The private club industry is characterized by considerable diversity in size and type. Regional, demographic and lifestyle differences all provide unique dimensions and the collective result is a vibrant and multifaceted club scene.
So is there any surprise that the route different clubs take to meet the constantly changing needs of their families should also be as varied? Simply put, there is no single “best-practice” that guarantees a complete embrace of family-friendliness.
Some say better facilities. Or maybe it’s the right hire. Babysitting services? How about a summer camp with something for all ages? Casting about for the “proven formula” can quickly overwhelm one with possibilities. But ultimately, what is right for one club may be poorly suited or just plain wrong for another.
A Sea Change?
The Annapolis Yacht Club is organized around an exhilarating, but ultimately demanding leisure-time pursuit: sailing and cruising in waters and conditions that require a considerable amount of experience and skill. Families enjoy their boats and life on the water; but safety, supervision and a decidedly adult sensibility make all that possible. It’s certainly not child’s play.
And yet, the Annapolis Yacht Club, one of the finest in the world, has an unmistakable openness and embrace of family life that includes an active role for children and youth at the club. And what makes this club story especially important, useful, and ultimately encouraging for other clubs, is the very measured and steady way in which its warm family orientation has taken hold.
It’s not been by dint of a grand initiative or a singular program, but by a number of well-conceived and smartly-executed changes that have accumulated over time into making AYC a place that families are proud to call their club home.
Make no mistake, Annapolis is passionate about boating. The club’s infrastructure reflects this center of gravity with its harbor-side facilities: decks with a commanding view as well as storage and slips to accommodate its members’ boats and gear. The club was built facing the open waters and not with family amenities at the very top of its priorities. Indeed, as the club moved more into providing children-oriented activities it was often done to provide parents with the time and assurance needed to race or sail or cruise, knowing that their kids were engaged and supervised and having fun.
Doing More
Brian Asch, the GM for four years (and the Executive Chef for several years before that), recalls that child care, together with a set of other—often adult—activities that complemented the boaters desire to get out on the water, was the key entry point for their increased focus on the family. The club management principle was simple: make greater utilization of the club easier.
One early move that met with considerable success was child care services provided to families on Friday evenings. Families were looking to get out at the end of a busy week. Kids were anxious to leave the structure of school behind and start the weekend with something fun. Mom and dad, for their part, were looking to unwind with a pleasant and unhurried dinner, ideally with another couple or two.
You could call it a strategy of divide-and-conquer, but smart marketing would be more accurate. AYC focused its service offerings to more precisely meet the needs and expectations of its different age segments.
It worked. Utilization of Friday night dining picked up. It became the kind of “can’t miss” social event that clubs need to regularly provide that links leisure and lifestyle with community building. Moms, in particular, recalls Asch, noticed … and approved.
And here’s something else that happened—the Annapolis Yacht Club got very good at doing this. The night out for the kids became more varied and creative and fun. Movie night was a hit, but then so too was game night. A few modest investments in ping pong tables and Wii gaming consoles also enlivened the mix. And, not coincidentally, it was also in this same time period that dining at the club also went from good to great. (Readers of McMahon Club Trends may recall our coverage of the clubs overhaul of its dining operations in “Anchors Away: Dining at the Annapolis Yacht Club” in 2013).
Membership Momentum
As the Annapolis Yacht Club gained popularity with youth and families, its reputation for offering family friendly options started seeping out into the larger community. Over time the club observed an uptick in younger membership, and, frankly, it couldn’t have come at a better time because the larger U.S. (and world) economy was rapidly sliding into recession. At a time when many other clubs endured serious erosion of membership, the Annapolis Yacht Club skillfully tacked through these strong economic headwinds and stayed on course.
Success with families and younger members has also had an influence on AYC’s program and spending priorities. The club offers a range of junior sailing programs that “are recognized for their commitment to providing young sailors the skills and behaviors that will serve them to be successful on and off the water.” The club also encourages its young sailors to apply for junior associate membership.
Furthermore, as the club moves ahead with implementing a long-range plan that will guide a major investment in facilities, the club’s orientation and positioning as a true family-friendly yacht club will take a giant leap forward. Last year the membership approved a multi-million dollar expansion that includes a new Waterfront Activity Center, which dramatically places greater emphasis on family-oriented activities. As the proposal moved toward approval, club leader Commodore Kevin McNeil observed that “AYC’s family-oriented facilities were tested and the #1 request [was] a swimming pool facility.” In addition to this pool complex, the club will offer a snack bar, a fitness facility and a new sailing center—all aimed to broaden and deepen the club’s capacity to attract and serve family-oriented members.
Because boating activities are at the core of the Annapolis Yacht Club’s mission, members have made it a priority to pass these values on to the next generation. The AYC knows this won’t happen by accident. It requires staff, time, attention, facilities and a variety of resources organized behind a clear club purpose and mission.
And so the voyage begins. Has your club set it sails in a similar direction?
Club Trends Spring 2014