Assignment #2

The article I read for this assignment was found in Hospitality Update, and is titled "Chicago Yacht Club Purchases ReServe Interactive Software to Manage Events". The Chicago Yacht club is a historic private club located on the shore of Lake Michigan, and while they have only a short sailing season, the club also offeres many year-round amenities at their two clubhouse locations. The management at the club recently purchased ReServe Interactive Event Management Software to aid in the execution of their off-shore activities and catered events. This software also simultaneously allows the user to manage the bar, banquet, fine and casual dining facilities. The benefit of this multitasking software is that it will help streamline booking processes and reduce inconsistancies by sharing and compiling event information throughout the club. The GM of the club, Mr. James W. Clark has implemented the use of this software at three other clubs that he has previously worked at, so the change was highly recommended due to his prior experiences. The software program will manage event room locations to prevent double booking, produce correspondence, proposals and function sheets (BEO's). ReServe also produces invoices, generates automatic follow-up tasks, and automatically generates equipment and packing lists for event related reports. The reason this software is so user-friendly is because it is the only of its kind to auto-prompt the user with the tasks that need to be completed prior to the event. This software is suitable for not only clubs, but other hospitality outlets, and this company has more than twenty years of expeience in hospitality management.


(Reflection)
I was so excited to see an article about the use of technology in clubs, as I am currently in California, attending the 80th annual World Conference on Club Management. I have also traveled to Chicago both for the National Restaurant Association show and two CMAA conferences, so I know firsthand that Chicago is certainly at the forefront of embracing innovations in hospitality technology. Another reason I am glad to summarize this article is because private clubs are usually perceived as the least likely hospitality venues to implement technology, due to the traditional, conservative, member-focused nature of clubs. Private clubs have the unique advantage in that they do not need to worry about creating loyalty and seeking repeat customers, which is usually a top reason for a hotel or restaurant to look to technology for differentiation. Although, to their disadvantage, there is a fixed, finite number ot clientele that they have to work with, so this software is a great example of how to efectively and efficiently manage membership services. As the membership begins to experience the advantage of their managers utilizing this system for their special events and regular dining, the volume of these events should increase. Of course there is a risk associated with trying to maximize the clubs usage such as human and other resources, but this article makes me believe that this software is a big step in the right direction for smoother and more successful operations.

Em Hand

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