January Column: ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant

Last week, our Media Team worked with Workers Lifestyle Group CEO Morgan Stewart and his team to promote their 2KG Challenge, which motivates participants to lose two kilograms — a move which can reduce a person’s risk of developing diabetes by 30 per cent. More than 230 people have signed up for the challenge so far, including Morgan himself and Blacktown MP Stephen Bali, who talked to 7 News about the initiative and his experience. Another great example of the ways in which clubs look after the wellbeing of their communities! You can watch the piece here.

Speaking of television, if you tuned into Channel 9, Channel 7 or Channel 10 over the festive period or streamed some shows on catch-up TV, you probably would have seen the Your Local Club ‘Magic Moments’ Christmas ad. In fact, according to the data we have just received, over 2 million people saw the advertisement across NSW in the week leading up to Christmas.

You can expect to see variations of our Magic Moments ads on buses until late next month, and further TV ads will run in the lead-up to other key events on the calendar where clubs are integral to their local communities, including ANZAC Day and Mother’s Day. As always, member clubs are encouraged to display the Magic Moments collateral in their venues. You can find all the necessary assets here.

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A reminder that entries for the 2025 Clubs & Community Awards are open. Entering a submission allows you to share your club’s community support with your members and the wider community, recognise the hard work of your staff and leverage media coverage and other opportunities for positive publicity — so be sure to get your stories in soon, here. Save the date — the Clubs & Community Awards Night will take place on 19 June, with tickets set to go on sale in April.

Lastly, if you missed the industry webinar last month, I encourage you to watch the recording here. In it, ClubsNSW Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Darren Flynn and I discuss the recently published Gaming Reform Roadmap, the ClubGRANTS Review and the latest (very pleasing) Net Trust Index results. You can expect to hear more on all of this from us in due course. 

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In terms of new year’s resolutions, it is my intention to travel a little bit less this year — I covered a lot of ground in 2024. However, as we approach the first round of Regional Meetings for 2025, we are committed to having at least one member of the ClubsNSW Executive Team in attendance at each one, as well as a member of the Board and, as always, a representative of our Membership Team. You are likely to see more representatives from our Corporate Affairs and Government & Regulatory Affairs teams, too. 

As Sallianne mentioned in her last column, Regional Meetings are such a fantastic opportunity for clubs to ask questions of ClubsNSW leaders and make connections with their fellow directors and managers who might be facing the same challenges or are able to share knowledge and advice. To find out when your next Regional Meeting is, click here, and if you have any questions or concerns about your region’s meetings, please reach out to your State Councillor or contact ClubASSIST on 1300 730 001 or at [email protected]. 

Some key dates to mark in your diary for this year include:

• 18 February — Round 1 of CEI Seminars and ClubsNSW Regional meetings kick off
• 7 March — Submissions close for Clubs & Community Awards 
• Mid-to-Late March — Entries open for the Perfect Plate Awards
• 12 & 13 March — Australasian Hospitality & Gaming Expo
• 14 April — Clubs & Community Awards finalists announced + Awards Night tickets go on sale
• 19 June — Clubs & Community Awards Night Dinner
• 15 July — Perfect Plate Awards Night
• 8 to 10 October — ClubsNSW Conference & AGM.

Looking forward to catching up with you all soon!