Inside the World of Private Membership Clubs

by Natasha Wolff | November 25, 2015 2:00 pm

These days some of the country’s most exclusive private membership clubs—places once stereotyped as stuffy, formal institutions—are actively shedding their staid reputations and appealing to a more modern clientele. But that doesn’t mean they’re any easier to get into.

We caught up with the people in charge at four of the country’s top clubs to find out what it takes to make the cut.

Norwood Club
New York, NY
Owner, Alan Linn
norwoodclub.com[1]

The gist: An art-centric meet-and-greet club for creatives. (From their site: “We provide our members with a salon of discovery through a variety of talks and events, food and beverage tastings, and stimulating screenings and performances.”)

What do you look for in a member?
“We want people who haven’t met everyone yet.  The whole point of our club is to introduce people from different disciplines, promote cross-socialization and sharing ideas.  We currently have 1,100 members ranging from Oscar-winning actors, directors, musicians—typically all creative types.”

What is the application process like?
“You would have your initial meeting with either Susanna or Alan where they’ll spend a lot of time detailing the specifics of the club—events that we host, what to get involved with.  They would then speak on your behalf at a committee meeting and choose to either recommend you as a member or not.”

Membership fees:
“This constantly changes, but right now, annual dues are $2,000 with a joining fee of $800.  We also offer a discounted rate of $1,250 for members under 30.”

How can someone better their chances of getting in?
“They can’t bribe us!  People just need to be honest and upfront, and we’ll take you on your individuality.  It’s not about who you know—if your friend is a member, that’s not good enough for us.  It’s about what you can give to us as much as we can give to you.”

How many new members do you take each year?
“It’s truly all about the people because if we meet someone who’s great, we’ll be sure to make room.”

The William Private Circle
New York, NY
Guest Services Manager, Alice Lee

The gist: A concierge service for New Yorkers. (From their website: “The William Private Circle is an exclusive, limited member fellowship of discerning guests, friends and select citizens from around the globe who entrust The William’s prestigious concierge with the management of their daily needs while taking residence in New York City.”)

What do you look for in a member?
“We target frequent New York travelers versus New Yorkers themselves, and are centered on traveler services, giving membership status to those that visit the city often and are looking for a heightened experience during their stay.

What’s the application process like?
“It all starts with a conversation to assess our compatibility.”

Membership fees:
“This varies from $850 to $1,500 per year, depending on service.”

How can someone better their chances of getting in?
“We just want someone who will be involved with the events that we throw for our members.  Attending cocktail parties and dinners, sharing ideas with other members, and bringing something to the community.”

How many new members do you take each year?
“We stop accepting new members once we reach 200, and keep membership at that number.  We want to be able to provide our members with individual attention and create relationships, which wouldn’t be possible if the club were too big.”

CORE: club
New York, NY
Founder, Jennie Enterprise

The gist: A professional network for passionate industry execs. (From their site: “We provide an unrivaled setting that lets remarkable people come together. And when they do, they unleash new and transformational ideas that expand their ambitions and help continue to shape the world around them.”)

What do you look for in a member?
“The entire concept and essence of who we are is about transformation, and we’re looking for people who are passionate about the world and are deeply engaged in changing it.  Every single one of our members changed the world in some capacity. Our members are leaders, innovators and visionaries across 13 industries—ranging from media, fashion, sports, the arts to finance, business and  technology.”

What is the application process like?
“Entirely referral based.  Each person needs to be sponsored by a current member and is presented to the membership committee.”

Membership fees:
“There’s an initiation fee of $50,000 and annual dues of $15,000, which covers the primary member and their significant other.”

How can someone better their chances of getting in?
“It’s all about accomplishment, innovation and transformation. Doing interesting things in any of these areas makes someone interesting to us.”

How many new members do you take each year?
“We started with 100 Founding Members from 13 different industries collectively  representing the zeitgeist.  It’s a self-selecting global community of extraordinarily accomplished people so there is not a quantitative limit but rather a qualitative one.”

Classic Car Club
New York, NY
Founder, Michael Prichinello

The gist: A high-end driving club. (From their website: “Classic Car Club is the world famous private club that gives its members the keys to a fleet of the most amazing cars ever built, from Ferraris and Aston Martins to American muscle and modern racers.”)

What do you look for in a member?
“We don’t type cast against specific industries or types of people. We’re looking for men and women who respect the club and want to be a part of the community we work so hard to build.  What makes us different from most clubs is that we need to ensure members won’t be crashing $100,000 cars.   They need to be approved by our insurance partner, and as you can imagine, multiple speed tickets or DUIs raise red flags for us.”

What is the application process like?
“We have a standard form application where we like to figure out a prospect’s driving experience—if they need help driving manual, if they want to get into more performance driving—so that we’re able to customize their experience and help them out where needed.”

Membership fees:
“There are two options for members.  We charge a fee of $165 per month just to have that membership card in your pocket, but we also have packages. On average, members spend $9,000 per year, which gives them 50 days of driving access to all of our luxury, exotic cars.”

How can someone better their chances of getting in?
“By being referred by a current member.  If a member needs to move for work and a slot opens up, applicants recommended by members are moved to top of the wait list.  If a member recommends someone and thinks that person will add to the community, we’ll find a way to get them in.”

How many new members do you take each year?
“We like to keep it around 400 members in our NYC location. Once the club grows beyond that, it’s difficult to get to know members intimately.  I like to know what cars each member likes, what their schedule is like, if they’ve booked cars and when, and if not we’ll book them for them.”

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