Exploring Private Clubs as Unique Event Venues: Future Research Directions

Private clubs can be considered unique venues with their upscale amenities, focus on wellness and recreation, and ability to provide tailored experiences. Private clubs primarily focus on their members, with events as secondary revenue sources. Events play a vital role in private clubs, acting as essential tools for member engagement and retention, fostering networking opportunities, enhancing the overall club experience, and contributing to revenue generation. Although private clubs may not be ideal for every type of event, they are well-suited for social events, retreats, fundraisers, and corporate functions for both members and nonmembers. This research note reviews existing industry literature and reports to explore the connection and significance of events within private clubs. It calls for greater inclusion of private clubs in future event management research to expand the scope of the literature, enhance understanding of the impact of events in these settings, and inform future practices. This study offers practical implications for industry professionals and theoretical insights for event researchers aiming to advance the understanding in private clubs.