SailPass Addressing Participation and Registration challenges Alistair Murray Australian Sailing Director 2018 Club Conferences
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to use our club (after all we need them!) Background AS Census data indicates that < 30% of participants are members of clubs Clubs have historically had challenges engaging with and converting participants into members Clubs are being accessed by non-members who don t contribute to the club Competitors in AS sanctioned events are being injured and killed and are not insured
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to use our club (after all we need them!) Response To respond to this, AS has established a working group, with the objectives of: 1. Identifying ways in which AS can utilise technology to help clubs increase participation 2. Developing new programs that address the needs of the current recreational user that make club membership accessible, quick, safe, flexible and social 3. Ensuring all participants at club sailing activities are registered 4. Improving safety management 5. Increasing physical activity of less active Australians 6. Offering opportunities to people who experience higher levels of disadvantage 7. Engaging with and increasing female participation 8. Transitioning one time sailors into ongoing opportunities 9. Covering facility and management costs, ie user pays principle 10. Providing clubs with a data base for marketing and communications
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to use our club (after all we need them!) Research There is a place in the membership pathway for the Sail Pass: The Sail Pass provides an entry point for the wider community to try a sport that is perceived as exclusive and difficult to engage with Consumers are looking to try something new: Social activities, friends and learning new skills are the main motivations for trying a new sport The Sail Pass is a valuable marketing tool for Clubs The necessity of providing contact details (for insurance purposes) when signing up for the Sail Pass, provides Club s with a database of potential members that can be targeted in promotional and marketing material
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to Why use is our it club important (after all to we be need registered? them!) Clubs have a Duty of Care to know who is on the water in events that they are responsible for Insurance Cover for participants Compliance with Racing Rules Communications and marketing opportunities for clubs
but Why hang is on, Sailing is membership different? required in other club sports and or organised events in other sports? Membership and registration requirements in other sports Sport Membership required Non registered players allowed? Temporary Membership? AFL Cricket Soccer Golf Green Fees Swimming Casual entry fees NRL Gym Casual entry fees Lawn Bowls Casual entry fees Basketball Netball Sailing??????
Technology- What does it offer us? An easy to use, customer convenient, registration process Ability to customise the collection and dissemination of information to and from the customer Creation of a database allowing ongoing communication and promotion to facilitate conversion into ongoing participation and membership Functionality to track day pass usage Ability to issue an Australian Sailing number and personal accident insurance Decrease in club administration
What barriers does flexible membership address? Barriers to sailing (the public perception) gemba Report 2012 Global Sailing Trends (A Murray 2016) The Image (inaccessible, exclusive, unwelcoming) The Cost (inc. m ship) The Focus on Racing season pass season pass The Time Commitment Annual Financial Commitment Lack of Info & Comms Discover Sailing (try the sport) Community Sailing Centres New Geographic Markets Engaging & Retaining Youth Safe, quick, easy access Accessible & Welcoming Market the sport we ve got a lot of work to do we ve got work to do
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to use our club (after all we need them!) Case Study: Sandringham Yacht Club- Day Pass What is a day pass? A means by which a non-member can sail @ a Yacht Club for a day What is a yacht club? An organisation constituted to run yacht racing for its members What is a yacht club member? A person who pays to belong to a YC (a regular sailor @ the YC) Are yacht clubs member based organisations? Yes absolutely. So what does the day pass address? It gets non-members sailing (in a compliant way) plus lots of things we have been told by experts in sport mostly day passes help break down barriers to sailing.
Sandy Yacht Club s experience Sandringham Case Study - cont Introduced 10+ years ago A lot of hard work but we remain committed Now widely accepted & accounts for 40% of new members p/a Vast majority of existing members feel good about it It s club policy- Non compliance is a whole-of-club issue, not just someone else s problem Overwhelmingly, day pass members highly value an outstanding pathway that offers incredible opportunities at low cost Racing Rules non-compliance burden is reduced- for clubs and boat owners Non complying crew knowingly sail without insurance Liquor licence issues reside predominantly with the individual
SYC Membership now; Day SYC Pass, Membership Season Pass & now: Annual Day Season Annual
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to use our club (after all we need them!) Sandringham Case Study - cont 1. Non members who regularly use a member based organisation threaten the membership culture of the organisation.they set a precedent it s okay to sail here but not be a member and that s not ok (by any given measure) 2. They upset members who pay 3. They make it more expensive for members who pay 4. They enjoy the facilities that have been funded by members 5. They typically sail without insurance! 6. If they do not belong to any Club, they inevitably breach AS racing rules! 7. They breach club rules (clubs are constituted for members) 8. If they enter bar areas, they breach State law (ie liquor licencing) 9. In the event of an incident, your club and the sport are at risk 10. They do not value your club (that s why they don t join) and they never (in my experience) thank the Club.
but our Club is different, for e.g. But our club is different Skippers at my club can t find crew? Despite the hype, try not to confuse the issue. Lack of crew is not related to Membership of our clubs (citing lack of crew is an excuse to avoid membership) we can offer affordable schemes for all sorts of users but the underlying principal remains we run member based organisations and regular users of our clubs need to be Members The existing Members don t really care Have you explained the issue & asked them I bet that s not true (it s certainly not my experience having discussed it with hundreds of members over an extended period) Our Club wont survive if we don t have non-member crew In the long run your club will certainly struggle to survive if you don t do anything about nonmember crew Our Membership is expensive and our offer is fixed Every sport and every club within those sports need to evolve sailing and yacht clubs are no different. I bet if you articulate the issues to your Members they will support the changes in the interests of the sport & the club. Clubs need to be vigilant and flexible to keep pace and remain relevant.
Why shouldn t we just let non-members continue to use our club (after all we need them!) Sail Pass- Next Steps: Finding a solution with national application Yacht clubs with marinas and controlled access Clubs with moorings that meet at the start line Dinghy clubs Technology Simple, easy, quick- for all parties (clubs, skippers, crew) Cost effective Club database Creation of marketing collateral and a how to guide for clubs Club awareness and buy-in Club Constitutions and membership categories Cultural change
Day Pass What s next Questions?