Upgrades Website to Deliver ROI and Enable Social Networking Among Members

Wayland, MA - March 24, 2010 ‐ In a business climate where "flat is the new up", an increasing number of club leaders are kicking conventional thinking and practices to the curb in favor of new web-based initiatives and technologies that hold the promise of growing revenue and building stronger member relationships. One such case in point is Boca Lago Country Club of Boca Raton, Florida.

On the heels of a recently completed seven figure renovation project, Boca Lago has added Wi-Fi access, a new website, and private social networking to the growing list of technology-enabled conveniences and member services it has invested in. The goal of each is to improve the overall value proposition of the club to its members, and in turn, drive stronger engagement and revenue levels - and it's working.

Improving on the overall member experience is the single most important thing we can do to ensure member satisfaction and retention, reports Dave Shinnebarger, Boca Lagos' Membership Marketing Director. Enhancing member relationships is at the forefront of that charge, and now our website will play a central role in that, virtually. Shinnebarger is referring to the online private social network being enabled on the club's website by MembersFirst® Inc., a New England-based interactive marketing services company with over a decade of service to more than 1,000 clubs across the country.

Through its latest product release, GenM™, MemberFirst® offers Boca Lago a single source web solution comprised of a best-in-class Content Management System (CMS), a full-featured email communication service, a flexible reservation and registration module, the industry's premier private social networking platform, and a level of interactive design expertise that serves to attract and capture new members.

Shinnebarger reports that within a few short weeks of launching the new website, the club saw results on all fronts - it had received several new membership inquiries, witnessed a measurable spike of 30% in usage among its members, and closed its fiscal year on a high note having experienced a near 20% year-over-year increase in revenue from banquets and catering. He attributes the recent success in large part to two factors: Boca Lago invested the time and energy needed to develop a clear set of strategic and program requirements, and the quality of the project team at MembersFirst® assigned to work with the club for executing on the game plan.

We selected MembersFirst® because of their unique GenM™ application, coupled with their depth of expertise in the private club industry. Their product is clearly cutting-edge, but what most impressed us is they took the time to understand our business objectives and brand attributes, and then made recommendations in design and site configurations that they knew would perform and deliver for us, stated Shinnebarger.

About Boca Lago Country Club

Located in one of South Florida's key destination locations Boca Raton, Florida, Boca Lago Country Club spans more than 250 tropical acres of pristine grounds abound by fifty acres of mirror quality lakes. The membership enjoys 27 holes of championship golf on Von Hagee & Devlin-designed courses, a 20-court tennis facility offering 16 Har-Tru courts and 4 hard-surface competition courts, a state-of-art Health and Wellness Center, pools, Jacuzzi's and a variety of dining options to satisfy the most discerning appetites. For more information, visit www.bocalago.com or call 561.482.5000.