By Josh Landis
ClubsNSW CEO
Welcome to the very first edition of ClubTIC newsletter. What an extraordinary time to be launching a new publication covering all the latest happenings in the club industry, or ‘clubland’ as we often call it. With COVID-19 restrictions and operating conditions changing regularly, and often rapidly, it has never been more important for club personnel to stay informed.
It is no secret that the events of 2020 hit clubs hard. It started with devastating drought and bushfires, closely followed by floods. Then, just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, the pandemic struck.
Many clubs were forced to stand down employees, with some unlikely to ever open their doors again. But even in the darkest of times, we saw clubs doing what they do best — going above and beyond to support their local communities.
We had clubs sending out care packages to those in need and making welfare calls to both members and staff, not to mention the tens of millions of dollars that our industry still managed to provide to sporting groups, charities and educational programs through the ClubGRANTS scheme.
After a brief reprieve, the return to tougher restrictions in many parts of NSW at the beginning of the busy Christmas period was a tough pill to swallow, as was the cancellation of the Australasian Hospitality and Gaming (AHG) Expo more recently. However, as we begin to see venue capacity limits dialled back once again, there is hope that we will soon be able to settle into a new kind of “normal”.
If last year has taught us anything, it is that there really is no telling what 2021 has in store for us. But our industry has demonstrated that no matter what gets thrown our way, we will get through it together.
We have already seen some larger clubs reaching out to struggling clubs to offer a lifeline in the form of an amalgamation, which is something we can expect to see more of in the coming months. I think we will also continue to see clubs implementing new strategies to boost consumer confidence and encourage members and patrons back through the doors again.
On that front, phase three of the ClubsNSW Made Local advertising campaign is set to hit your television screens and social media feeds in the coming months, highlighting the incredible food on offer at clubs and reinforcing the social and COVID-safe nature of our venues.
Of course, social distancing and regular hand sanitising are here to stay for the foreseeable future, but the resumption of some face-to-face meetings, training and industry events is something for us to look forward to — especially the always popular Clubs & Community Awards Night in May. I hope to see you all there!
Until then, I wish you all a healthy, safe and prosperous year — and best of luck to the ClubTIC team with this exciting new venture.
Josh Landis
ClubsNSW CEO