For private clubs, success is often translated in terms of member satisfaction, engagement and participation. With so many competing options for members’ free time, clubs are turning to “can’t miss” events to help drive member attendance and keep club goers excited about the club experience.
This year’s Excellence in Club Management ® Award winners shared with Club Director some of the most successful signature events at their clubs that keep members coming back for more every year.
A Barrel of Laughs
COMEDY NIGHT AT LAKEWOOD COUNTRY CLUB
Every winter, you can hear raucous laughter drifting over the grounds of Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, Md. The club’s annual Comedy Night has been a sell-out member hit for years.
“This event was born out of the social committee,” said Eric Dietz, Lakewood Country Club’s general manager/CEO and recipient of the Mead Grady Award for Excellence in Club Management®. “It was an event designed to get members back to the club during the winter months to enjoy themselves and have some laughs.”
This year’s event featured comedians Cory Kahaney and Brad Zimmerman, who were extremely well received by the 200 adult attendees. The event ran from 7–10 p.m. and boasted a full range of dinner stations from 7–8:45 p.m. The comedy acts began at 8:45p.m. After an evening full of laughter, the club ended the night with a to-go snack in the foyer consisting of coffee, tea and funnel cake fries.
“The members loved the jokes of the comedians; there was no silence in the room all night,” reported Tori, a Lakewood staff member. “The variety of food was great, and the raw bar was especially a hit, as the action at the station was non-stop! This is an event that most members want to be at, and [they] make reservations early before it sells out.”
Though the cost for the event is about $6,500 for the entertainment and decor alone (not including food and beverage expenses), the members are more than happy to pay the approximate $75 event charge to cover the cost.
“Comedy Night is one of the best nights of the year at LCC,” said Allan, a Lakewood member. “I have been to all four since I joined the club in November of 2009. In fact, the December 2009 comedy night was my first social event as a Lakewood member and really sealed the deal for me that I had made an excellent choice joining Lakewood. The comedians are always top notch, the food superb and plentiful, and [the club has an] open bar all night…all at a very good value. What more could you ask for?”
Saddle Up
COWBOY COOKOUT AT THE COUNTRY CLUB AT DC RANCH
When clubs capitalize on their history, few are as quick on the draw as the cowboys in the gunfight at The Country Club at DC Ranch’s annual Cowboy Cookout. The annual fall event is a huge attraction for members and their families and offers a peek into the club’s storied history.
“DC Ranch was established in the late 1800s as a working cattle ranch in what is now known as the city of Scottsdale,” relates Paul Skelton, the club’s general manager/COO and a fellow Mead Grady Award recipient for Excellence in Club Management®. According to Skelton, thestory of DC Ranch dates to 1885 when Dr. W.B. (Doc) Crosby registered the Desert Camp cattle brand. Later, a Wisconsin businessman, E.O. Brown, claimed the land that would grow into a 43,000-acre cattle ranch and purchased the DC brand in 1901.
“The family drove cattle from the ranch though the town of Scottsdale to the Phoenix Railroad on a regular basis,” says Skelton. “E.O Brown is credited for many contributions to the development of Scottsdale. The last cattle drive from DC Ranch took place in the late 1950s.”
Held the Saturday following Thanksgiving every year, this event draws upon the roots of the DC Ranch brand by bringing club members back to the Old West. The Cowboy Cookout offers a host of food and entertainment options for the entire family. “We wouldn’t miss it! It is the one event we attend every year and look forward to it,” attests Tom Kivell, a club member.
Late afternoon hayrides by horse-drawn carriages travel throughout the community, while the club hosts cowboy games in the courtyard. A live country band performs for the event, and members also have the opportunity to take family portraits to commemorate the occasion. The club serves chili and cornbread along with hot cocoa and warm adult beverages.
“Members have extended family and friends in town, and it is a great family event,” says Skelton. “The kids are well entertained, and the adults can socialize and relax.”
Everyone moves inside after a couple of hours of entertainment for a barbecue dinner, dancing and s’mores roasted on the fire pit. The event’s grand finale is a signature “gunfight” with the cowboys (costumed staff members).
Though the event generally costs the club around $5,000, with an attendance ranging from 125 to 150 members and their guests, the club helps recoup their expenses by charging $49 per adult and $25 per child ages six through 10.
Not only do the members love it, but the event is also popular with club staff. “It is a fun event for the staff because we dress up in jeans, boots and hats/bandanas,” says a DC Ranch staff member. “It isn’t a stressful, busy event because the members are relaxed and happy and the evening flows smoothly.”
Sweet Magic
FAMILY VALENTINE’S DAY AT LAKEWOOD COUNTRY CLUB
Every Valentine’s Day at Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, Md., members and their families are in for a literal treat. Each year, the club transforms into a candy and chocolate wonderland to spread a little love to the 175 people who turn out for this special event.
“Here at Lakewood, we pride ourselves on catering [to] family holidays whenever possible. The club is always looking for fun new events to involve the entire family, and Family Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to be creative and implement fun ideas,” says Eric Dietz, general manager/CEO of Lakewood Country Club.
In 2012, the theme was “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” which attracted guests of all ages. The clubhouse was transformed into Candy Land from 5–9 p.m., which included a gumdrop walkway, a cupcake wall, a lollipop curtain, two candy trees, a create-your-own “sandy candy” art station, Valentine’s crafts, and musical entertainment from the children’s favorite DJ.
“The transformation of our event space for the Family Valentine’s Day celebration is like a glimpse into everyone’s imagination—children and adults alike,” notes club staff member, Brittany. “Love takes a back seat to family fun with colorful décor, extravagant candy displays, creative crafts, music and dancing. It’s an event that is just as fun for the staff to bring to life as it is for the members and their families.”
The event, which had a waiting list three weeks in advance, has become a huge draw for club members, as well as for their children.
“Wow—the Willy Wonka-themed family party was beyond fabulous! From the floor-to-ceiling wall of cupcakes to the trees dripping with candy, we didn’t know what to indulge in first!” says Robin, a Lakewood member.
“The DJ kept the kids dancing all night (that is, when they weren’t busy with the fabulous crafts or filling up at the candy bar)! We can’t wait to see what Lakewood has planned for the next Candy Land-themed event—the family Valentine party is always the highlight of the year!”
Though the costs for entertainment and décor total about $4,000 before the food and beverage costs, club members think the $25 admissions fee well is worth it.
“Our Family Valentine’s Day event is one of the best family events we have at Lakewood Country Club,” says Brian, another enthusiastic member. “With a cupcake wall and a candy-based theme, it certainly is a sweet evening for all.”
Pursuing Fun
TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE LOXAHATCHEE CLUB
With fierce competition for members’ time from other local venues, the Loxahatchee Club adopted an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em … and then beat ‘em” mentality with their wildly popular Trivia Night.
“Other local venues were offering trivia games, so we went to the locations we thought were the best and looked at their concept/operation. We then brought these ideas back to Lox and tried to improve them and put our own spin on them,” explains Michael Chase, Jr., assistant manager of the Loxahatchee Club and recent recipient of the Excellence in Club Management® Rising Star Award.
Trivia Night occurs once a month from January to April and has nearly doubled in size since it’s inception in 2010. Though it started with only 100 attendees, each session now draws more than 200 competitors for the cash prizes offered each game.
“I’ve often wondered, ‘how we do get so many people back each month?’ It’s just fun!” one club member notes. “There is a healthy competitive spirit and camaraderie that brings everyone together.”
Chase offers a behind the scenes glimpse of the Trivia Night progression:
The event begins with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the bar area at 6 p.m. The crowd usually has gathered by 6:15, and the atmosphere is energetic and alive as they anticipate the game and exchange friendly banter. A brief captains’ meeting is held at 6:45, with the welcome and first question beginning promptly at 7 p.m.
Guests find their place setting welcoming them with pencils/paper for any notes during the game, along with casual snacks such as hummus, sushi or chicken wings. Guests then enjoy a limited à la carte menu during the game.
After a grueling six rounds of questions, the outcome is typically decided by the final question around 9 p.m.; there are 20 questions in all.
Following the game, many head back to the bar to celebrate their win or debate the answers they swear are correct. More often than not, the wining teams donate their prize money ($400 for first place, $200 for second place, $120 for third place) to the club F&B staff for a job well done, or give it to the club’s scholarship foundation. All in all, it is a night of positive energy enjoyed by both the club members and staff.
The club charges $42 per person for the event, which includes passed hors d’oeuvres, a four-course meal, the trivia game and prize money.
“Trivia Night is a huge success,” according to Kevin Carroll, the club’s general manager/COO and trivia night emcee. “Members look forward to it for months in advance and talk about the evening for several weeks afterward. It is the best event we do.”
Starting Out Right
SEASON KICK OFF AT THE COUNTRY CLUB AT DC RANCH
For clubs with seasonal activities, every year brings the opportunity for a new beginning. The Country Club at DC Ranch takes full advantage of the opening of the golf course by throwing a Season Kick Off party.
General Manager Paul Skelton and the clubhouse manager personally welcome every member as they pull up to the club. Once members enter the club, they’re offered passed appetizers as they socialize during the evening’s cocktail hour. Members can reserve larger tables for groups or stand and mingle with friends and meet new people.
The open house event features plentiful food stations throughout the clubhouse, including a raw bar, carved meat, salads, and wine tasting tables, and an entire room with desserts, a chocolate fountain and after dinner drinks.
There is also a live band playing during dinner, and most of the party ends up on the dance floor until 10 p.m.
With an average attendance of 300 members and guests charged $70 per person (plus tax and a 20 percent service charge), the club easily makes back the $8,000 it invests in the party.
The club’s staff looks forward to it as a fun way to welcome members back at the start of the season, and the members enjoy the chance to dance and socialize with each other as they celebrate the reopening of the club’s golf course.
Home for the Holidays
GINGERBREAD DECORATING WORKSHOP AT THE UNIVERSITY CLUB OF NEW YORK
The holiday season is a time for families, and what better way to bring families together than holiday decorating? The University Club of New York gives children and their families a chance to build their own home for the holidays in the form of adorable gingerbread houses that they can decorate together.
“When first announced three years ago, this event had an immediate following,” says John Dorman, The University Club’s general manager and winner of the Excellence in Club Management ® Mel Rex Award. “We anticipated about 50 children that first year; it turned into 100 children with about 50 parents. The third year we had about 200 children with more than 100 parents and guardians. It’s a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning in December.”
The club’s main dining room is the location for the event. About 30 tables are set up for the occasion, and on each table the club has bowls of assorted candies to be used on the gingerbread houses. Tables also sport decorative (but disposable) tablecloths, as the event surely is a bit messy.
A large beverage station is set up in the middle of the room with hot cocoa, cookies and other treats for the families. Bar services are also available for the adults.
Though not part of the event itself, club also offers a special brunch or à la carte dining opportunity in another area the clubhouse just after the decorating event, so families can enjoy the clubhouse for more of the day.
Upon entry to the Gingerbread Decorating Workshop, families are greeted by the club’s member services manager, the general manager and several member volunteers. Each child is given a pre-made gingerbread house, a tube of pastry cream (generally handed to the parents for obvious reasons), a very special and commemorative gingerbread-making apron, as well as two gingerbread men and a large candy cane.
The families are brought to tables, and the party truly begins. During the event, the club has Christmas music playing while the club’s pastry chef tours the room, giving pointers and praise to the young artisans.
The children are then given packing boxes and bags so they can take their works of art home to enjoy for the rest of the holiday season.
Members love the event and continue to submit rave reviews:
- “This event is surely over the top.”
- “Having the opportunity to bring our children to the clubhouse is so important to us during the holiday season.”
- “My wife and I are so happy to be creating these wonderful memories for my kids, or should we say for ourselves?”
It’s not only the club members who enjoy the activity; the staff have a great time at the event, too. “While we have so many events at the club for our members, this one is truly done for the children, and to see their beaming faces during the holiday season is so very special,” one staff member commented. “They’re all ‘dressed to the nines’ and seem so happy to have a visit to the clubhouse.”
“It’s great to see the families of the club and to speak to the parents about the great memories they had in visiting the club when they were children,” reminisced another staff member. “They all speak about it being such a special place and how it was so important for them to become a member when they were able to do so. I certainly hope a few of the children will feel the same way as they progress through life.”
The event is costly, as the club purchases pre-made gingerbread houses and provides candies and the piping cream to embellish the houses as well as the keepsake aprons. The club also has extra staff members on hand, so the area is kept clean and orderly. Even so, with the large attendance and an admissions fee of $25 per child and $15 per adult, the club is generally able to break even.
The club also gets into the gingerbread spirit during December, as it displays a large well-decorated, homemade gingerbread house of its own in the main atrium for all members and guests to see.
Flights of Fancy
SPRING HELICOPTER EVENT AND BBQ AT THE COUNTRY CLUB AT DC RANCH
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … members in helicopters! Every spring, The Country Club at DC Ranch gives its members the chance to get a bird’s eye view of the club’s lovely grounds by inviting members for an afternoon of helicopter rides and a barbecue dinner.
“To see the golf course from a different perspective is enticing to many members,” says Paul Skelton, DC Ranch’s general manager. “They are able to bring their kids—and many bring grandkids—for a very reasonably priced experience they would have trouble finding anywhere else.”
Participation costs $65 for each adult, and $40 for each child ages 4 and up. The club generally spends from $1,500 to $2000 on the event each year.
DC Ranch member Phil Bell and his family truly enjoyed the experience, saying, “It was amazing, fantastic and thrilling. Pilot Chris is very professional and great with the kids.”
The club schedules reservations for helicopter rides in 15-minute intervals. While they wait, families can enjoy swimming and a barbecue by the pool. Then, when it’s their turn, members are escorted to the golf course where they board the helicopter for a 15-minute ride over the golf course. Afterward, members can return to the pool for more swimming and food.
“It’s really fun for the staff to see the helicopter land on the golf course and fly so close overhead,” remarks a staff member. “It is a great feeling to be able to offer this experience to the members and the children.”