customer service and menu engineering, delivered by Phil Jackson, James Burns CCM (General Manager of Milltown Golf Club, Ireland) and Michael Braidwood CCM (General Manager, Education City Golf Club, Qatar). During the week the delegates also had the opportunity to visit the high-profile club Real Club Valderrama, one of the leading clubs in Europe, to get some inside information on running a top club from a F&B perspective.

CMAE Director of Education Torbjorn Johansson who facilitated the programme said: “We are delighted by the success of the programme. Our twenty four delegates had an excellent week of education and feel empowered to go back to their clubs to evoke positive change in their food and beverage offering. Our thanks go out to all of the high quality presenters, Les Roches Hotel school and Real Club Valderrama.”

15 February, 2019. The course will take place at Golfresort De Purmer, located close to Amsterdam, between Zaandam, Edam and Volendam and will feature sessions based on the 10 core competencies of club management, learning from CMAE’s team of MDP educators.

STOP PRESS...

The CMAE has launched new promotional videos which explain the role that it plays across Europe with the help and support of its alliance partners and sponsors. Use this link: https://youtu.be/2bou9tr7tJ0

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Unlocking Golf’s True Potential

Sustainability

Syngenta is a global agriculture company, employing more than 28,000 people in 90 countries.

Enhancing the environment, increasing biodiversity, and engaging with customers and stakeholders

As an industry leader, we care not only for the health, quality and consistency of your fairways and greens, we care about the health of the game itself and the industry’s For more than 30 years we have also been long-term business sustainability. a market leader in the global golf industry creating innovative turf management That’s why Syngenta is investing in solutions for golf courses in 43 countries. golf from the ground up with the aim of Unlocking Golf’s True Potential.

However, Syngenta is much more than turf Our objectives are focused on: management products and services.

Productivity Supporting our customers and stakeholders with new knowledge, skills and tools to create strong, dynamic, customer-centric golf businesses

Playability Working with golf course superintendents around the world to deliver the best playing conditions for their customers

Working together, we can Unlock Golf’s True Potential To find out more, join Syngenta Golf Ambassador Carin Koch for a special on-course video presentation at: www.unlockinggolfstruepotential.co.uk

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CMAE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

CMAE Conference hailed a success On the 18th-20th November, CMAE members from across Europe descended on Marbella to take part in the 2018 Management Conference. Couldn’t join us? Then here’s how it looked!

CMAE’s 2018 European Conference was designed to create both a stimulating and challenging event where over 150 attendees could share the Journey taken by other Club Managers from across Europe and as far afield as Dubai and the Emirates.

“We planned the Conference around the premise that ‘Success is a journey, not a destination’,” said CMAE Director of Education Toby Johansson. “We invited members to join the Tribe, and to collectively discover what success looks like.”

The Conference hosted a broad range of presenters, from Club Managers and analysts to consultants and business coaches, each offering unique insights and techniques for delegates to absorb and take back to their clubs.

After much praise for the 2017 Conference, the 2018 event built on that successful format with even more dynamic and highly participative discussion sessions. Delegates were encouraged to share their real life experiences and to embrace the extraordinary power of the CMAE Tribe that makes the Conference truly unique.

In closing the conference, CMAE President, David Roy, said: “Success in the club industry is not a product of chance but rather of innovation, cooperation and investment and CMAE continues to be an enabler for club managers to drive their clubs towards ever greater achievements.”

• Details of next year’s Conference will be published shortly.

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CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 9

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CMAE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

The Programme Sunday, 18 November 15.15 Using evidence to inspire and inform effective change – Rob Hill, Global Golf Advisors 16.15 Which journey will the future take for machinery? – Arturo Moran, Toro 16.15 Where is this industry heading? – Gabriel Aluisy, Private Club Radio 17.15 Transforming your club through Ocean stewardship – William Winram, Fellow of the Explorer’s Club and Cindy Schönrich, Managing Director of the Gstaad Yacht Club 17.15 The Customer Journey – Miklos Breitner, CEO Golf Business Monitor 19.00 Drinks reception 20.30 CMAE Corporate & Alliance Partner Dinner Monday, 19 November 08.45 Opening session: Starting The Journey – Torbjörn Johansson & Bill Sanderson 09.15 The Journey: One of the biggest fundamental changes to a direction and ethos of any City Club in many years – City of London Club – Edward Plunket, City of London Club Secretary 10.00 Coffee 10.45 The Journey: Breaking through walls – visible and invisible – Debbie Pern CCM, Deeside Golf Club 11.30 The Journey: In pursuit of greatness: when we finish we begin – Ross Matheson, AELTC Club Manager 12.15 Lunch 13.30 The Journey: How do we use change instead of fight against it? – Darshan Singh, Inspirer 14.15 The Journey: Mohammed’s Dream - it’s not what you have, it’s what you do with it – Michael Braidwood CCM, Mohammed Al Naimi, Education City Golf Club 15.00 Coffee 15.30 The Journey: The future is not just a new course, it’s a totally new ball game – Troed Troedson, Future Analyst 16.45 Today’s Journey comes to an end – Bill Sanderson, Performance Coach 18.15 CMAE Annual General Meeting 19.00 Drinks reception 20.00 Dinner Tuesday, 20 November 09.00 When Crisis happens: Before and during and after the unthinkable – Laurie M. Martin, Founder, Life Interrupted Inc 10.00 Coffee 10.30 The Membership marketing and retention journey that all successful clubs must take – Norm Spitzig, Master Club Advisors 11.15 Building a Trusting Environment – J. Anne Willems, Social Artist & Collector of beautiful moments 12.15 Conference closing – Torbjörn Johansson and Bill Sanderson 12.45 Final lunch

10 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

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CATERING

Catering for change Steven Brown, a regular CMAE deliverer of sessions on Food & Beverage Management, offers insights from his extensive travels around UK and European golf clubs.

M

y travels across the UK and Europe, when visiting golf clubs for the purpose of advising them on all matters food and beverage (F&B), has meant that I encounter clubs with a wide range of issues ranging from a downturn in profitability, to poor performing personnel, an assessment of return on capital for planned investment, staffing levels and perhaps, more than any other subject, on the correct trading model and whether an in-house service is better for them than an external source or vice versa.

Readers of my previous articles on the subject of in-house versus franchised operations will know full well that I favour neither one nor the other method, as every clubs’ circumstances are different.

I visit many clubs whose F&B turnover figures range from £80k into the millions, but they all have one thing in common, which is a need to know if the system they are using is the right one, and what alternative options are available to them that might better suit their own particular circumstances.

Whilst turnovers can range from £80k to over a million, the vast majority of the clubs that I consult with on this complex topic will have turnovers that range from £200k to £600k, and the debate is equally divided amongst those clubs that already have an external supplier (commonly referred to as a franchisee) and are considering bringing the service in house, or those that already have the service inhouse but are toying with the idea of contracting the food (and or the bars) service to an external provider.

I have spoken at length about this topic on my F & B road shows on many occasions, but until recently, my observations have been aimed at those clubs with a £200k to £600k turnover, but what of those clubs whose turnover exceeds one million pounds – why on earth would they even contemplate such a move, and might they just be handing over the family jewels?

I recently visited a client of mine that decided, after much soul searching, to source an external provider for what is already a tremendously busy and well-respected F&B operation.

So why did they make that decision? Was it losing money? Were they disorganised? Was it too large an operation to control?

In seeking the answers to these questions, I was granted an audience with my good friend Marc Newey CCM CCE and CEO of Roehampton Club, Club Mirror magazine’s Sports Club of the Year in 2017 and 2018 no less, and boasting some 5,000 members, which has an enviable reputation of supplying its members with a first-class service, an

12 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

opportunity to review our options.”

STEVEN: “You would have been aware of the so called “franchise” route from one of my fabulous lectures, but how did you decide to select the company who now supply their services to you as your preferred partner?”

Steven Brown

Marc Newey CCM CCE

excellent range of products and all in the most delightful of surroundings.

I was then given access to the MD of Levy Leisure, Jon Davies, the company invited to take on the challenge, and I will record his take on the proceedings a little later in the piece.

The F & B service at Roehampton generates sales in excess of 1.4 million pounds annually and has, for the past 20 years, been an in-house provision, but in 2017, Marc convinced the Board at the club that Roehampton would best be served to re-assign that operation to an external source.

I met with Marc over a working lunch on a busy day at the club and began by asking him the most important and critical of all questions.

STEVEN: “Marc, of all the football clubs you could have supported in London such as the fabulous Spurs, why on earth did you choose West Ham?” MARC: “I like a challenge – it’s been a fifty-year challenge though!”

STEVEN: “Well that’s a fact, but how about the challenge that lead you to rethink your clubs’ position regarding your fabulous F & B operation.”

MARC: “Whilst we had no concerns regarding the quality of service and offering the club has, we had, for many years, been heavily subsidising the food and beverage operation to the extent that it was costing us over £1.6 million pounds to generate a 1.4 million pound turnover, and it doesn’t take a genius, or even a Spurs fan, to know that that rate of attrition cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. Bear in mind that we had, during my time at the club, already taken major strides to reduce that subsidy from a larger figure, but you cannot keep making large scale economies, especially in the area of service levels and standards, before you begin to de-value the product as a whole, and so, at the Board’s behest, we took the

MARC:“Once I had Board approval to investigate the options, I set up a small working party to delve into the external provider market, but not before we clearly identified the parameters that would guide us through what might have been a difficult transition for our staff and members alike. We had to protect everyone’s interests here and keep everyone in the loop regarding our intentions.

“The Board backed the idea but wanted to ensure that the current staff would be able to transfer their employment over under TUPE, that current service times would be largely maintained pricing levels would be carefully monitored and that the 10% discount level that the Members currently enjoyed would be maintained.”

STEVEN: “How was the club performing at the time, and did that have any major impact on the decision to change?”

MARC:“We were making margins in excess of 60% on our food and 65% on our bars after members’ discounts, so no problems there. It was simply that we felt the subsidy was too high with the major part of that being due in the main to the staffing of the three separate venues we have on site, and all with different hours that range from 7.30 in the morning to 11.00 at night, and sometimes with extensions for special events. Our staff wage percentage was creeping up to 70% which you will know Steven is, even for a club with our range of activities and events, bordering on being totally unviable. Roehampton Club makes a £1.7m surplus but we felt that if we could reduce the catering subsidy still further we could use these extra funds for Member benefit.”

STEVEN: “Like West Ham, it would indeed be teetering on the edge of a precipice.” (At this point it’s worth noting that I adroitly dodged a bread roll hurled in my direction). “So, the scene is set. How long did the process take to find a new partner?”

MARC: “I investigated other large volume outlets that I was aware of such as some of the London city clubs, as well as the top sports club in Birmingham, Edgbaston Priory Club, who had similarly under-

The F & B service at Roehampton generates sales in excess of £1.4 annually. In 2017 it switched from an in-house provision of some 20 years’ standing to an external source. taken this journey and were a comparable trading organisation to our own, with some 3,500 members providing tennis, squash, health facilities etc, and, after having lengthy discussions with them, decided that there was some merit in further investigating the external supply route. However, what attracted me most to the Edgbaston model, was that Levy had been working with them and forged a successful partnership.”

STEVEN: “So was it full steam ahead with negotiations with your preferred partners?”

MARC: “Certainly not. We invited three large companies providing this level of service to tender, involving numerous interviews and presentations to the working group and then to the Board, and only after lengthy discussions did we arrive at the deal with the chosen company.”

STEVEN: “How long did all of this process take from the germination of the idea to commencement of the arrangement?”

MARC: “The entire process took nearly a year. We had to be certain that the terms of the deal were right

and that it was in the best interests of the club and our members. The board made a final decision in November 2017 to enter a Partnership with Levy with a projected start date of January 2018.”

STEVEN: “You spoke about the terms of the deal.

Can you explain in principle how that works?”

MARC: “In essence Levy took over complete responsibility for both the bar and catering operations including the staffing levels, stock ordering and control, health & safety, rotas, recruitment and selection, training etc the same as you would expect if the operation was conducted internally. The key factor was that the terms were agreed on a COST PLUS PARTNERSHIP.” STEVEN: “Can you explain a little more how the COST PLUS PARTNERSHIP works as there may be some West Ham fans reading this” (At this point I avoided another bread roll!).

MARC: “The club pays a management fee which, in most cases, will equate to the salary of employing an F & B manager. We then jointly agreed an annual budget for turnover and costs based on past and

future performance. We then agreed what percentage of the annual cost savings comes back to Levy and what comes back to the Club.”

STEVEN: “How do Levy reckon to achieve the projected cost savings?”

MARC: “Good question. As part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, they have solid buying power which they bring to bear in favour of the client’s operation.

If they can buy and provide the club with the same quality of goods at a much lower price, they reduce the wholesale cost of the food and drink substantially thus generating higher margins. All they then have to do is to maintain, or even reduce, the day to day running costs and the objective is achieved.”

STEVEN: “How do they reduce these running costs?”

MARC: “Through more effective staffing rotas and by providing greater efficiencies and productivity.

We must remember that these people, forgive the pun, eat and drink these types of operations and know how to work within tight guidelines that do not affect the levels of service, and to date, they have

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 13

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CATERING done very well at operating with more flexible working patterns and split shifts.”

STEVEN: “Did you have to make all of your existing staff redundant?”

MARC: “Not one of them. We simply transferred their employment over to the new operator under T.U.P.E. and this proved to be a relatively seamless process, albeit staff needed to readjust to working with their new bosses. We agreed with Levy that few if any changes would be made to the systems and staffing rotas the first 3 months of trading but instead that they would hold a watching brief.”

STEVEN: “So how has it all panned out? Have you now abdicated all responsibility for the F & B operation?”

MARC: “Absolutely not. We insist upon regular weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings with the area manager responsible for our unit to review preagreed KPI’s, and then meet with the MD when we deem it necessary. Our Operations Manager Nicki liaises with their Contract Manager and Executive Chef on food and event presentation, whilst my GM Simon works on cost savings with Levy, and I maintain a presence by walking the job and observing operations and then reporting back any concerns or compliments that I have in connection with the workforce.”

STEVEN: “What would you say, even at this early stage, have been the pros and cons of this move?”

MARC: “Because we dealt with local suppliers for foods, we could get deliveries every day if the need arose, but I suspect we were paying higher prices.

Due to Levy’s use of specific suppliers, staff had to plan buying patterns and stock control much more carefully. Changing coffee and tea brands for example needs careful persuasion for some Members, so Levy and ourselves worked with Members to understand what they wanted and then to deliver within this brief wherever possible.”

STEVEN: “So how did you allay those members’ fears?”

MARC: “We arranged a series of tasting sessions with both the House Committee and member focus groups for approval before introducing any new products.”

especially with 5,000 members, can be a challenge in satisfying everyone’s needs, so how did this company adapt to this as this style of operation is not their normal sphere of activity?”

MARC: “Gingerly at first, but now they understand the club culture and our specific needs and have adjusted well. They cater for sports and leisure venues throughout the UK, so this was about adapting the approach to fit our needs.”

STEVEN: “Where does this agreement go from here?”

Jon Davies MARC: “We have a five-year agreement with them and with constant review periods throughout, leaving room for discussion on terms and results, so we feel very confident about the future.”

STEVEN: “Unlike West Ham’s.” (At this point the third bread roll hit me squarely between the eyes.)

The interview was terminated at this point!

Levy Leisure’s Jon Davies Having spoken to Marc and getting his slant on the move, I then took the opportunity for a brief chat with the MD of Levy Leisure, Jon Davies and here is a resume of his comments.

STEVEN: “Jon many thanks for finding the time to discuss this exciting initiative with me. Tell me why any club considering a move of this nature should consider working with in partnership with Levy?”

JON: “We have a huge amount of resources and experience, so we are well placed to provide a service to clubs of this size.”

STEVEN: “If you had to sum up why a club would use your services, what would your response be?

What benefits do you bring to the negotiation table?”

JON: “We bring a quality food procurement service, experience, expertise, the potential of thousands of personnel from around the world, tried and tested controls, compliance and training programmes but, perhaps best of all, we provide our clients with peace of mind and fewer distractions from their other important tasks – in a nutshell, we take away the worry about food and beverage provision.”

STEVEN: “At what level of turnover do you consider that it may become viable for you to provide a service to a club?”

STEVEN: “What has worked really well?”

MARC: “Training, compliance, buying power and management support. One thing that really blew us away was their expertise in organising the catering for the three-day GANT TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS at our club. They brought in Payne and Gunter, a Levy owned brand who specialise in high end event catering, and the result was just sensational – AND WE RECEIVED SOME COMMISSION!” STEVEN: “We all know that managing club life,

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JON: “Of course we have to work at a better than breakeven point for both the client and us, so over £750k is ideal, but we will always discuss each situation on its individual merits.”

STEVEN: “What does your experience tell you about the state of dining here in the UK and how will that shape your position going forward?”

JON: “We believe that day to day speciality dining with fresh foods, cooked to order, is the way ahead.

We tailor our offers to meet our client needs and to suit their visitors. We believe that food and drink can offer a unique and special experience at the place we offer our services, for example the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where we are working with our client to come up with unique and bespoke offers.

STEVEN: “Ah music to my ears – so not at West Ham then?”

JON: “Who?” STEVEN: “Exactly! What typical KPIs and targets would you want to set up with the client?”

JON: “We would typically be monitoring spend per head, total sales, labour percentages, gross margins and of course cost reductions, which are all financebased elements of the contract. Additionally, we would monitor the performance of our personnel, the customer experience through mystery diners, and of course all of our systems and protocols.”

STEVEN: “That all sounds very professional and supports the argument of why clubs would consider using Levy and other similar company’s services. Thank you, Jon, for shedding some light on this subject.”

CONCLUSION And so, complete with a plaster covering my head wound inflicted upon me by the West Ham supporter, I set off for the relative safety of home, a lot wiser than when I started the day, and I only hope that my insight into the world of corporate decision making regarding an outsourced F & B supply will be of some use to you.

My thanks go to Jon Davies of Levy Leisure (sales@levyrestaurants.co.uk) for his help with this article, and my commiserations for another fight for survival in the Premiership, to my good friend Marc Newey at Roehampton Club (www.roehamptonclub.co.uk).

This is your roving reporter “Scoop Brown” signing off for now.

Steven Brown FBII t.p. is Supreme Commander of Inn-formation and can be contacted on 07785 276320 or by email at herinn@aol.com

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GOLF GENIUS – PROMOTION

Discovering Golf Genius’ global impact Golf Genius is trusted by some of the premier golf clubs and courses in Europe to deliver exceptional golf experiences to their guests and members. Having administered more than 400,000 events in over 38 countries worldwide in the last 12 months Golf Genius knows what it takes to host a great golf event.

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n order to maximise the full impact of hosting September’s Ryder Cup, Paul Armitage, General Manager of Le Golf National, relied on Golf Genius to deliver the perfect event. “We know that it is essential to deliver a superb experience for everybody who heads to Le Golf National.

As a result, we felt that Golf Genius was the right choice as a golf event management partner,” he said.

Golf Genius combines the best features of the traditional golf experience with innovative cloudbased and mobile technology to provide a great experience for those playing and organising golf events. Being able to move with the trends in the golf industry is one of Golf Genius’ key strengths; the software enables clubs to meet the modern expectations of their members and guests.

“Golf Genius was the perfect solution for golf scoring at Castiglion del Bosco,” said David Waters, Director of Golf Castiglion del Bosco. “The system allows us to login to the website from any computer, and the ease of use and presentation of the product has made Golf Genius an essential part of our golf operation. Important members tournaments can now be organised more efficiently and presented at a five-star level.”

The full offer from event registration and league set up through to personalised game day scorecards, club branded scoring app and in-cart scoring with live leaderboards is all personalised, enabling clubs to keep their brand messaging strong and take advantage of commercial opportunities.

Agalarov Golf and Country Club’s General Manager, Peter Holland spoke about the impact of Golf Genius: “Since we started using Golf Genius we’ve greatly improved our member experience through the implementation of several features including customised printed materials, live scoring, TV leaderboards, and a full library of tournament and scoring formats. Not only has it greatly improved the quality of the product we can offer, it has saved our staff a significant amount of time when it comes to setting up and administering competitions.”

Having managed more than 13 million rounds of golf in the last year, Golf Genius’ experience

Paul Armitage, General Manager at Le Golf National (left) with Mike Zisman, President and CEO of Golf Genius Software. makes them highly responsive to trends in the market and has seen them add over 200 product features in regular updates over the last year.

Engaging and assisting customers is extremely important in helping clubs maximise their investment. The 10-minute commitment to answering customer support enquiries ensures users quickly get their questions answered and soon become comfortable and proficient users.

Finding the right fit was vitally important to Darren Griffiths, Director of Golf at Monte Rei: “We’ve long been looking for the right software package that not only offers our customers all of the features and benefits that we want, but a product that reflects our brand and the reputation we’ve worked hard to build and maintain.”

Golf Genius specialises in helping clubs improve their customer experience, from unique golf event packages through to participation programmes to drive increased membership. Golf Genius helps to promote fun, flexibility, family and friendship – the

four key pillars laid out in the European Golf Club Owners Association 2020 vision to increase participation. Creating ‘clubs within clubs’ such as swindles and leagues is a great way to encourage members to play more golf and to attract new members.

Golf Genius now has an international subsidiary to satisfy global demand. Product development is based at the Golf Genius development centre in Romania and a new interactive webpage houses additional information and customer testimonial videos specific to international customers.

READER OFFER AND CONTACT DETAILS Any CMAE member that would like a free trial of Golf Genius to understand how the management of their golf tournaments can be improved and delivered to enhance their brand should visit www.golfgenius.com/international or contact Craig Higgs at craig@golfgenius.com.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 15

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INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES do it with and where to do it – and how to judge the journeying they did.

And in those empty hours and aimless wanderings gravediggers get to pondering whether the character who’s been eulogized actually lived a life consistent with their tombstone message.

Thinking Tombstone Gregg Patterson Founder and President of Tribal Magic and inspirational speaker and presenter at innumerable CMAE events and sessions, explains the value of what he dubs “Tombstone-ing” when recruiting the perfect fit for the club.

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ext time you’re interviewing someone for a job and are looking for a conversational opener, ask the “wanna-be-hired” what they’d write on their tombstone for others to read when they’re dead and gone to The Great Beyond.

Savour their reaction. They’ll look at you in bewilderment, befuddled, panic in their eyes, clueless as to why you’re asking a bizarro question like THAT! At which point you can guide them through a bit of “Tombstone-ing” history…

People who work in graveyards dig lots of graves and when they’re not digging graves they’re

16 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

mowing lawns, raking leaves and trimming grass.

They have lots of alone time, lots of think time, lots of imagine time and lots of “look time” to read what people wrote on their tombstones – “A great father”, “A loving son”, “A forgiving wife”, capturing their essence for posterity.

Gravediggers know that tombstones never mention money or cars or fame or colleges attended or degrees that were earned or any of the résumé stuff that people seem to value when they meet at reunions or interview for jobs. They understand that tombstone virtues are all about the principles the departed used for deciding what to do, who to

Needing the Tombstone So after delivering your long winded intro, you tell the wanna-be-hired that tombstone-ing tells others lots about who you are, who you want to be and where all of that “who-ing” should get done.

You tell the wanna-be that a tombstone “done right” requires a couple of pithily worded end-ofthe-journey statements that The Tombstone-er could mail to their friends, paste in their notebook, hang on the wall, prop up on the desk and use as a screensaver to remind them what’s needed to create a life worth living.

You tell the wanna-be that the tombstone they’re creating will scream “this is me” when applying for a job, meeting a blind date or explaining why they did what they did to the grandkids.

You tell the wanna-be that you’re looking for alignment between their tombstone, your tombstone and the club’s tombstone. Tell them that “three way tombstone alignment” is the ideal foundation for a successful professional relationship.

So you tell the wanna-be that you, as their “employment mentor”, will help them create their very own personalized tombstone that’ll help them decide if the club is right for them and help the club decide if they are right for your club, your team and your leadership style.

And at that point, The Tombstone-ing can begin.

Carving the interview Tombstone You take out a piece of blank white paper. Draw a tombstone. Divide the tombstone into three sections – two on the bottom and one on the top. Tell the wanna-be you’ll be walking them through the Tombstone-ing Journey by asking a few questions and then filling in their “interview tombstone”.

You tell them that the top of every tombstone has their “Life Why” statement, the one BIG principle guiding their journey through the here-and-now. So you ask: “In one pithy sentence, what’s your purpose during The Great Journey?” Family? Relationships?

Doing good for others? Then start the questioning once the statement’s been made. Fill in their “Life Why”. Then give them your Why. And the club’s.

You explain that beneath their Life Why Statement, on the left side of the stone, you’ll be writing their Professional Why, a single sentence that’ll summarize why they’re doing the work they’re doing. So you ask: “In one pithy sentence, why are you in the business you’re in?” Money for the family? Meeting interesting people? Making people feel good? Then start the questioning that dives deep into their professional Why. Fill in their tombstone.

Then give ’em your Professional Why. And the club’s.

Tell them a photo is needed for placement beneath their Professional Why that captures the essence of that professional journey. So you ask: “What photo would you could show the world that

says “this is me” as a professional?” Behind their desk? Serving drinks to members? Laughing with kids? Then start the questioning. Fill in the tombstone. Then show ’em yours. And the club’s.

Beneath the Life Why on the right side of the stone you’ll be writing their Personal Why that summarizes the road they’ll follow on their personal “when I’m not working” journey. So you ask: “What’s the pithy sentence you’d use to describe The Why of your personal life journey?” Family?

Friends? Sports? Then start the questioning. Fill in the tombstone. Then give them your personal Why. And the club’s.

And beneath their Personal Why statement they’ll place The Photo that captures the essence of their personal journey. So you ask: “What’s the one photo you’d show the world that says “this is me” in my personal life?” The family on vacation? In leathers on their Harley? Surrounded by dogs? Then start the questioning. Fill in the tombstone. Then give ’em your photo. And the club’s.

After all their tombstone-ing’s been done, ask them The Big Questions. Is their tombstone aligned with yours as manager? With the clubs? Can we work together, live together, journey toward The Goal- together. Aligned and motivated?

And to finish off the discussion, give them their Interview Tombstone, your tombstone and the club’s one page tombstone. And then do the “compare and contrast”.

Mentoring the Tombstone After the interview’s finished, do a bit of counseling /mentoring with the interviewee. Tell them to ponder their tombstone. Tell them to figure out if what’s been written is really them. Tell them to take it home and ponder what’s written. Tell them to revise their tombstone as needed to create alignment between what’s been written and who they want to be. And once they’re finalized their tombstone, tell them to refer to it often, ponder what’s written and ask if their tombstone is the right roadmap to follow for the next fifty years.

Live Alignment Tombstones are a big deal because eulogy statements tell you and others lots about who you are, what you’re doing and where you want to do it.

Remind yourself that Tombstone-ing is a great exercise for you as a manager/supervisor/spouse/ parent/wanna-be-hired. Tombstone-ing makes you ask The Big Questions that’ll guide your “doing” during your decades long journey through life.

Tombstone-ing is a great interview technique. It stimulates thought and energizes conversation.

Hire people whose tombstone is in alignment with yours as leader. Hire people whose tombstone is in alignment with your club. Pursue a mate whose tombstone is in alignment with yours as a spouse.

Start pondering your tombstone. Start asking yourself what pithy quotes and simple first principles would give coherence and focus to your personal and professional “doings”. Create your tombstone, hang it on the wall, refer to it often – and enjoy the journey!

CONTACT DETAILS Founder of Tribal Magic, Gregg Patterson, formally General Manager of The Beach Club in Santa Monica, California, is a teacher and presenter on club management principles. He has taught all over the world and visits Europe regularly to engage with European club Managers and the CMAE. e. gjpair@aol.com

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ESP LEISURE – NEW LAUNCH

Elite Engage Right Message, Right Customer, Right Time How can you manage a successful relationship with your customers with the changes implemented by the GDPR? ESP Leisure are delighted to announce the release of their latest software module Elite Engage – a major step forward in how clubs can now communicate with their customers and drive up their potential revenue streams.

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lite Engage is new software that contains ESP’s latest multi-platform functionality.

Elite Engage works by generating automatic communications based on live customer activity, customer transactional information and customer data. It pays to be personal and to know your customer habits. Elite Engage works seamlessly with ESP’s App, Membership, Bookings, Point of Sale and Hospitality software modules.

Why Do I need Elite Engage?

Elite Engage allows you to get to connect with your

customers and send out automated and personalised communications via email, push notifications and SMS. Using Elite Engage will help you to get to know your customers, understand their needs and requirements, increase revenues, provide a great service and retain customer loyalty in an ever more competitive market.

“The time has moved on from shotgun marketing – sending thousands of un-targeted messages is a thing of the past – now is the time for a personalised message directed towards the individual.”

Taking GDPR Seriously The “Elite Engage” module has been developed with GDPR in mind to provide you with the ability to create an invaluable relationship with your customers via a method of communication, whilst at the same time helping you to comply with the regulations.

The new GDPR guidelines, that came into effect in May 2018, places the responsibility upon the customer to manage their own marketing preferences.

This includes having the opportunity to opt in and out of communications, along with being given the right to be forgotten after a period of inactivity.

“Elite Engage provides us with a powerful tool enabling our busy teams to establish relationships and effectively communicate with our customer base.

We found one of the key benefits is that the process is fully automated and once set up doesn’t need any manual input from us.”

Simon Hodsdon, Managing Director, Altonwood 18 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

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t +44 (0)20 8251 5100 e info@e-s-p.com w www.e-s-p.com

Allowing our clients to be the best at what they do Understanding customer preferences and how to service these creatively with minimal operational overheads is at the core of what ESP enables for its clients.

• • • • • • • •

CRM Bookings Online & Mobile Access Control Point of Sale Business Intelligence Kiosks Courses & Achievements

The preferred IT partner driving success, participation and the highest standards in leisure

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Want to cut club spend while increasing efficiencies? Well now you can. Introducing HQ Building the Business. Completely free to clubs this new service involves no contracts and no costs, just better buying and better club business.

Welcome to HQ Building the Business F

rom utilities and energy savings to procurement and financial services, HQ Building the Business works with your club as a surrogate head office, helping you to boost club business. And by working with carefully selected club-supporting partners and suppliers, HQ Building the Business will save you valuable time and resources in the quest to save your club money, freeing up you and your committee to run an even more efficient club.

You’re just three steps away from saving money.

Step 1 Free no-obligation audit – just call us or email us.

Step 2 Following our audit and discussions, if we believe we can help your club we will source the best deals available.

Frequently Asked Questions Q. How does it work?

A: It starts with a free and confidential audit of your club in those areas where you would like to find savings and efficiencies. This could be anything from utilities to phone bills and from food to club equipment.

Q. What are the costs?

A. There are no costs. HQ is free to join.

Q. What are my obligations?

A. There are no obligations for you or your club and no contracts. All we ask is that when we work with you, you are open about your current supplier situation.

suppliers we need to prove the value of a club to their business, but if we can help we will.

Q. What are your club credentials?

A. We’ve been working in the club sector for over 30 years in various roles. The launch of HQ Building the Business is the culmination of many years working with clubs and suppliers, from brewers and telecoms suppliers, to energy and water companies.

Q. Do I need a face to face meeting?

A. Not necessarily. A lot of the ground work can be done over the phone/email.

Q. What should I do if I want to get in touch?

A. Just email enquiries@hqbusiness.com or call 01753 272022.

Q. Does the club need to have a minimum turnover?

A. Our services are most suited to clubs with a minimum turnover of £100,000. This is because to secure the HQ Building the Business deals with

Step 3 Your club starts saving money.

This is what we call a win win! So get in touch now and help us help you to make 2018 an even better year for your club and your members.

You can call on 01753 272022 or email enquiries@hqbuildingthebusiness.com.

General Manager of Gallagher Premiership Rugby contender, Worcester Warriors “My role is very much to ensure that the support mechanisms of an efficient stadium and business are in place. I’ve worked with David and his team to assist in delivering savings across the business at Worcester Warriors and I am delighted to recommend the team on a professional as well as personal level.

Energy has been one of the biggest projects, and this procurement is delivering significant short and long term savings. There are plenty of people out there who claim they can do this; this team can.

A large part of my role is about getting things done efficiently and effectively, hence why I value the straight talking, efficient and short sharp presentation of results. No fuss, no salesmanship, just a host of opportunities followed up by appropriate and helpful assistance to deliver the chosen projects; make the most of them.”

• www.warriors.co.uk

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MEMBERSHIP FORM Yes I am interested in joining the no-cost, no-contract, no obligation HQ Building the Business club.

Your name: _____________________________________

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Role in club: _____________________________________ Club name and address: _____________________________ _____________________________________________ Tel no: ________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________ Number of members: ______________________________ Turnover*:______________________________________

n All n Other (please list): _____________________________

Particular areas you are interested in?

_____________________________________________ *Turnover - this information is entirely confidential and is not shared with any other companies/agencies etc. It is HQ Building the Businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s measure as to how we can help you save money.

Post this form to HQ Building the Business, ACP/Clubhouse Europe, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor, SL4 1TX. Alternatively simply email these details to enquiries@hqbusiness.com CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 21

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INDUSTRY REPORT

Broadband – a sporting chance From football to golf and everything in between, broadband has become an essential part of the immersive fan offering, whether at the game or watching it on a screen. So how are the sports-providers tackling this changing arena?

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he rules of fan engagement have changed.

Sports fans are no longer just spectators but active participants.

“Fans expect seamless connectivity and services that will bring them even closer to the action,” said Marc Waters, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE’s) Managing Director for UK&I. “Meeting fan expectations isn’t the only benefit of increased connectivity – it also enables the sports industry to take advantage of a variety of new commercial opportunities.

Failing to adapt is not just frustrating for fans, it’s also hurting the bottom line, leaving customer engagement, commerce, and even team wins on the table.”

One of HPE’s recent successes is its partnership with the 2018 Ryder Cup Tournament. The company provided a purpose-built infrastructure for the event which took place on 25- 28 September at Le Golf National, Paris.

The aim was to enable the Ryder Cup to support near omnipresent Wi-Fi access and a wide range of value-added services across concessions, services, fan engagement, security and ticketing to make this year’s tournament the best ever.

The ubiquitous wireless connectivity allowed for a capacity of over 51,000 users per day, improving fan experience while also supporting the tournament’s operational needs including its live scoring system and player performance tracking. A dedicated tournament app was designed to enable partners and sponsors to serve content, offers and advertisements to fans based on their movement around the course.

Michael Cole, Chief Technology Officer of the European Tour, said: “As a world class, major event it’s critical the Ryder Cup embraces the latest technology, empowers fans and delivers a best-in-class experience.”

Cole believes that working with HPE to elevate the digital profile of The Ryder Cup will help to make this vision a reality.

Football’s Tottenham Hotspur also shares a vision to be top of the league when it comes to all things digital and, at time of writing, hopes to open its new state-of-the- art venue pre-Christmas, subject to the stadium’s fire safety systems.

Sanjeev Katwa, Head of Technology, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “Creating a technology infrastructure to support an enhanced visitor experience requires solutions that can meet the growing demands of visitors that come to our new stadium.”

One of the most technologically advanced stadia ever built, it is set to deliver an enhanced event day experience for all visitors, and with a capacity of

22 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

Marc Waters, Managing Director for UK&I at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, (left) with Michael Cole, Chief Technology Officer of the European Tour.

September’s 42nd Ryder Cup Tournament boasted wireless capacity for over 51,000 users per day. Pictured: Lee Westwood, Thomas Pieters, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar at the 41st Ryder Cup, Hazeltine National Golf Course. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America.)

Tottenham Hotspur’s state-of-the-art stadium will enable connectivity across the entire venue.

61,559 it will also be the largest football club stadium in London.

The stadium’s IT infrastructure has been incorporated from the ground up, enabling connectivity across the entire venue for visitors and flexibility to cater for future demands, working with HPE-companies Aruba and Pointnext services organisation.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman, speaking last year, said: “The fact is, in most stadiums around the world, a lack of reliable Wi-Fi means fans

are essentially cut-off from the outside world for several hours. While that may sound like a welcome break to some, considering that a good part of current and future fans have never known a world without internet, venues are essentially asking them to step into the dark ages.”

Failing to adapt is not just frustrating for fans, it’s also hurting the bottom line. “Real-time updates on ticket and concession sales, for example, can inform special offers to help venues move

unused inventory. Tracking movement can help identify peak times and locations, so stadiums can adjust staffing and create more efficient operations,” she said.

Similar data insights can also be used to influence what happens on the field, she pointed out: “Information that coaches and general managers can put to use immediately – like player health and real-time performance monitoring – can translate into winning strategies for teams and owners.”

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 23

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Financial education We believe that everyone should be financially aware, and able to make informed decisions about their personal circumstances. Working with you, our tailored Financial Education programme can help your employees decipher their personal finances.

Financial wellness starts with knowledge and understanding, followed by action.

To discuss this exciting opportunity to help your employees make their financial futures brighter please contact:

Ian Crombleholme BA(Hons) DipPFS Director and Senior Financial Adviser

07796 442 669 i.crombleholme@brightwm.co.uk

The Partner Practice represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

Bright Wealth Management is a trading name of Bright FS Limited. Bright FS Limited is registered in England & Wales. Company No. 08191747.

A WORD WITH BRIGHT WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Five ways to better communicate employee benefit packages Simply offering a great employee benefits package isn’t enough to promote well-being and financial security amongst employees, says Bright Wealth Management.

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mployee benefits packages – when properly understood and appreciated by staff – are proven to have a positive impact on employee attitudes thus greatly improving staff retention.

However, research carried out clearly shows that organisations need to communicate their benefits effectively in order to see a meaningful impact on staff satisfaction and loyalty.1 Cass Business School and Warwick Business School suggest that “offering benefits but not making your staff aware of them is no better than not offering these benefits at all.”2 Bright Wealth Management aim to address this point and suggest employers take five actions to ensure that benefits are not overlooked or become lost in the background.

1. Go back to basics Directors, owners and HR managers should ask themselves what they want to achieve from the communication of benefits. Answers might include improved engagement, retention and productivity.They should also survey employees’ awareness, understanding and usage of benefits, as well as their demand for them.

Bright also recommend that employers consider how they can talk about workplace benefits at key stages, so they are kept front and centre of their employees’ minds. These conversations could take place during the recruitment process and at inductions; but, also, when staff become home-owners, get married, have children or are within 5 years of retirement.

2. Know your audience With a third of workers saying that their employer does not understand what benefits are important to them, it’s vital that employers segment their employees in the same way they would their customers.3 “Can you group your employees by age?

How many have dependents? Are they office-based or are they remote workers? What common issues do they have?” asks the report.

By going through this process, employers can start to build up a better picture of their workforce and understand what benefits might be appropriate to them.

3. Think external, act internal Benefits should be thought of in terms of their impact on employees, and these should be based on genuine consultation. Bright suggests that companies talk to their employees as they would customers

or clients; and that they work with other departments such as HR, communications and marketing, if possible, alongside professional advisers to create the best and most effective messages.

Bear in mind that the level of communication needed for each benefit will differ. Some of the more complex benefits, like a workplace pension, may need more explanation than some others, such as gym membership.

Above all, be honest. If it’s not possible to introduce a particular benefit that has been asked for, then explain why not.

4. Don’t just communicate with employees; engage with them Communication of benefits plays a fundamental role not just in telling people what’s on offer, but in involving the workforce in the process. Even if organisations don’t have the budget for an extravagant benefits offering, helping employees to properly understand and therefore actually value their benefits package is effective in boosting engagement, appreciation and staff retention.

Businesses should ensure that the people delivering the employee benefits message have sufficient technical knowledge about the benefits offering and how each one could benefit employees rather than just providing a long list of product features.

The timing of communication is important here too. It may sound obvious but making sure that benefits communications don’t coincide with other important communications – organisational changes, for example – is crucial.

5. Create social norms Finally, it is important to enable a culture in which talking about, signing up for and measuring benefits

1,2 Money Talks: Communicating Employee Benefits, Unum 2013 3 Workplace Communication Blueprint: How to effectively communicate employee benefits report, Unum, 2017

is typical behaviour. Employers should focus on providing employee education and guidance about benefits and on ensuring that information is easily accessible.

Forms of communication that emphasise education can help boost take-up because, if employees feel that they have had meaningful communication with either a colleague or adviser, they will see it as education – even as part of other forms of training – rather than a hard sell.

Measuring increases in benefits take-up or reductions in absenteeism, turnover, productivity or costs will establish return on investment which will help you make decisions on the effectiveness of the benefits offering.

COMPANY DETAILS At Bright we can help you communicate with your team by delivering a series of bespoke presentations which will give them tips on how to manage their financial arrangements. After consultation with you we will tailor a package to the needs of your team.

To arrange a no obligation chat please contact Ian Crombleholme, Director of Bright Wealth Management at i.crombleholme@brightwm.co.uk Bright Wealth Management represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website at www.sjp.co.uk/products. The `St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles `Partner’ and `Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. Bright Wealth Management is a trading name of Bright FS Ltd

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 25

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GGA INSIGHTS

Strategic Business Intelligence

“

There are steps a club manager can take now that will lead to consistently better decision making at their club. Derek Johnston of GGA describes the path to success.

A

s the world becomes more data-centric, the club industry is beginning to discover the power of utilising data, research and analysis to operate more intelligently and strategically.

According to GGA’s Derek Johnston, informed intelligence planning increases the likelihood of current and future success. The greatest challenges clubs face in their quest for better strategy is how to source and analyse the data and then apply that intelligence to determine future action.

Comprehensive business intelligence is extremely important for clubs, especially those where boards/committees are comprised of volunteer members with varying backgrounds and professional experience. “Everyone must be working from the same set of facts when discussing and ultimately setting strategy,” Johnston said.

Business intelligence is often new to clubs and tends to be misunderstood. “Simply put, you want to use information to help determine what has happened and why,” he explained.

Using data to derive insight that helps with decision making is most impactful when 1) internal and external data from multiple sources is synthesized, 2) combined with experience and key business assumptions and 3) enabled by technology in order to identify unique insight.

“This means that relying on financial information or data from your club’s information system is not enough. It will not provide the specifics needed to develop the most successful strategy for your club,” Johnston warned.

GGA believes business intelligence requires a 360degree view of all the factors impacting a club’s success from competitive market forces to member perceptions to operational and financial performance evaluations.

It should also be defined based on who will be using it and the reason for which they will be using the information. GGA warns that anecdotal information in a board room is distracting and disastrous.

Johnston advised: “Develop a strategy that supports both operational and strategic decision making that goes beyond typical financial data and key performance indicators. The top performing clubs around the world are consistently tracking, analysing and reporting data to leverage intelligence and create competitive advantages.”

What should be your data goals?

There are steps clubs can take now to lead to better decision making. Johnston recommends club managers start with straight forward objectives for using and analysing data: 1. Inform key decision makers at your club with customized, accurate, timely and actionable intelli-

26 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

gence about your club’s membership, market, operations and finances.

2. Improve productivity and effectiveness of board and management meetings with sophisticated and reliable business intelligence.

3. Help club executives efficiently and effectively evaluate, develop and adjust strategy on an ongoing basis.

In order to effectively collect, analyse and present the right information to the right audiences, Johnston suggests you look at your club’s strategic plan and overall club goals to identify the key questions you need to answer first.

For example: If your goal is to increase intermediate membership conversion rates and build a larger pipeline, some of the things you would likely want to know are: • Conversion rates of intermediate membership over the past five years.

• Number of prospects in your pipeline in the past five years and how many are in it currently.

• Reasons intermediate members have and have not converted in the past.

• Preferences and attitudes toward the club of those who have converted to full membership in the past.

• The size and make-up of their personal networks and their willingness to recommend the club.

“If you could gather all of this information, track it and trend it over time, you could come up with a pretty good action plan to achieve your goal,” explained Johnston. “Work through this exercise for each of the most important categories of strategic intelligence: governance, membership, market, utilization and participation, employees, operations, capital and finance.”

Once you know the information that you need to frame your decisions, then you can begin to source the information from both internal (POS, member database, P&L) and external sources (population demographics and psychographics, real estate data, social media, web traffic, etc.).

When you have the necessary data, you can analyse it in a way that considers your club’s unique circumstances, visualize the information in a manner that provides historical context and trends, and then determine the best approach for presenting the information to the various decision-makers at your club.

What does strategic business intelligence look like?

Johnston shares that a GGA client recently had a breakthrough because of the information brought to light through its strategic intelligence process. “Club

The top performing clubs around the world are consistently tracking, analysing and reporting data to leverage intelligence and create competitive advantages.

”

X had always raised annual subscriptions by 2.5 percent each year but its bottom line was struggling due to labour and other cost increases,” he said. “A historical trend analysis of key competitor clubs revealed that Club X’s competitors had been raising dues annually by an average of 4 percent for the past three years. In addition, member survey feedback identified high satisfaction in the Value for Money category. Armed with this data, Club X raised annual dues by five percent without backlash and is planning similar increases in the future as long as subsequent data supports it.

“This is a great example of how intelligence can significantly change the decision-making and consequently the performance metrics of a club.

Clubs should not be intimidated by strategic intelligence but embrace its potential. Ultimately it will support superior long-term planning and the critical decisions that club leaders make.”

Derek Johnston is a partner at GGA, the largest professional advisory services firm in the world dedicated to clubs and golf-related businesses. From their offices in Dublin, Toronto, Sydney and Phoenix, GGA has served more than 2,900 clients worldwide. The firm, previously a specialist practice at KPMG, is at the forefront of strategic business planning and intelligence in the club industry and has been a corporate partner of CMAE since 2015.

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INDUSTRY REPORT – ULTRA LIGHT BEERS

Spotlight on ultra-light beer At a time when the sales of top-selling light beer brands have been contracting in the US, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev’s) Michelob Ultra is redefining the ultra-light beer concept in a move that could have global implications, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.

Sensing a revival of the low-carb trend, a number of companies are making a more premium push for ultra-light beer.

A

B InBev launched Michelob Ultra ‘low carbohydrate light beer’ in the US in 2002, when the country was in the middle of the famed Atkins diet craze and was subsequently able to cultivate a devoted core of users, including weight-conscious women, even while the overall light beer sector shrank.

As recently as 2007, Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Lite collectively accounted for roughly one third of US beer shipments, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights and The Wall Street Journal. By 2017, that collective share had shrunk to just over a quarter. However, Michelob Ultra brand bucked the trend and had its biggest year yet in 2017 when US shipments grew by over 21%.

Sensing a revival of the low-carb trend, a number of companies are making a more premium push for ultra-light beer. Heineken USA launched 90-calorie Amstel Xlight aligned with top interests of millennial consumers – wellness and fitness – into a handful of markets in 2017.

Tom Vierhile, Innovation Insights Director at

28 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

GlobalData, says: “While it sounds odd to link beer with fitness, brewers with a sense of self-preservation are keen to establish the link. Data suggests that younger consumers see alcohol in a more negative light than older consumers and beer that is perceived to be more healthful could thrive in the US and elsewhere.”

According to GlobalData’s Q4 2016 consumer survey, 54% of 25–34 year-old Americans are actively trying to reduce consumption of alcohol compared to 28% of Americans overall and just 15% of 45–54 year-olds. A higher percentage of these younger consumers say they are actively trying to reduce consumption of alcohol than fat (51%), sugar (41%), or even carbohydrates (36%).

Globally, the differences are more moderate but still indicate a tendency of younger consumers to more closely evaluate the health consequences of their consumption choices than older consumers.

25% of 25-34 year-olds globally say they are actively trying to reduce consumption of alcohol, versus 22% of global consumers overall. Just 17% of 65+ year-

“

While it sounds odd to link beer with fitness, brewers with a sense of selfpreservation are keen to establish the link.

It may be steeped in tradition, but New Zealand's brewer Speight’s has its eye to the future, launching Speight’s Summit Ultra Low Carb lager.

Michelob Ultra, designed for 'those who pursue health and happiness in high measure. Those who work out and still go out. Who value staying fit as much as staying fun'.

old global consumers say they are actively trying to reduce alcohol consumption.

Vierhile says: “Lower alcohol, carbohydrate and calorie contents are trends to keep an eye on in global beer innovation. But new entrants promising a higher-quality beer experience than past launches that were obsessed with calorie counts show a maturing of the ‘healthful beer’ concept into something with global growth potential.”

In line with the low-carb trend, India-based B9 Beverages launched Bira 91 light lager with just 90 calories per 330ml bottle and 4% ABV. In New Zealand, Speight’s Summit Ultra Low Carb lager claims to have 75% fewer carbohydrates than regular beers and 4.2% ABV. Eager to defend its turf, AB InBev earlier this year launched Michelob ‘Ultra Pure’ Gold with organic grains. With just 2.5 carbohydrates and 85 calories per 12-fluid-ounce serving, ‘Ultra Pure’ Gold is billed

as a ‘superior light beer’.

“Organic ingredients resonate with younger consumers, who equate the term with a product that is intrinsically more healthful and aligns with popular trends like clean eating and drinking,” says Vierhile.

Some companies are even using fruit and fruit flavours to cut calorie and alcohol levels.

Indonesia-based PT Beverindo Indah Abadi has recently rolled out 2.9% ABV Prost Alster lemon lager beer with 10% real lemon juice.

“For consumers bored with the ‘same old’ light beer, these new offerings may provide a reason to give reduced-calorie beer another look,” concludes Vierhile.

CONTACT DETAILS More information is available from GlobalData.

Visit www.globaldata.com

“

Lower alcohol, carbohydrate and calorie contents are trends to keep an eye on in global beer innovation. But new entrants promising a higher-quality beer experience than past launches that were obsessed with calorie counts show a maturing of the ‘healthful beer’ concept into something with global growth potential.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 29

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SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS

Call for entries Social Media is now an integral part of any successful club strategy.

So are you a Facebook aficionado? Is your club a prolific tweeter?

Then it’s time to shine.

Social media is one of the biggest marketing tools available, allowing clubs to reach out via an up-to-the minute – and extremely cost-effective – means of communication.

The Hospitality Social Media Awards (HoSMA) were launched to encourage and applaud this and celebrate the very best in social media. They recognise those who are using social media to communicate in fresh and innovative ways and who are building their business with customers, members and potential members.

So if you’re proud of your club’s social media then it’s time to enter the Hospitality Social Media Awards and prove to your members and committees that the club is truly at the cutting edge.

30 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

ENTRY FORM HOSPITALITY SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS The following questions are the backbone of the Awards.

Entrants need to answer each question listed here. The judges will be looking for clear objectives, creative and effective implementation and results that demonstrate the impact on the business. Each answer should not exceed 1000 words and should relate to work undertaken between Jan 2018 - December 2018.

Supporting documentation/attachments may also be used to support your entry.

You may post your submission to the address below, or email it in to caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk 1.

2.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Objectives of your social media activity.

Target audience.

3. Summary of what you have in place/have put in place.

4. When did you first begin implementing social media?

Budget per month or year (if possible).

What has been the impact of your social media strategy? (E.g. engagement with users, followers, business-building etc.)

Content: how do you keep content fresh/engaging/ relevant?

Results?

Proudest moments?

Biggest lessons learned?

Why do you think you should win?

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 February, 2019 Postal submissions: Caroline Scoular, Alchemy, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1TX. UK

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 31

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CLUB AWARDS

Club Awards 2018

– winners announced The CMAE and Clubhouse Europe team were out in force at the 2018 Club Awards in November celebrating all that’s great about UK clubs.

The night of celebration began with a Beer Festival courtesy of Marston’s Beer Company, a drinks reception (sponsored by Club Mirror and Marston’s Beer Company) and a photo opportunity with the Gallagher English Premiership Cup, courtesy of BT Sport.

Then followed the main event – the 2018 Club Awards Gala Dinner hosted by TV sports presenters Ray Stubbs and Mark Lawrenson.

Congratulations to all winners, to every finalist and to every club who entered.

CLUB AWARDS JUDGES

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CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 33

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CLUB AWARDS – THE WINNERS

COMMUNITY CLUB OF THE YEAR Blackburn Leisure and Burton Rugby Club

MARKETING CLUB OF THE YEAR Formby Golf Club

BUSINESS INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR Golf At Goodwood (Southern winner) and Northern Football Club (Northern winner)

RUGBY CLUB OF THE YEAR Nottingham Rugby Club

CRICKET CLUB OF THE YEAR Leicestershire County Cricket Club

BOWLS CLUB OF THE YEAR Penn Bowling Club

GOLF CATERING OF THE YEAR Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club

GOLF CLUB OF THE YEAR (Under £1.5m turnover) Leeds Golf Club and Shifnal Golf Club FOOTBALL CLUB OF THE YEAR Consett AFC

SPORTS CLUB OF THE YEAR Cookley Sports Club (Under £1.5m turnover) and Roehampton Club (Over £1.5m turnover)

34 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

GOLF CLUB OF THE YEAR (Over £1.5m turnover) Formby Golf Club and Dudsbury Golf Club

TENNIS CLUB OF THE YEAR The Northern Lawn Tennis Club

SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB OF THE YEAR King’s Heath Cricket & Sports Club

REFURBISHMENT OF THE YEAR The Northern Lawn Tennis Club (Northern winner) and Roehampton Club (Southern winner)

King of Clubs King’s Heath Cricket & Sports Club

2019 AWARDS – CALL FOR ENTRIES CMAE members are invited to nominate themselves or fellow clubs for the 2019 Club Awards. Just email info@clubmirror.com with your nomination.

Nominations are also being taken for International Club of the Year.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 35

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ASK THE EXPERTS – WEB DESIGN

When is a redesign necessary?

So you’re thinking about changing your website? Studio44’s Doug Rubashow investigates the potential reasons you may have for wanting a redesign and asks when a redevelopment of your website may, or may not, be applicable.

A

website redesign is not something that you should undertake just for the sake of it; there has to be a tangible benefit. So what are some of the key reasons for wanting a redesign?

• Responsiveness and performance on mobile The value of a good mobile browsing experience is not to be underestimated. Not only from a user perspective with users becoming more aware of good and bad mobile experiences but also from a search engine perspective with Google cracking down on non-responsive sites. It’s no longer enough to have content readable on a smart phone; you must offer an engaging mobile user experience. So, if your site either could perform better on a mobile, or it’s not responsive at all, then you should certainly consider a redesign.

• Feedback This is a really important one, especially for those who have a high traffic volume website or perhaps an e-commerce website where tweaks in user experience can make an enormous difference when it comes to converting website visitors. Feedback can either be in the form of a focus group, perception based on reviews/comments from users or using analytical tools to see what’s working and what isn’t.

• A new direction for the club This is where a redesign is essential and where messaging and calls to action will also need to be rethought. To try and shoehorn these into an existing website is almost certainly a mistake.

• Stale and out of date Who is your target audience? A young, energetic target audience will embrace a new site but an older, more set in their ways target audience may hate the new layout as the button they always clicked on has

36 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

moved so judge this reason on who you’re looking to target.

• Poor performance If your website is performing poorly then you need to find out why. Very small design tweaks on areas that have a clear call to action can often make a big difference to the number of enquiries made through the site. Investigate this before deciding on a full blown redesign.

• Website not aligned with the club’s aims This can either be a result of not getting your existing website aligned with objectives when it was built, or the club business is changing and evolving. For example if you have a downloadable booking form on your website that visitors download and send in, you may want to look at taking this online as your business grows and evolves.

• Keeping up with the competition Another reason we often hear is people wanting to keep up with the competition, either because their largest competitor has released a glamorous new website or because they have a few competitors that are always ahead of them in search engines. Keeping up with your competition is vital, but don’t forget that their new site you’re jealous of may not be ideal for your target audience. Think about your own audience so you build a website that works for your members, as opposed to a website that’s a better version of your competitors new site.

• It just doesn’t have that wow factor Be careful with this one as this can often be very subjective and result in unnecessary change for change’s sake. It’s very easy to look at your own website all the time and fall out of love with it for no real reason.

Unless you’re getting a lot of feedback from external

people actually visiting your website then think carefully about this and possibly ask a group of impartial people for their thoughts.

• Poor search engine performance Poor search engine performance can lead to people thinking they need a redesign. This is the reason most dependent on the quality of your site as it is. If your website is good visually, optimised for mobile devices and generally performs well but just doesn’t get enough traffic, work to optimise with what you have got as often a few tweaks to both the technical and content structure of the site can see big search engine improvements very quickly.

• Out of date content management Nowadays content management on the website is a given. Any content management system (CMS) worth its salt can give you control over what you want to manage on your website so if you don’t have a CMS that offers this, that’s often a good reason to change.

So what to do?

Well, whatever your reasons hopefully the above has given you some kind of insight into the benefits (or potentially otherwise!) of a redesign and if you are looking at overhauling your site make sure you think carefully about why and that you’re doing it for all the right reasons, not just the sake of it!

CONTACT DETAILS Studio44 44 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU t. 01892 888 011 www.studio44.agency

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MDP OUTTAKES

Words of MDP wisdom Mike Braidwood CCM has been immersed in the CMAE world of Management Development Programmes (MDPs) since 2011. Here he presents the ‘one liners’ that have resonated with him since he started the MDP journey.

I

have been very fortunate. Not only have I attended two MDPs as a delegate (MDP1 and MDP2 in 2011/12) but better still, when I was Director of Education for CMAE I facilitated over 30 MDPs so I got to listen to the great presenters for free! In fact, I was paid to do it… double bonus!

The tools I have learnt have held me in good stead now as I manage Education City Golf Club in Qatar. On a daily basis I have to manage a multiple of different disciplines, problems, challenges, issues… call them what you like, but as a club GM a lot comes across your desk and your owners, board, members expect a lot from you. So here are few one liners from MDP that have resonated with me over the years and I call upon on an almost daily basis!

1. Seven right ways – Bill Sanderson taught me this in MDP 2 when looking at Problem Solving.

What the seven right ways does is that whenever faced with a challenge, a problem etc., work with your team to think of seven ‘right ‘solutions. The first idea might be the right one, but if you develop seven other solutions, you’ll drill down on each potential one and will now have a choice as to the best one.

2. Change what you can, manage what you can’t – Susan Stevenson (of the book Polar Bears and Penguins fame) taught me this one when she presented for us in MDP 1 in Dubai. In life and in work you have certain authority and freedom to make change – great, go ahead, do it carefully, do it well and communicate throughout. But certain things are ‘institutionalised’, are done some ways because they are simply done that way! There are people working in your organisation just because! These are things if you try to change you may well be out of a job. So, this is when you need to manage these situations and have the strategy, tact and diplomacy to manoeuvre around them to get what you need or to get the job done.

3. It’s not what I want for the club, but is it a hill I am willing to die on? – Kevin Fish CCM taught me this in MDP 2. It is in essence the club manager’s choice on what battles to choose and it’s best to use discretion on which ones to fight; some are not worth it. It may be an issue you have a problem with, but if fighting it will be futile, time consuming and might lose you your job? Sometimes it’s worth just staying quiet!

4. What gets measured gets done – Helen Bennett

Michael Braidwood in MDP 2 taught me this. Your team are made up of people who are instinctively competitive and proud of their performance. If you can put in place as many measurement tools as you can you will by default see results improve. Easy ones are guest / member satisfaction surveys, or if you want to go a little deeper engage a Mystery Shopper. The results are golden.

5. You can’t bank a percentage – Steve Brown taught me this in MDP1 Food and Beverage.

Sometimes we are obsessed with percentages and margins, but remember, the key is the cash contribution. You could have an item that costs £5, mark it up 100% and sell for £10, and you could have an item that costs £10 and mark it up 60% and sell it for £16. Well the first item percentage-wise looks a better item to sell, but in reality you’ve made £1 more in cash from a 60% mark up.

Finally, and the most important message…

6. Cash is king! – Duncan Ritchie, MDP 1, Finance.

Remember when you’re running a business to

keep an eye on the cash. Cash is King. A lot of profitable businesses go out of business because of cash flow. So, remember, try and avoid offering members credit, make sure you negotiate longer payment terms – i.e. 60 days – and ensure your credit terms are a maximum 30 days, then you should always have cash in the bank!

So in short, it goes without saying that at these MDPs you are meeting with very, very experienced operators who have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Sometimes it can be just one line that resonates with you that can help you turn your business around.

• Michael Braidwood CCM, is GM of the new Education City Golf Club in Qatar. Formerly the Director of Education for CMAE, he is now Chairperson of the CMAE’s Education Policy Board. Previously he has worked for Braemar Golf Developments, Royal Golf Club, Bahrain and Gleneagles. He retains his PGA status and is a presenter on the CMAE’s MDPs.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 37

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CLUBHOUSE

Alchemy Contract Publishing proudly presents Clubhouse Europe in association with the Club Managers Association of Europe

EUROPE

Clubhouse Europe Buying Group – page 20

ISSUE 15

CMAE European Conference – review and rewind Club Awards 2018 – announcing the winners Interviewing techniques – welcome to'Tombstone-ing' Management Development Programme – dates for the diary

To see what Alchemy Contract Publishing could do for you please call Sean Ferris on +44 (0) 1753 272022

ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIPS

CMAE members in action News, views, updates and activities from CMAE’s Alliance Partners.

NEWS FROM FINLAND NEW MARKETING BRAND LAUNCHES A new marketing brand for golf in Finland has been launched. Golf Finland has been created in co-operation with the Finnish Golf Union (FGU), the Finnish Golf Managers Association (FGMA), Finnish Golf Course Owners Association (FGCOA) and PGA of Finland all of whom share offices in the House of Golf, Helsinki, where they hold quarterly meetings.

“The agenda is always the same; how can we help golf courses and clubs to make it in the future!” says Antti

Hiltunen, General Manager, FGMA and FGCOA. Golf Finland recently held it’s Golf Industry meeting with 150 golf industry influencers attending.

Topics covered mostly digitalisation and AI (Artificial Intelligence). There were also a couple of international keynote speakers including Gordon Moir, Head Greenkeeper of St.Andrews Links Trust and Anthony Scanlon, Executive Director of IGF.

NEWS FROM HOLLAND MDP COMES TO AMSTERDAM The CMAE, the Dutch Golf Federation, the Club Managers Association of Holland, the Netherland Golf Course Association and the Golf Course Association of Europe have joined forces to host a Management Development Programme (MDP) part 1 at Golfresort De Purmer, close to Amsterdam, on 11-15 February 2019.

Subjects included in the MDP part 1 course include Club Governance, Marketing and Service in Clubs, Food & Beverage, Finance, Health & Safety, Legislation, Facilities Management and Management and Delegation.

Lodewijk Klootwijk, CEO of the Golf Course Association of Europe said: “The Golf business is peoplebusiness. Nothing is more important than all the good people that work in our industry. And the best investment we can make is in them. Invest in their education. And this starts with the management of the golf courses. Therefore, we are delighted to be partnering up with CMAE for the first MDP. We believe strongly in the quality of the education delivered by the CMAE and the added value it has for the managers involved. We look forward to co-hosting the group in February close to Amsterdam.”

Torbjorn Johansson, Director of Education for the CMAE said: “We are glad to be expanding the MDP into new territories and are delighted to be able to work so well collaboratively with our colleagues in Holland. The taster event we held in Amsterdam a few months ago was a great success and it made complete sense to bring the MDP to Amsterdam where there was so much interest and passion for education.”

• See page 6 for more details.

NEWS FROM SPAIN AEGG GATHERS OVER 200 MANAGERS AT GENERAL CONGRESS November’s AEGG General Congress at Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Resort was attended by over 200 delegates from across Spain who also enjoyed education sessions and a golf tournament.

One of the most anticipated sessions came

from Alejandro Reyes, Golf Course Manager at Le Golf National, venue of the French Open since 1991 and host of the last edition of the Ryder Cup. Alexander has been working at Le Golf National since 2013, preparing for six French Opens in addition to the 2018 Ryder Cup. His speech, “The preparation of a golf course for a high level competition”, was highly commended and applauded.

NEW CHAIRMAN FOR FGMA Pekka Palmunen has been elected as Chairman of the Finnish Golf Managers Association (FGMA) at the association’s annual meeting in Seinäjoki. Pekka is Managing Director of the Keimola Golf Club, a 36 hole privately owned club in the region of greater Helsinki. He was previously a board member of FGMA. In other news, the FGMA is launching a pilot program around “peer mentoring”.

NEWS FROM IRELAND IGCMA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS On October 4 the Irish Golf & Club Managers Association (IGCMA) celebrated 50 years as an association. President Michael Moss MBE welcomed guests to a celebratory dinner at Milltown Golf Club. Guests included 19 past presidents, the President of the GUI and ILGU, club managers, leading industry figures and club officials. Gary Murphy and Des Scahill entertained the crowd with golfing stories and anecdotes and Michael made presentations to Milltown’s long serving maitre’d Peter Kirby and to Helen Fullen, founding CEO of the CMAE. (The Event was kindly supported by Dar Construction,BRS Golf Now, Textron Ltd and Premium Credit.)

Back Row(LtoR): Michael F. Walsh CCM IGCMA 2013 and CMAE Irish Region 2006-2008;Jim Ironside IAGCS 2008;John Quigley IAGCS 2007;Hilary Madden IGCMA 2010-2011; Derek Williamson IAGCS 1996; Ronan Smyth CCM IGCMA 2012; Declan Monaghan CMAE Irish Region 2009;Alan Threadgold CCM IGCMA 2014;Donal Flinn IAGCS 2005; Michael Delaney IAGCS 2003: Matt Sands IAGCS 2004, IGCMA 2015; Hubert Montag IAGCS 1990; Patrick Bradshaw CCM CMAE Irish Region 2003-2006; Front(LtoR): Henry Crummy IAGCS 2001;Brian Carson IAGCS 2002; Eddie Fallon IAGCS 2000; John McLoughney, GUI President 2018; Vonnie Noonan ILGU President 2018; Michael Moss MBE IGCMA President 2018 IAGCS 1991; Larry Hayes IAGCS 1988; Declan Mangan IAGCS 2009.

Andre Andrade, Textron (left) and CMAE’s Torbjorn Johansson join the celebrations.

Share your career news with Clubhouse Europe magazine. Email Torbjörn Johansson, CMAE Director of Education at Torbjorn.Johansson@cmaeurope.eu

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 39

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TRIBAL TUESDAY – LEADERSHIP

Leadership –goingbacktocommonsense Alastair Curbbun CCM is Assistant Secretary at Brooks’s, one of the oldest gentlemen’s clubs in London. He is one of the first members to gain a CCM and also sits on CMAE’s London & Home Counties Region Board.

D

ale Carnegie (1888 – 1955) defined 30 principles which would help to win friends and influence people, win people to your way of thinking and become a successful leader. These principles have all been developed into more modern leadership/management theories, but the principles still apply today. These principles are based on common sense and are hardly revolutionary, but Carnegie claimed that his methods work and transform the lives of many people.

Carnegie believed that criticism should never be used, as the person being criticised will respond by condemning the critical person. Great leaders achieved their success by never criticising others.

Carnegie suggested the practice of self-control, understanding and forgiveness. In order to influence people and achieve your aims, Carnegie suggests, it is necessary to understand individual motivation. Work on the art of persuasion, and ask what will motivate a person to want to do a task.

By following these principles many candidates became far more confident and progressed in their career quicker than others. A quote from someone attending his original courses was ‘it helped me to jump from flogging office products into training Boards of companies in London and incredibly later into running a large company…. The principles work in any context’.

So, the trick is to adopt one principle for a week and to review how it has worked for you and then add another principle the following week. The five principles that can most easily have the greatest effect most quickly and can easily be applied to clubs are:

Extract from Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book: Principles to Live By A few simple guidelines can pave the way to a fruitful career.

Become a Friendlier Person 1. Don’t criticise, condemn, or complain.

2. Give honest, sincere appreciation.

3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.

4. Become genuinely interested in other people.

5. Smile.

6. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

7. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

8. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.

9. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

Win People to Your Way of Thinking 10. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

11. Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “you’re wrong. “ 12. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

13. Begin in a friendly way.

14. Get the other person saying, “yes, yes“immediately.

15. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.

16. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

17. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.

18. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.

19. Appeal to the nobler motives.

20. Dramatise your ideas.

21. Throw down a challenge.

Be a Leader 22. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.

23. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.

24. Talk about your own mistakes before criticising the other person.

25. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

26. Let the other person save face.

27. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise. “ 28. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.

29. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

30. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

1. Give honest, sincere appreciation.

2. Smile.

3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

4. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.

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5. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.

These five principles, you may already be doing effectively and may seem rather basic, but it may be a good idea to focus on them more and keep them at the front of your mind.

These principles will hopefully make us less constrained and one who stands out more by using

them. At a meeting with 150 delegates only three delegates raised their hands when asked ‘who has received sincere appreciation from their manager this week?’. How many members of your team would put their hand up?

Do not end up with a ‘Have a good day!’ but with what Dale Carnegie always apparently used to say, ‘Make it a good day!’

Good Luck!

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