If your club or member organisation is losing members, ageing rapidly, or struggling with its reputation, you don't need another band-aid promotion — you need a strategic reset.
I specialise in helping clubs and member-based organisations grow and engage their communities with intention, using both marketing strategy and on-the-ground engagement.
I understand clubs from the inside and the outside: the operational pressures, the legacy culture, the changing expectations of members, and the need to balance commercial results with community purpose. My work combines research, strategy, and implementation support to help clubs become vibrant, relevant, and financially sustainable.
Defining who you serve, why you exist, how you create value, and what success looks like.
Practical plans for social, email, in-venue communications, and campaigns that keep members informed and engaged.
Designing event calendars and activation strategies that attract the right mix of members, drive revenue, and build community.
Surveys, interviews, and feedback loops that give you real data to base decisions on, instead of assumptions and anecdotes.
Workshops and advisory sessions to align on vision, priorities, and next steps.
When I started working with New Plymouth Club, membership sat at around 3,500 and the club had been losing roughly 2,000 members a year. Closing the doors was a very real future scenario. The executive gave me a clear brief: reverse the decline, grow membership, and bring in more younger members while keeping existing loyal members engaged.
The strategic work began with a substantial research project. I spoke with more than a thousand people — current members, lapsed members, non-members, the general public, and staff — to understand how people actually wanted to socialise, what they valued, and what was turning them off.
This research surfaced consistent themes around atmosphere, relevance, value, and perceptions of clubs, and from it we defined six clear strategic pillars that needed to be developed and delivered.
Over the following two years, the club committed to these six pillars and embedded them into decision-making, operations, marketing, events, and member experience. Demographics shifted dramatically — from around 80% of members being over 70 to approximately 25% over 70, 50% aged 40–70, and 25% under 50. New Plymouth Club moved from a "past its best" perception to being seen as a must-join venue and one of the key places to socialise in the region.
I've also supported Clubs Napier on their transformation journey, using research and insight to shape a clear strategic pathway for rebrand and renovation.
The outcome is a clear, insight-driven plan that helps leadership make confident decisions, invest wisely, and bring members with them on the journey of change.
The focus is always the same: sustainable growth, stronger engagement, and a club people are proud to belong to.
Whether you're running a club that needs a strategic reset or an association looking to grow and modernise, I'd love to hear what you're working on.