FIA Secretary General for Automobile Mobility and Tourism, Andrew McKellar, opened the meeting by emphasising the importance of the topic for the audience, stating: “For FIA Clubs, membership issues are paramount, and while we have no singular business model, the ability to attract and retain valuable members is at the heart of what we all do.”

Each of the speakers then was invited to give a brief overview of their own unique situation, presenting points of view from all around the world.

Two of the larger Clubs took the floor first, with Jorge Delgado – CEO of RACE (Spain), and Dougal Swift, General Manager for Brand and Marketing at NZAA (New Zealand) explaining how they have tackled the huge issue of a changing core business model – that of reliance on roadside assistance.

Similarly, the NZAA has discovered that membership can be retained and increased by adding genuine value without increasing costs through forging partnerships beyond the automotive world.

Providing an alternative perspective, that of a much smaller Club, José Manuel Martínez Vázquez, General Manager of ACCHI (Chile) made the point that without broad brand awareness or a large customer base, it is not possible to invest in diversification internally. Instead, he argued, there were opportunities for small Clubs to partner with start-up ventures rather than large companies. They can then capitalise on being at the cutting edge of what consumers want.

Similarly, Wai Mun Lee – CEO of AA Singapore, explained how his Club has grappled with the issue of membership, saying: “Every situation is different, but in our country we found the most effective thing was to offer better training packages for drivers, and work with partners such as insurance companies.”

The floor was then opened to questions from delegates, who engaged in a lively discussion around a variety of topics. These included the ways in which Clubs can appeal to non-car owners, whether or not car-sharing services are an asset or a threat, and how Clubs that are very old or traditional can market themselves towards younger members.

Delgado brought the session to a close, commenting: “Changing and diversifying is the most important issue facing our organisations. We have not really had to evolve over the last 100 years, but now we have no choice. The first step towards renewed growth is accepting that the business model we have used for so long simply can’t continue forever, and this will force you to innovate.”