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We hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend! Many of you have already received this letter but for those of you that have not, please read below. We encourage our Members to continue sending us prospects to help build a robust membership! --- Hello Members, As I am entering the 10th year as your Managing Partner I find it hard to believe that a decade has come and gone in what feels like the blink of an eye. When I began this journey I was only 32, recently married and looking forward to starting a new life in Sonoma County. Through our family partnership I had been involved in the golf business the previous 8 years, however Mayacama provided a new opportunity and with it a new set of challenges to face and overcome. When I look back on my first couple of years at Mayacama there is one constant memory that dominates my early experiences, the generosity and open arms that this membership extended to me as an aspiring professional who wanted nothing more than to earn the respect of this successful and well accomplished collection of families. I often reflect on those early days at Mayacama and remember fondly the camaraderie and spirit that was so evident throughout this membership, even during the very early stages of our development. That spirit and almost collegial atmosphere was one of the primary reasons our Members were so active in promoting the Club to their friends well before the majority of the facilities were complete. The first Vintner dinners, progressive parties throughout the Mayacama homes, the inaugural championships and most importantly our Members created the soul that has become Mayacama. These moments made me realize the responsibility that myself and our partners had in continuing to attract wonderful families to Mayacama. It is with this in mind that I am writing you today to ask for your assistance in helping the Club locate and attract new families to our community. Many of you have seen the variety of digital and print campaigns that we have embarked on over the years in an effort to grow our membership. I am also aware and share the sentiment that we would all prefer to see less “marketing” messages about our Club in the various media outlets; however we cannot reduce those messages without the help of the Members. Historically we close 60% of those individuals or families that are introduced to the Club by another Member, compare that with 18% of those who are directed to Mayacama through one of our advertising campaigns. It is clear that with the endorsement of fellow Members, these prospective families feel a much stronger connection to Mayacama when invited by their friends, family and colleagues. When we first launched the membership program in December of 1999 we sold 265 memberships within the first 12 months. Yes, you read that correctly and keep in mind at this point Mayacama was only a dream with a wonderful piece of property and virtually no active advertising campaigns. All of these Members were introduced with the help of our Founding Members, their friends and the help of every new Member that joined. The Member referrals continued well into 2004 when we reached our current level of memberships. Today, we have 475 active Members with a goal of reaching our membership cap of 600 Members within the next 3 years. While this might seem like lofty expectations considering our current pace, I believe this goal is achievable with a strong effort both from management and our Members. If every Member introduces just one qualified candidate that they feel would make a nice addition to the Mayacama family, we would only need to close approximately 1 out of 5 of these prospective Members to reach our goal. If every Member introduces two prospects that number is 1 in 10. A full complement of Members does more than simply filling our various membership levels; it provides the additional revenues to help improve Club operations, provides funds for capital expenditures and as most of you would appreciate allows the dues level at the Club to stay at an acceptable rate. This is achievable with the help of each and every Member and this letter will serve as the first of quarterly updates from me on the progress of this campaign and tracking our goal of 600 Members within the next 36 months. Additionally, with the launch of the Villa Ownership program and the nightly rental opportunities that these units will provide, we are confident that this benefit will provide additional incentives for prospective Members to choose Mayacama as their home in the wine country. Mayacama is a truly special place and one that I feel extremely lucky to be a part of and with the help of each and every Member our Club will continue to flourish and grow for years to come. I look forward to sharing the updates of this program with the membership and to receiving our first wave of prospective Members in the near future. Sincerely, --- Reminder: You are invited to a Special Event in the Penthouse Suite of The Battery Club in San Francisco on Thursday, July 14th from 5 to 9 pm. We encourage you to attend and bring prospective new Members. Mayacama's existing membership is our best source of member referrals. Please RSVP to Molly Hamblin at 707.569.2955 or [email protected]
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