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CMAA-2025

CMAA 2025 Recap: Industry Insights, Big Conversations & A Packed House

Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of attending the CMAA National Managers Conference 2025 — and what an event it was!

Held at the Albury SS&A Club, the conference brought together hundreds of club managers and industry leaders for two packed days of learning, discussion, and inspiration. From loyalty strategy to community engagement, the sessions were practical, forward-thinking, and grounded in real-world results.

Our Highlight? Presenting on the power of data-driven membership and loyalty programs. Our session covered:

  • Why member segmentation matters more than ever
  • How to avoid loyalty program cost blowouts
  • The untapped marketing power of club grants
  • What NSW clubs can learn from Queensland’s visitor rule changes

We brought a videographer along to capture the experience, check out the highlight reel below.

Big thanks to CMAA and the team at Albury SS&A for hosting such a thoughtful, well-run event. It’s always energising to step out of the day-to-day and reconnect with others shaping the future of clubs.

Until next time!

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Are All Members Equal? What Every Club Should Know About Loyalty Strategy in 2025

When it comes to club memberships, there’s one truth that too often gets overlooked: not all members are created equal.

At the 2025 CMAA Conference, Hospitality Mavens Founder, Matt Rafton shared a framework for transforming how clubs view and manage loyalty, backed by real data from more than 30 venues across Australia.

Here’s a snapshot of the key takeaways clubs can action right now.

 

Know Your Member Value

On average, a single club member is worth $612 per year – and that figure’s not static. It changes drastically by age, gender, visit frequency, and spend behaviour.

Clubs tend to overinvest in marketing to young, infrequent visitors (18-35s), when the real gold lies in segments like females aged 55–74 – the most consistently high-value demographic across all venue types.

 

Future-Proof Your Membership Strategy

With NSW likely to follow Queensland in removing mandatory sign-in zones, clubs must prepare for a membership environment with less regulatory friction.

That means building internal processes and incentives that promote membership organically – not rely on front desk formality.

 

Design Smarter Loyalty Programs

Done well, loyalty programs can drive major gains – but done poorly, they drain budgets and breed entitlement. Common pitfalls include:

  • Over-rewarding base tiers
  • Poor tier spacing (too easy or too hard to progress)
  • No food & beverage inclusion
  • Cost blowouts from birthday freebies

 

Make Community Support Count

Clubs give generously – but only 1 in 5 actively market their community contributions. From club grants to sponsorships, these programs should be more than charitable; they should tell your story.

 

Use Data to Make Members Feel Valued

As Matt closed his talk: “Data is only valuable when it’s used to make a member feel valued.” Clubs have a goldmine of behavioural insight – but if that doesn’t translate to relevant, memorable experiences, the opportunity is lost.

 

Ready to Optimise?

If you’re a club manager, marketer or GM looking to sharpen your loyalty strategy, Hospitality Mavens can help with tailored programs, hands-on support, and data that delivers.

Let’s chat about your club’s next move →

Hospitality Mavens Team - Lucas

Lucas Mellier

Lucas has a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing, and over 13 years of experience as a marketing manager, helping to drive brand growth and revenue in club and the entertainment industry, with additional time in radio and TV advertising.

His experience includes developing and implementing strategies across multi-channel communications, strategic planning, digital marketing, advertising, and promotions. He takes a data-driven approach, using analytics to support informed decision-making and improve business outcomes.

As a new member of the Sunny Coast community, Lucas enjoys spending his time outside of work with his wife and kids, exploring the local walking trails and beaches.

Hospitality Mavens Team - Sophia

Sofia Reyes

Sofía is currently pursuing a Master of Information and Communications Technology at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She brings valuable experience from the tech sector in Latin America, having worked across industries such as retail and SaaS.

With a passion for leveraging innovation and technology to drive meaningful outcomes and create lasting value for clients, Sofía is responsible for executing direct marketing campaigns, analysing and interpreting data, managing databases, and preparing client reports.

In her spare time, Sofía enjoys spending time outdoors and exploring the Sunshine Coast.