Dear members.
I sincerely hope you have noticed our efforts over the past four weeks to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our members, guests and staff is not compromised during this unprecedented pandemic.
To ensure your safety, we have reviewed many of our operational processes and have significantly increased the sanitising of our higher traffic areas, which include our fitness centres, swimming pools and change rooms, restaurants, Silks gaming and all restroom facilities.
Over the coming days, weeks and months, we will continue to observe and follow advice given to us by Government agencies and Industry Associations with a view to ensuring a safe and uncompromised Club.
Whilst we are doing, and will continue to do, all that we can to achieve our goal, it is important that I share with you some of the bigger challenges we are now starting to face as many of our City based customers initiate their own actions to deal with the outbreak. This has resulted in fewer visitations to our Club.
Last week, we started to see the expected cancellation of future functions, which is completely understandable, considering that most of our events are corporate in nature and organisations simply cannot expose their employees to the risk of contracting the virus in public spaces.
The most recent of these cancellations came from the RSL movement, which has cancelled its bookings for the post parade functions, breakfast and luncheon we host at the Club on ANZAC Day every year.
This is usually the busiest trading day in our Club’s calendar and running our Club without the standard vibe the day should deliver, will be a very different and disappointing experience.
As more and more organisations implement working from home policies to protect staff from infection and many of our customers decide to stay home. We will no doubt face further reduction in Club and gym visitation, which will in turn impact trade. It is critical that at this stage, we develop and implement nimble strategies that will enable us to deal with decreased patronage. This could include interim measures like shutting parts of the Club and reducing the facilities available.
I would hate for members to read this email in a negative light. I am openly sharing these points with you to make you aware that if things continue to develop the way they have been with the prohibition of large gatherings in public places, A-League, AFL & NRL Games being played behind closed doors with no fans and major events such as the Formula 1 and the Dawn Service being cancelled, we will need to be agile in our responses to protect our Club in the face of significant revenue erosions.
We have spent every day of every week for the past three years thinking of ways to present you with a more entertaining, fun and well-appointed Club. Our Club is not being spared the adverse impact of this pandemic, but rest assured that, we will not lose sight of what needs to be done to protect it.
Be safe, take the necessary precautions, look after those close and dear to you and if possible and it is safe for you to do so, please visit and support your Club.
For more information on the COVID-19 virus please visit the information section of COVID-19 of NSW Health HERE and the Australian Government Department of Health HERE.
Your sincerely.
Marcelo A. Veloz
CEO
