April 7-10, 2024

Communications Summit

Registration is full. To be added to the waitlist, please contact Alanna Eckard.

The 2024 Communications Summit will be hosted in Boston, MA, a city known for its history and great atmosphere from April 7-10. The Summit is designed for professionals who directly manage or oversee the communications and marketing efforts at the club, or simply are looking to learn more about this very important and constantly changing aspect of club operations.

Learn more effective strategies and tactics to communicate with your members and the greater club community, while visiting iconic Boston-area clubs. Attendees will experience a full day at one of the oldest clubs in the US, The Country Club in nearby Brookline, MA, and an afternoon at the distinguished Harvard Club of Boston. The Summit will feature hands-on opportunities to share and learn from fellow communications practitioners and industry experts.

Presenting Sponsor
MembersFirst

Event Sponsor
Jonas Club Software

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Register

Registration is full. To be added to the waitlist, please contact Alanna Eckard.

CMAA Member/Communications Community Subscriber* Registration: $1,025
New Subscriber/Summit Bundle**: $1,100
Non-Member/Non-Subscriber Registration: $1,275

*The Communication Community is an exclusive CMAA hub for communications professionals to connect, share, and engage with one another.

**Bundle pricing is available for first-time subscribers only.

Education: Attendance at all sessions qualifies for 13.5 CMI credits.

Schedule

Programming begins on Sunday, April 7 at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

Sunday, April 7

Time	Event
5:00-7:00 p.m.	Registration & Welcome Reception at the Marriott Copley Place

Monday, April 8

The Country Club – Brookline, MA

Time	Event
7:30 a.m.	Buses Depart for The Country Club
8:00 a.m.	Bus Tour and Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:00 a.m.	Education Session: A Data-Driven View of Marketing Communications in the Private Club Ray Cronin
10:15-11:30 a.m.	Education Session: Transparent, Thoughtful & Tailored: Communication Strategies for the New Member Journey Victoria Burns, Corporate Marketing Manager MembersFirst; Elise Mackin, Communications and Membership Manager The Country Club Brookline; and Denise Saari Membership/Marketing/Communications Manager, Addison Reserve Country Club The admissions and new member onboarding process go hand-in-hand with your club’s brand and strategic communication plan. Whether your title includes a membership function, or you collaborate with another professional with that role at your club, this session will highlight effective communication strategies for current and new members throughout the admissions process. Strategic Communication Focus Areas: Aligning admissions with club branding Effective engagement for current and new members Merging automated efficiency with personalization Communication strategies for any budget The voice, content, and cadence of your new member communications reflect your club’s culture and communication strategy. Join us in discovering strategies for maintaining transparency and community-wide engagement at your club.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:30-2:00 p.m.	Education Session: Strategic Communications Panel Kristen LaCount, CCM, General Manager/ COO at The Country Club, Jacqueline Singleton, Director of Member Communication and Engagement, Nigel Smith, founder of Next Step Communications and TCC Communication Committee member, moderated by Patrick Laxton, CCM, Assistant General Manager, The Country Club
2:15-3:20 p.m.	Targeted Round Table Discussion
3:20-3:45 p.m.	Break and Solar Eclipse Viewing
3:45-5:00 p.m.	Education Session: Employee Engagement and Communication in the Club Chris Combs, Director of Communications at Farmington Country Club
5:15 p.m.	Cocktails and Dinner at TCC
7:30 p.m.	Buses Depart for Hotel

Tuesday, April 9

Morning: Marriott Copley Place
Afternoon: Harvard Club

Time	Event
8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast at Marriott Copley Place
8:30-10:00 a.m.	Education Session: Leveraging Communication and Information Between Clubs and Golf Associations Catherine Carmignani, Assistant Executive Director at Mass Golf and Stephen Hanjack, Director of Marketing and Communication at Mass Golf
10:15-11:15 a.m.	Education Session: How to be Smart with AI in the Club Space Trevor Coughlan, Vice President of Marketing, Jonas Club Software
11:30 a.m.	Bus to Harvard Club
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.	Lunch at the Harvard Club
1:00-1:30 p.m.	Club Tours
1:30-2:30 p.m.	Education Session: Let’s Get Serious about Club Communications Ben Lorenzen, Creative Director at Champions Run
2:30-2:45 p.m.	Presentation from MembersFirst
3:00-4:15 p.m.	Targeted Round-table Discussion
4:30 p.m.	Bus departs to hotel

Free Evening

Wednesday, April 10

Marriott Copley Place

Time	Event
8:00-9:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast at Marriott Copley Place
9:00-10:00 a.m.	Education Session: Mastering the Art of Communication: Communicating for Impact Natalie Born This session is a dynamic exploration of enhancing communication skills in various professional contexts. Confidently pitching ideas and effectively engaging with diverse audiences. Born offers insights on presenting oneself with gravitas and impact. This talk is a comprehensive guide for professionals aiming to strengthen their communication skills and make a lasting impression in their field. Natalie Born is a Principal Consultant with Arch + Tower, a keynote speaker, and the host of a top 25 innovation podcast called Innovation Meets Leadership that is listened to in more than 80 countries. She is the author of the book Set It On Fire: The Art of Innovation. Born has collaborated on two approved US patents and has more than 20 years of experience leading product development, strategy, and innovation teams working globally in more than 18 countries. Born has worked with organizations such as CareerBuilder, First Data, IHG, and ADP, leading major initiatives in more than 18 countries. Prior to Consulting, Born held roles as VP of Innovation and Senior Vice President of Business Development.
10:15-11:15 a.m.	Education Session:ChatGPT: The Next Best Tool in Club Communications Erica Martin, Marketing and Communication Manager with Strategic Club Solutions Erica is a seasoned leader in the marketing and communications industry. With more than 15 years of experience, she leverages strategic marketing principles, effective communication strategies, and innovative approaches to not only build brand awareness but also to engage the right audiences and attract ideal members. She has a passion for assembling a brand’s story and using out-of-the-box, creative storytelling techniques to make clubs stand out. She has worked with clubs across the country streamlining their communications and marketing processes, elevating their brands, and providing proven strategies to create more engaged and loyal members.
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Education Session: Redefining Victory: Lessons in Identity, Resilience, and Vulnerability Tra Battles How do you define yourself beyond professional labels and societal expectations? How do you maintain your mental health when there are so many pressures, both in your personal life and at work? Tra Battle shares his journey from childhood struggles to becoming a professional athlete, then facing an identity crisis after retiring from professional sports and entering the high-pressure world of business. Join Tra in exploring the critical moments that led him from the brink of taking his own life to finding purpose in life beyond his work and the roles he played. He will share practical tools he has learned that will help you become more resilient, avoid comparison, and lean into the power of vulnerability.

Departures

Important Information

The 2024 Communications Summit host hotel will be Boston Marriott Copley Place.

Location: Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116

Rate: Rates start at $309 plus applicable taxes.

Reservations: Book online. The last day to book within the group block is Monday, March 18.

CMAA makes every effort to keep attendee expenses at the Communications Summit including registration fees and accommodation rates for the event as economical as possible. We work diligently to negotiate the best hotel rates and to make the best use of your registration dollars to keep events affordable and accessible.

CMAA encourages all participants to reserve a room at Boston Marriott Copley Place; this supports not only this event, but also future events. While in some instances, less expensive accommodations may be available from third party online consolidators, booking within CMAA’s established block helps to underwrite the cost of meeting space and other hotel concessions. When commitments to our host property are not met, CMAA must pay penalties which will ultimately increase the cost of events.

Make a reservation

All registration cancellations and refund requests must be made in writing by the individual whose name appears on the registration. To be valid, submit all requests to CMAA Registration. No refunds will be made after Thursday, March 7. CMAA regrets that refunds will not be given for no-shows. Substitutions are gladly accepted; substitutions of registrations are permitted prior to the event. Only one substitution is permitted per original registrant. The individual submitting the substitution request is responsible for all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with the substitution. Badge sharing, splitting, and reprints are strictly prohibited.

CMAA is dedicated to providing a safe, hospitable, inclusive, and productive environment for all participants at CMAA Events. CMAA has established minimum expectations of behavior for participants at all CMAA events. Please review the policy. It is intended to supplement any other applicable CMAA policies, including the CMAA Code of Conduct and Ethics.