Jeff Morgan, CEO of the Club Managers Association of America.
Alexandria, United States: In conjunction with the Centre for Generational Kinetics and The Club Foundation, the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) has unveiled new research uncovering generational attitudes about club memberships, specifically the Millennial demographic.
This landmark national study was conducted in the summer of 2016, and provides valuable insight into what potential club members are seeking.
Jeff Morgan, the CMAA’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “CMAA embarked on this research to quantify the effect of the millennial generation and how they are transforming the world of club membership.
“It challenged a lot of assumptions that we had about Millennials and interest in club membership. This research is ground-breaking for the club industry, and will generate many conversations in our CMAA community, as well as within club boardrooms.”
Jason Dorsey, Co-Founder, The Centre for Generational Kinetics, said: “Now ages 21 to 39, Millennials are poised to shake up the club industry. It turns out that many of the intangibles that Millennials say they want are exactly what clubs already can and do offer. But, like nearly everything Millennials do, they want it to be customised to their specific needs and life stage.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Forty-one per cent of Millennials say that personal recommendations are most important when considering club membership.
- Millennials are twice as likely to be seeking child-centred club activities.
- Thirty-seven per cent of Millennials do not view financial obligations as a barrier to membership.
- Only 23 per cent of Millennials cited lifestyle fit as a top objection to club membership.
- Across all generations, approximately 80 per cent indicate that spreading out the initiation fee to two to three instalments would make them more likely to join a club.
- Millennials see personal and professional value in club membership, with 41 per cent viewing club membership as beneficial to their career and 31 per cent seeing a connection between club membership and a person’s marital prospects.
For further results, visit www.cmaa.org/millennials/ to access the Exploring the Millennial Outlook on Club Membership infographic and Uncovering Generational Attitudes About Club Membership white paper.
