Club Exploration Day

Entry Details

The idea for this event was to bring in several different managers from the Greater Cleveland Chapter to represent different types of clubs that exist.  I contacted managers from country, city, yacht, golf, and skating clubs so students could understand that all clubs are different, therefore providing positions for everyone’s unique skillsets. The format I decided on for the event was to start with a meet and greet, then have a keynote speaker talk about club governance, because some students are unfamiliar with governance in clubs, and end the event with time for networking where students would rotate to tables that were manned by the managers.

This enhanced our chapter because I engaged the students in the planning process, asking them for suggestions along the way.  I asked what type of format would be interesting for them, asked which clubs they would like to see represented, and the time and day that would work well for them with their schedules.  The students also helped me develop the floor plan for the event.

Implementation

After meeting with members of the Greater Cleveland Chapter last spring they mentioned the desire to have more personal interactions with our students and students in the Sports Administration program at Kent State.  I worked with a professor in the Sports Administration program to develop an event that would be interesting to their students as well as ours. The goals of the event were to present the different types of career opportunities that exist and to promote the profession of Club Management.  Our students are somewhat familiar with the opportunities, but Sport Administration students were less familiar.

I worked with the Kent State Hotel for a space to accommodate our large group.  I chose a topic, Club Governance, that would interest our students.  For our Keynote Speaker I selected Michael Lukegord, General Manager of Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio.  I carefully selected him because he is a young General Manager, very personable, and I felt he would be relatable for the students in attendance. I then selected managers from clubs in the Greater Cleveland Chapter that would check all the boxes for the different types of clubs that exist in our area. 

This idea has enhanced our chapter’s relationship with our parent chapter. Professionals in the Greater Cleveland Chapter appreciated the opportunity to network with students in a unique setting that allowed for personal interactions and informal discussions.  The students enjoyed the event because it was much more relaxed than a traditional networking event or career fair so there was less pressure on them. Discussions about part-time jobs, internships, and full-time positions happened throughout the event. More importantly, students and professionals in our chapters made connections with each other that happened organically.  Since this event, students have shadowed employees at the participating clubs and others have gained employment.