The 2018 National Club Conference (NCC) was held in Los Angeles from April 16–18 and due to the caliber of presenters, exciting social events, our incredible sponsors and the dedicated NCA staff, it was an extraordinary success. Conference attendees were able to connect with NCA’s community of private club industry professionals while enjoying recreational activities and networking opportunities. Attendees engaged in conversations about top trends and issues affecting clubs and governance led by some of the most accomplished and experienced professionals from a variety of industries.
NCC is about helping private clubs look forward and thrive, and throughout the three-day conference, attendees heard from successful leaders from within the private club industry, as well as other industries including entertainment, sports management, hospitality and consulting. In addition to this premier lineup, attendees enjoyed a moving and inspirational presentation from a Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
But it’s not all work at the National Club Conference. The private club community also gets together to connect and celebrate.
A special VIP reception and dinner honoring the NCA and NCA Foundation boards of directors was held at the Magic Castle at The Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood. This unique private club in Hollywood has a membership comprised of magicians and magic enthusiasts. Conference sponsors, corporate partners and ClubPAC contributors took part in the red-carpet affair, enjoying a great night socializing with industry leaders in an intimate setting—and enjoyed an amazing magic show performed by some of the world’s most outstanding artists.
A Day For Networking And Camaraderie
The first day of the Conference was devoted to reconnecting with old friends and colleagues and meeting new people at the opening reception hosted at the California Club, one of the nation’s most revered city clubs. It was the perfect setting to network over cocktails, food and cigars at one of California’s—one of America’s—jewels. The California Club, located in downtown Los Angeles, was an exceptional backdrop to our opening night reception.
A Day Of Inspiration & Information
Day two of the National Club Conference began with inspiration. The first speaker, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jack Howard Jacobs (ret.). was an officer with the 82nd Airborne, who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism on the battlefields of Vietnam. He also represents the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, and his humorous and thought-provoking presentation reminded attendees of the great and important things clubs can achieve if we take responsibility for ourselves and those around us. The leadership lessons that Colonel Jacobs offered can be adapted and applied by club managers and directors in their day-to-day jobs.
Bill Walshe, CEO of the Viceroy Hotel Group, discussed “Prideology,” the idea that pride is the most underrated attribute of success. He reminded attendees that the club’s purpose is to make the club experience extraordinary every day. He also pointed out that pride goes both ways and that when club members feel valued and satisfied beyond expectations, the payoff is that they will be just as proud to be members as you are to have provided them an outstanding membership experience.
One of his most compelling pieces of advice was to embrace the impossible, and to say “yes” when others won’t dare too. He never permits his staff to say no as a first response, but to start by trying to figure out how to make the customer (or in our case, the member) happy. Staff won’t always be able to, but when asked for something difficult, the first response should always be “let me see what I can do.” If the members feel indulged, the payoff is pride—for the club, staff and member.
Walshe’s presentation was followed by a discussion of 21st Century Club Governance by Fred Laughlin, director, Global Golf Advisors, which was moderated by Henry DeLozier, partner, Global Golf Advisors. Through the Q&A session Laughlin offered guidance and answered questions from the audience about board issues, bylaws and a host of other club governance matters.
Laughlin touched upon key issues including the differences presented in managing nonprofit vs. for-profit clubs, the most productive types of boards, and how officer terms should be established. Last, he stressed the importance of having bylaws that provide as much flexibility as possible to the board. Times change, and as they do the challenges and opportunities presented to the club and its board will evolve too. It’s important for the club’s bylaws to be flexible enough to allow the board to respond to those changes.
Chip Brewer, president & CEO of Callaway Golf, discussed the challenges and opportunities in the golf equipment business. This session was moderated by Mike Stachura, senior editor-equipment for Golf Digest. Brewer talked about his tenure at Callaway, how innovation happens at the company and key worldwide trends for the game of golf. He also talked about some of the specialized programming, such as Topgolf, and other types of activities being implemented by clubs to attract the next generation of golfers. It was a fascinating discussion!
After Brewer’s discussion, Trevor Coughlan, director of marketing & product management for Jonas Club Software, talked about changing demographics (and subsequent lifestyles) and how clubs can identify and attract the next generation of club members. All clubs are targeting younger members, but this is the “Age of Distraction” and clubs have lots of competition for the attention of prospective members. Coughlan said that millennials are pushing back major milestones, such as getting married, moving out and having children. This impacts clubs because by the time people reach the typical age for joining a club they are just beginning to start their families. That’s why clubs need to have creative programming that’s family-centered and attuned to the unique needs and interests of young families.
Elise Buik, president & CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles issued a call to action and discussed the growing homelessness problem across the U.S., including the increasing numbers of homeless veterans. United Way of Greater Los Angeles has a close relationship with the Jonathan Beach Club, and she stressed the important contribution the club is making in the community through their support of United Way of Los Angeles.
Supporting causes like this can benefit clubs. Younger adults today are much more cause-driven than their parents and grandparents, and they want to involve their families in their philanthropy. By making philanthropy an important part of a club’s mission, clubs can also make themselves more attractive to the next generation of potential members.
In a free-wheeling Q&A discussion moderated by David Voorhees, general manager of Big Canyon Country Club, humanitarian and philanthropist Peter Ueberroth talked about his career and his experiences running the 1984 LA Summer Olympics and as Commissioner of Major League Baseball. He offered many fascinating anecdotes and spoke openly and candidly about the challenges he’s faced managing both public entities like the Olympics and MLB and his private company, The Contrarian Group.
Ueberroth told club leaders to make sure they don’t let their boards get undermined by the egos of its board members. It’s essential to involve new people in club governance, rather than treating board positions as a right to be held onto. He also stressed the importance of diversity on club boards, in particular, women.
Next, Eliza Selig, director of communications for Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP), presented the findings of the recently completed HFTP/ NCA study on the state of club technology. The data she presented will provide valuable guidance to clubs who are exploring how to meet their own technology needs.
Following Eliza, Jose Villa, founder and president of Sensis, offered a presentation on Embracing Cultural and Generation Diversity. Through his eye-opening presentation Villa provided invaluable information about how America is becoming more culturally diverse and what that means for clubs moving forward. He posited that America will soon be a minority majority country and to thrive, clubs need to embrace cultural diversity. This will open them up not just to many new potential members and to younger people too, who are the next-generation club members.
Finally, Brad Steele, NCA’s vice president of government relations & general counsel, provided a preview of the 2018 election, and a look at the key legislative initiatives on which NCA is working, including a number of important victories over the past year: the delay of the Health Insurance Tax, a 100 percent increase in the number of visas granted to foreign workers for seasonal workers, the nullification of the Clean Waters Rule, and the defeat of a measure in Maryland that would have significantly increased the real estate taxes imposed on clubs. This last win was particularly important because the battle was being closely watched and if it had passed other states were likely to follow suit.
It was a jam-packed day and when the sessions were over it was time to relax. We had an amazing reception and dinner at the Jonathan Beach Club on the beach in Santa Monica. The club was a wonderful host and our attendees dined in extraordinary style! Attendees enjoyed a 5-star meal against an backdrop of an incredible beach sunset and the talented Santa Monica High School Orchestra.
Closing Sessions
The final day of the National Club Conference mixed interesting story-telling and club-specific information. It began with an engaging presentation by Deidre Marie Capone, author and grandniece of Al Capone. Capone wrote a book about growing up in a notorious crime family. In her talk, she discussed the trials and joys of being raised in the shadow of the infamous crime boss and his family, and she offered many fascinating stories about Al Capone and her family as well as her experiences with clubs.
The second presentation of the day looked at the water challenges and opportunities facing clubs. Brad Herrema of Browstein Hyatt Farber Schreck talked about trends in water issues, how climate change is impacting water supply, and contemporary water infrastructure issues. He offered terrific guidance about how clubs can best manage their vital water assets—and provides additional information in this issue of Club Director. See his feature article on page 40.
The 2018 National Club Conference’s final presentation was offered by Club Thinking Partners’ Kirk Reese, executive vice president, and Bob James, vice president. They gave attendees techniques to “Manage Up,” offering insightful guidance on the best ways to manage a board and promote a healthy governance culture. By encompassing so many of the most important issues facing clubs, it was a fitting closing session for the 2018 National Club Conference.
The annual National Club Conference is one of the highlights of the year for NCA and our members, and this year in Los Angeles was no exception. Over three days friends and colleagues had a chance to connect, and we heard from a host of experts about trends and best practices that we can pursue to improve our clubs. We also had a chance to visit three extraordinary clubs, The Academy of Magical Arts, The California Club and The Jonathan Beach Club.
Check out the photo gallery from the 2018 conference at nationalclub.org/nccphotos.
Save the Date: NCA is already planning for the 2019 National Club Conference, which returns to Washington, D.C., from April 28–30, 2019, at the newly built Conrad Hotel. NCC19 will be a great lead-in to National Golf Day on May 1 for those attendees interested in participating in the annual event on Capitol Hill. Learn more at nationalclubconference.org.