“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
– Plato
Over the course of human history, innovations in all walks have life have changed how mankind lives, works and plays. Take, for example, the invention of the wheel. The hallmark of man’s innovation, this simple device became fundamental to transportation and later to agriculture, and industry.
Some of the most innovative ideas have been born out of a crisis. Here are just a few examples:
- In 1665, Isaac Newton was forced to quarantine at his home in Woolsthorpe, England due to the outbreak of the Bubonic plague. While in quarantine, he developed his theory of gravity.
- The ambulance, triage and the mobile army surgical hospital, (M.A.S.H), were all innovations that came out of the Napoleonic Wars from 1893-1815.
- The zipper is one of the greatest innovations, which was conceived and developed at the start of World War I.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked our society to reconsider almost everything we do. Indeed, the pandemic is a terrible situation. However, in every crisis there is opportunity. Change itself breeds innovation. Club leaders have found themselves on some steep learning curves, and have had to adapt, change and innovate daily. Crises inevitably accelerates evolution, and can bring to light surprisingly obvious solutions that were right in front of you.
As this pandemic took its toll, clubs nationwide have had to modify, and in some instances close. Simultaneously, though, they had to react and innovate. They have operated under the understanding that safety for members and staff is paramount, as well as maintaining connections to members.
How do clubs maintain that vital connection and retain a sense of value, all while reimagining how members will use the club? Once clubs could reopen, clubs were focused on safety, security and their role as a safe haven. In a recent conversation with now retired Executive Manager Ted Gillary of the Detroit Athletic Club, he recalled running into a member who said, “We just love the club, it is the only place we trust.”
What a testament to current Executive Manager Charles Johnson and his team. As we research and innovate ways to engage our members and provide a safe haven, that statement is what club managers should strive to hear.
In researching this article, a number of mangers provided great ideas/innovations in the areas of communications, safety and sanitation, technology, food and beverage, fitness and club events
In the club world, recycling ideas from other clubs is common and can serve your club well. With that in mind, the following innovations, along with many more not mentioned, are not proprietary and I am happy to provide a source.
Communication
The key to the success in any relationship is communication … When you think you have communicated enough, communicate more. The challenge for clubs is how do you have consistent and effective communication with your members without face to face contact? In January, likely less than 10% of club managers and members had heard of Zoom, Go To or any other video conferencing. Now, it is a mainstay for our meetings, classes and all things virtual (more about virtual in the club events section). Those clubs without a communications manager at their club have accelerated that hire. It was already picking up steam as a key position and now that position is sure to have seat at the table. Common themes for communication tools include a website with embedded video, newsletters utilizing flipbook.com, Club Texting, TextClub, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Of course, one size does not fit all for each club.
Safety and Sanitization
A common theme has been creating or reenergizing the Safety Committee as well as a “Health and Safety Plan” or, what some have dubbed a “COVID-19 Playbook.” Many have been created, but the most comprehensive and detailed version is the Interlachen Country Club’s “COVID-19 Return to Operations – Health and Safety Plan,” created by GM/COO, Joel Livingood, CCM, and his team. It is a 27-page plan that has not missed a detail. It covers every aspect of every department for this Edina, Minn., club.
Another innovative idea that takes the safety plan one step further is a “Test Positive Reenactment,” developed by COO/GM Joe Krenn, CCM, and his team at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. An employee is chosen randomly by management as positive for COVID-19. The department head of said employee, must write a step-by-step process for moving forward. The plan is submitted and reviewed by the team. Club Manager Brandon Johnson said, “this process has really worked out the kinks and it has built camaraderie and cooperation amongst our management team.”
After your safety plan is in place, it’s time to tackle new protocols and practices. A simple, but useful innovation is a COVID-19-Claw hygiene hook for touchless door opening or a Step Handle that allows you to open a door with your foot.
There are countless innovations behind behind the elimination of the virus—airborne or on surfaces—but here are a few of the most popular:
BioGlove is a microbial defense system and comes in two applications. The 12-hour, single application is a non-alcohol formula that bonds to the surface of the skin and protects for up to 12 hours and up to 10 handwashings. The Surface Spray Disinfectant adheres to any surface—especially fabric carpet, wood, plastic, porcelain and metals—and can last up to 28 days. BioGlove also crosses over to technology with the BG Ai 2020, artificial intelligence technology that provides facemask recognition for safe entry, facial recognition, checks temperature, and offers 12-hour hand sanitizer protection. According to GM/COO Rob Schlingmann at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach, “We have placed four dispensing stations throughout our facilities. This product allows us to provide an extra level of protection and instills confidence in our operations.” (bioglove.com)
CreativeRealities is another thermal temperature device with an artificial intelligence platform. It works similarly to the Bioglove. Both are customizable and provide great dashboard information reports. The best part of both is they can send alerts via email if someone exceeds temp limits. (cri.com)
UMC provides portable, touch-free handwashing stations for use indoors and outside. Sahalee Country Club GM Marcus King says of the single sink stations, “Even more than a practical place to wash hands, it is a symbol of dedicated sanitation right out in front of our membership.” (umci.com)
Digital temperature checks are another reality for staff and members taking place at clubs across the country. Touchrate and Temperature Check are two companies serving the club industry. (touchrate.com) (temperaturecheck.com)
Another area of innovation that has been accelerated during COVID-19 is the eradication of airborne/surface particles and pathogens through both needlepoint bi-polar ionization technology and electrolyzed water. In the case of needlepoint bi-polar ionization, energy is generated to absorb and neutralize pollutants. Volatile organic compounds, viruses, bacteria and mold are killed by ionization. Ionization is effective 99.4%. In clubs, these units are being added to air handlers.
Electrolyzed water technology has been around for 50 years but now is seen as the quickest, (dries in 15 seconds), and most efficient disinfectant, killing 99.9% of germs and viruses. The product is the result of a process called electrolysis: salt is electrically separated into its two main ions, sodium and chloride. Those two ions are then mixed into separate streams of fresh water, producing two solutions: hypochlorous acid and sodium hydroxide. You can either purchase it complete or invest in your own on-site generator. The most common source is Viking Pure.
The ClubUp App provides contact tracing to mitigate COVID-19 spread. The cloud based system allows clubs to facilitate staff, member and contractor check-in with a timestamp record of their stay. (clubup.com)
One of the simplest innovations that was developed at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. Every half hour a bell rings in the kitchen, signaling it’s time to wash your hands. GM Tom Delozier said, “At first it was annoying; now it is just part of the routine. Even if I am in the kitchen and it goes off, I stop and wash my hands.” Simple and effective.
Technology
The use of technology at a club runs hot and cold. Use of phones, tablets, laptop in public areas and checking in at the club with a tablet was unheard of, not to mention making a tee time, court time or a pool reservation. As many club members say, “the greatest thing about my club is you never have to make a reservation.”
Well, that all changed in March and thanks to innovative ideas in technology, clubs are moving past technology stigmas and meeting member needs and COVID-19 guidelines.
Clubessential President Lynn Mangan said, “Our new technology provides clubs with the ability to easily innovate in ways that are both member-focused and staff-centric to provide personal, data driven, efficient and safe solutions. Solutions today have to be flexible and mobile friendly to meet members where they are—on or off the club property.”
Clubessential, Jonas and several other club software companies, moved into overdrive to provide clubs the necessary tools to meet the needs of members. As clubs were slowly allowed to reopen, clubs added reservation modules control usage and maintain contactless transactions for dining outlets, pool, fitness and golf, as well as mobile POS, mobile check in, mobile ordering, reservations and payments.
These applications provide:
- Social distancing through online ordering, check-in and reservations
- Self-serve kiosks and check-in for golf and other sports activities and grab-and-go purchases
- Compliance reporting and contact tracing
- Restricting and tracking capacity for course, courts, fitness and pool
Whether it is as simple as “QR” codes on tables for touchless menus or a smart band by Imutouch, which buzzes when you move your hand too close to your face, technology in clubs will now be welcomed, accepted and utilized.
Food and Beverage
In the area of food and beverage, the innovations are far too many to mention all. Here are some of the best:
Curbside and take-out dining have been the mainstay of club F&B during the pandemic. An added touch is providing a handwritten personal note in or on the bag to maintain a personal connection. The Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va., took it one step further and created Drive-Thru Dinners. Members can drive up to order and in a short time, have fast, yet made-from-scratch food, ready to eat. The consensus has been that these three types of “dining” options have helped save food and beverge.The hope is that it can and will remain a part of “traditional” business moving forward. We will have to wait and see what the IRS has to say.
As clubs were closed and they needed to stay connected with members providing value beyond curbside and takeout, here are some trends that manifested:
- Club Marketplace – Clubs providing items from toilet paper to prime sirloin steaks. As clubs have reopened, this innovation may be modified and grow to include boutique foods, fresh produce, baked goods, and more. At the club it is convenient and safe.
- Bistro in a Box – The club’s version of Blue Apron. All the ingredients and instructions are provided for those occasions when members would like to cook at home.
- Member Farmer’s Market – Whether fresh honey, zucchini, salsa or bread, a great way to bring members together and share their “homemade” products.
In the world of virtual offerings for members, clubs offered:
- Cooking classes, wine tastings, mixology courses
- Classes on how to grow herbs at home, etiquette for kids, yoga for beginners
- Cookie decorating kits and craft projects for children
- Exercise classes, golf and tennis lessons and interactive games for kids
There have been so many innovations to keep members connected and create an environment to feel safe. Here are several more innovations worth sharing:
- Tom Gaston, GM at The Pacific Union Club in San Francisco, has started a time capsule for the COVID-19 pandemic. Their club was around during the Spanish Flu epidemic, and there was nothing in the archives about how the club handled it. It’s a great idea for future generations (though we hope they do not have to deal with what we are dealing with), so that they can look back at how the club survived in such a difficult time.
- Brian Baldwin, general manager at The Apawamis Club, Rye, N.Y., tented one of his paddle courts, carpeted it and turned it into an outside fitness area.
Think outside the box. Ask the question: “What are we not doing to meet the needs of our members?” There have been so many great innovations during the last 6 months and there will be more to follow.