A new initiative in the Netherlands called the 'Squash Business Club' is a great template for squash facilities to generate new players, sponsors and investment.
The 'Squash Business Club' is led by Peter van Baak, Board Member for Commercial Affairs at the Dutch Squash Association and founder of SponsorVisie, a company that helps sports clubs add value for their sponsors.
Peter opened his commercial and squash contacts book to invite 70 people to a Squash Business Club launch event at the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam. Among the attendees was Dutch football legend and keen squash player Marco van Basten.
The premise is simple: the local business and squash community pay to be a member of the Squash Business Club and half of the income goes to the Dutch Squash Association for the development of squash in Holland. In return, Club members get access to a calendar of great events at squash venues around the country and the opportunity to network with other squash enthusiasts and business people.
At the Club's launch event (pictured below), members got complementary tickets to the Eredivisie final, a dinner and a Q&A with Van Basten (pictured above) and Dutch national champion Piedro Schweertman. Lined up next is a visit to Rik Zwikke's outdoor squash court in Ede and events thereafter will feature squash and other sports.
The potential for squash facilities here is huge. Staging events and giving the local business community access to your club and its community can bring many benefits.
"Should squash be doing this more? Definitely," says Peter. "In other sports, setting up business clubs is really important because it creates an environment for business people to meet, income from the money they pay but also introduces a base of people to your club, its personalities and activities.
"When the club then needs money for something, you have a group of people who are emotionally invested and connected. They start to love the club and feel more connected to squash. They are your base for future investment and sponsorship."
Peter has previously been involved in business clubs in hockey but says squash is ripe for this kind of activity because of its generally educated, above average-earning demographics (as highlighted by the Squash Facilities Network 2024 Global Squash Report).
He says: "Many squash players are in decision-making positions in their professions so are interesting for other business people to meet. When they also meet the talented players at a club at an event, hear their stories, and learn about the ambitions of the club, they feel connected and involved. This prepares a seeding ground of potential investors. If you don't have that, it's a much bigger task to find commercial investment."
For more information about the Dutch Squash Association's Squash Business Club, click here
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