The Irish Golf & Club Managers Association has announced it has relaunched as the Club Management Association of Ireland to better reflect inclusivity for new and existing leaders across Ireland’s most prestigious organisations.
It will also see enhanced course offerings to members and the introduction of an Associate Category, which will upskill mid-level managers within the club industry to help them transition into future leaders.
First established in 1968, the newly renamed CMAI, which is based in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, represents professional club managers in the golf, tennis, yachting, leisure and dining club sectors.
As part of the rebrand, the organisation, which consists of 120 members hopes to encourage existing and future generations to get involved in and develop rewarding, lifelong careers inmanagement through sharing their skills and expertise. With plans to double in size within the next three years, the CMAI is enhancing its existing programmes, with emphasis on three key pillars – education, leadership and networking.
Speaking about the significance of the relaunch, Niall Keyes CM Dip. President CMAI said: “This relaunch aligns the Irish association with that of our sister organisations in North America – The Club Management Association of America and the Club Management Association of Europe. It also reflects our desire to be an umbrella association, for all types of clubs whether they be sports or social. It also highlights our desire to be a leading association for the training and development of staff within all industries.”
The newly named CMAI has become a leader in providing prestigious learning courses for its members through participation in the CMAE Management Development program. This equips managers from all walks of life with the skills required to create and implement business strategies to guarantee the continued success of their clubs. These courses centre around governance, membership and marketing, golf, sports and recreation management, statutory compliance and interpersonal skills among others.
The CMAE provides club managers with two levels of certification, from the Club Management Diploma and the globally recognised Certified Club Manager (CCM). The CCM designation, which was first introduced in 1965, is seen as the hallmark of professionalism in club management and reinforces a manager’s commitment to professional development and the club industry. In addition to this, through the CMAI, members can also travel to CMAA’s World and European Conferences on Club Management.
Commenting on what this means for the new association, CMAI Executive Officer Michael Walsh said: “We have members involved in our education programmes who are all at different stages in their career. The name changes from ‘Managers’ to ‘Management’ will better reflect CMAI’s inclusivity for all members, no matter what stage in their career they may be and is in line with our strategic vision to advance the profession of club management.
“Through this relaunch, we hope to better equip today’s modern managers for the challenges they face, from post-COVID operations to inflation, so as to ensure the continued operations of much needed facilities across a wide range of sectors in recreation. This name change also continues to align us closely with The Club Management Association of Europe and the Club Management Association of America . Both of these associations have also undertaken similar name changes in recent times. This means all of our Members can gain access to the education programmes of CMAE and CMAA as part of their membership.”