The Club Managers Association of America worked in conjunction with the Center for Generational Kinetics and The Club Foundation to develop the research, with a special focus on Millennials. According to the report, 41% of Millennials say that personal recommendations are most important when considering a club membership, and that same group is twice as likely to seek child-centered club activities.

In conjunction with the Center 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 summer 2016, and provides valuable insight into what potential club members are seeking.

“CMAA embarked on this research to quantify the effect of the millennial generation and how they are transforming the world of club membership,” said CEO Jeff Morgan, FASAE, CAE. “It challenged a lot of assumptions that we had about Millennials and interest in club membership. This research is groundbreaking for the club industry, and will generate many conversations in our CMAA community, as well as within club boardrooms.”

Key findings from the report include:

• Forty-one percent of Millennials say that personal recommendations are most important when considering club membership. 
• Millennials are twice as likely to be seeking child-centered club activities.
• Thirty-seven percent of Millennials do not view financial obligations as a barrier to membership. 
• Twenty-three percent of Millennials cited lifestyle fit as a top objection to club membership. 
• Across all generations, approximately 80% indicate that spreading out the initiation fee to two to three installments would make them more likely to join a club. 
• Millennials see personal and professional value in club membership, with 41% viewing club membership as beneficial to their career and 31% seeing a connection between club membership and a person’s marital prospects.

“Now ages 21 to 39, Millennials are poised to shake up the club industry,” said Jason Dorsey, Co-Founder, The Center for Generational Kinetics. “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 customized to their specific needs and life stage.”

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.