Signal 047, 2022-11-24
General, Living, Sustainable
The need for more physical contacts is growing again. Member clubs are booming. Soho house for example has seen a rise in popularity, a member club with a clear target audience of creative minded people.
What are the triggers of this?
The lockdowns have given us a need and a desire for being surrounded by people.
Hybrid working, part time from home, means we have a lot of contact online and desire more contacts in real life.
Social networks and online events has made our network become almost fully online, there is a desire to create a real life network as well
Rapid urbanisation has decreased the intimate contacts that we are now yearning for. Loneliness in the cities has been growing for years
Tourism is booming after corona, which means the regular people you see on the street are drowned out by tourists. There is a desire for closer contact with likeminded people.
The share economy triggered by sustainability and now the economic recession. This share economy is expressed through a club which can be shared with a large number of people.
There is a higher desire for ages to mix, something that can happen in clubs.
Concluding
Clubs are in fact the little towns that our urban life is yearning for. A club can have a large number of functions, from basics like sports and food, to a library, swimming people, presentation room, and dance parties. It acts as a shared community that fills the need of like minded people.
What’s next?
We’re waiting for clubs in the countryside, a logical step after the trek to the countryside we have seen lately. Urban people are moving to the country and are seeking places to meet.
Companies can of course use this signal to their benefit, by creating clubs or tying their organisation into a club.
Soho house is a group of private member’s clubs originally aimed at those in arts, politics, and media. The original location is at 40 Greek Street, Soho, London. The company now operates clubs, hotels, and venues around the world. Membership is selective and members are drawn mainly from the media, arts, and fashion industries. Members have access to all facilities, work places, restaurants, gym, sauna, rooftop bar, et cetera. The club hosts many events, with music, talks, movies, and parties. Members use the Soho House as their ‘house’, to work and relax, but the club also acts like a big family and network.