Carolynne Williams, Coro88

How far back does your relationship with the club industry go?

I started in the club industry in the early 80s — initially as Finance Manager then progressed to CEO in 1998.

What is your proudest moment as Club CEO?

I have been fortunate to have a lot of landmark moments over the years that made me extremely proud. However, the opening of our brand new Coro88 premises in 2021 would have to be the proudest.

The Coronation Club has reopened after being closed for several years, how have you found the process of rebuilding a club?

Very stressful and long! The hardest moment was when I had to tell the staff and members that the club had to close to enable the construction to take place. Then came all the regulatory standards we had to meet to secure our Development Application — this was time consuming, taking longer than we had anticipated. Once we worked through all these and obtained our DA, things progressed quite nicely. Then COVID-19 arrived and really threw a spanner in the works! Like everyone else involved in construction, we had staff shortages and a shortage of supplies. This resulted in the construction taking approximately six months longer than intended.

We opened the new premises on 18 April 2021, traded for approximately 10 weeks before the next COVID lockdown commenced.

How has the community responded to your reopening?

Our opening in April 2021 was well received from members and visitors. We did not do a lot of marketing at the time because, as with most new buildings, there were some teething problems to be sorted out.

Since our ‘second’ opening last October, we have been really delighted at the response by the local community. We have gained a regular following of loyal patrons and word is spreading to neighbouring areas, increasing our patronage. We are gaining a reputation for great food with particular focus on our steaks.

What does the community expect from a modern club and how do you as CEO go about meeting those expectations?

The community expectations for a new, modern club are pretty much the same as for any club. They expect good quality food at reasonable prices, competitively priced beverages and a clean friendly environment. Over the past few years, technology has become important to patrons. They expect seamless transactions right throughout the club — they want to use their debit card or smart phone to pay for goods. They no longer see us as a cash industry.

To meet these expectations, it’s important to have a good quality and integrated POS system, an electronic sign-in procedure and well-trained staff to operate the equipment.

The gaming room also needs to have a high-quality CRT system to enable efficient easy to use equipment for patrons.

Technology plays an important role in notifying members of promotions and services. An up-to-date website and members’ email addresses are essential as is a good presence on social media platforms.

As important as modern technology is, nothing beats well-trained staff, a friendly greeting at the door, professional service of food and beverages, and knowledge of the club facilities. The need for the personal touch is one thing that has remained the same over the years.

What role does innovation and renewal have in the continuing success of our industry?

Patrons’ expectations are reasonably high, so keeping abreast of innovation assists with meeting those requirements. A club that falls behind will find it very difficult to regain the lost ground.

What characteristics and skills are needed to be a good CEO? What advice would you give to someone working towards that position?

I’ve always found that a good and respectful relationship with staff is essential. It should be made very clear that loyal staff will receive loyalty in return. It’s important to have a relaxed, approachable attitude with staff and it’s equally important that they understand business is business.

A good relationship with your board is also important, communication and respect are essential.

My advice to upcoming CEOs, apart from the above is education! Stay abreast of governance changes and the latest trends in marketing are essential.

Our Learning & Development team have a whole range of courses to ensure that directors and club management remain compliant and up to date with the latest governance principles. Why is ongoing training so important?

Ongoing training is of paramount importance, there are regular governance changes and club management and directors have a responsibility to keep across all changes to conduct a compliant club.

Our industry is fortunate to have easily accessible and current training courses through ClubsNSW and the Club Education Institute.

What do you see as the greatest challenge facing our industry in the years ahead?

The biggest current challenge is the shortage of staff, both skilled and unskilled. I cannot see an end to that any time soon. I think a huge challenge for our industry in the coming years will be people’s self-sufficiency. They are becoming more and more independent when it comes to entertainment (a home theatre is nothing unusual these days). Combine that with the fact that good quality food is only a phone call away and can be delivered right to your door.

The industry, as a whole, will have to come up with innovative ways to tempt people to leave the comfort of their home.