Board Torque

chairmanschat

Martyn Goodwin - Chairman

Little did I know that, when I closed off my Chairman’s Chat for the November issue, I would once again be in the chair for the December issue. However, here I am. At least this gives me the pleasure, the privilege and the opportunity to wish each and every one of you all of the compliments of this festive season. I feel sure that we are all hoping for, and very much looking forward to spending time with our families and loved ones in a more traditional way than we were able to last year. Having said that, the predicted shortages of turkeys, Brussels sprouts, Christmas puds and a multitude of other goods, including toys and games for the kids, is not going to be without a fresh set of challenges. I am sure that we will all manage, that we will not starve and we will enjoy the time to reflect on where we might have been without multiple vaccines being developed and administered over the course of 2021. We have much to be grateful for, despite the logistical challenges presented by whatever the previous and the next shortages may be.

Myself and fellow board members convened our first face-to-face board meeting since lockdowns began in March 2020, in late October. All meetings between March 2020 and October 2021 have been held virtually via Zoom, which has helped us to continue to manage the Club effectively whilst also keeping control of our costs. Since taking over as Chairman, I have introduced a monthly touch point for the board members, which we hold on the third Thursday evening of each month that helps to keep all of the key issues moving forward and focus to be maintained. However, for this face-toface meeting we were hosted for the day by my good friends at Cotswold BMW, Cheltenham where we had the run of the top floor and a conference room that customers would not be aware of. It is a fabulous setting and with the second sales floor now being almost entirely filled with the Cotswold BMW Heritage collection, this includes an impressive and continually expanding fleet of very desirable cars. As the ongoing shortage of new vehicles to sell and delivery slots for personal specification-ordered cars is out well beyond six months, the business is under constant pressures to sustain itself along with every other BMW and most other brand dealerships. The used car market is consequently as strong, if not stronger than it has ever been.

This thought gives itself to a genuine segue into an agenda item for our board meeting and one which I am compelled to share with you all. Our own personal experiences on a day-to-day basis makes us painfully aware of increasing costs, whether it be fuel, energy for our homes or food for our tables, there really isn’t much that is not escalating and putting a strain on our personal and business finances. Unfortunately, this scenario has been and continually putting a strain on the BMWCCGB profit and loss. I am happy to report that the club is fiscally sound and has been well managed by its staff and directors over many years. As a club, the business is essentially “not for profit.” However, it is also managed to be “not for loss”, so the goal is always to aim for a break even where a swing in either direction can be managed if negative or gratefully accepted if positive. The reality is that office rental has increased, salaries for our staff have to be reviewed, our magazine costs versus advertising revenues is improving but is still not yet cost neutral, mailing costs and our participation at major events, have all seen increased costs, to just detail a few items for you to consider. We continue to look at ways and means to address the largest items in our expenditures however. First and foremost in our minds is not just maintaining but improving the quality of what we offer to you as our members. On the other side of the balance sheet are our sources of revenue, primarily member subscriptions, commissions from our insurance partners, advertising, region partnership and sponsorship schemes. We regularly hear stories of how much money members have saved through their use of BMW Car Club Insurance. We currently have two preferred partners with either A-Plan or Footman James. I would encourage each and every one of you to take a look at your insurance, we know that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, however if you can find a good fit, please remember that you are not only saving yourselves some cash, you are indirectly supporting the club through this business. We are looking at our insurance products very carefully so it is not possible to state categorically that this will not change, but if an additional product can be found that provides a more complete offering then we will be announcing this in due course.

So, where is this leading to? BMW Car Club Membership subscriptions have remained stable and unchanged for over 20 years. If we were to look at compounded escalation since 2000 of your basic £40.00 membership annual renewal, it would today be £75.00. At £40.00 in 2021 it represents incredible value, whatever you take back from the club, be it insurance savings, discounts with parts and service at certain dealerships, Halfords, Pirelli, and a host of other savings opportunities, together with our world class monthly magazine Straight Six dropping through your letterbox every month. We regularly review other car club magazines and membership subscriptions. BMW Car Club is seen as a leader, with Straight Six providing its strong editorial content and not just rammed with repeat advertising month after month. We have invested heavily in our website to provide you with digital content and its storefront for anything related to your membership. Please take a moment to review and refresh your personal details, car details, preferred email address etc. Our ability to support your personal needs can only be based on this data so please keep it current. We both want and need to keep the web platform growing, having recently added the classifieds element. The next initiative under discussion and development is the integration of a BMW Genuine Parts portal together with one of our partners that will make discounted parts available to any member regardless of region, delivered to your door. We are already actively planning some 70th Anniversary limited edition merchandise for 2022, plans for the 2022 BMW Sommerfest are solidifying as are plans with BMW UK for the celebration of 50 years of M.

The message (don’t shoot the messenger please) therefore, is that in order to continue to build on our foundation and to grow our offerings to you, our club members, we will need to continue to invest and to do so, we need to make a modest increase across the structure of annual subscriptions and related direct debits to support these investments whilst maintaining our solvency. Effective from 1st January, the current tier system of membership levels, which includes single, family, overseas, MINI, MINI & Straight Six, and digital will increase not to the dizzy levels of post 2000 inflation but by approximately 20%. As an example, the average single membership will therefore rise from £40.00 to £48.00. We want to avoid the complexity of having to deal with odd pennies rather than round pounds, so there are certain levels that will be slightly lower than the 20% to facilitate ease of administration, please feel free to email or call the office if you want to verify how this may affect you personally, Michelle, Lisa and Charlotte will be happy to assist you and to amend or to initiate any direct debits that you require.

So, until the next Chairman’s chat, enjoy your festive season and celebrations, thank you all for your continued loyalty to the Club, we need you all as members, for you to enjoy your membership and as always, to encourage others to join with us.

BMW Car Club GB Ireland Tour

4th – 8th September 2022 | Killarney, County Kerry

Join fellow BMW owners in exploring some of Ireland’s most dramatic scenery on this relaxed driving holiday. The combination of rugged coastlines, imposing mountains and picturesque villages make this area perfect for exploring in your car. When you are not out enjoying the pre-planned circular daydrives, you will be able to relax at the 5-star Hotel Dunloe & Gardens, which will host us for four nights.

What is included:

• Return cruise ferry crossings from Holyhead –

Dublin with Stena Line (other routes are also available) • 4 nights at the 5-star Hotel Dunloe & Gardens in Killarney, in a double or twin garden room. • Breakfast at the hotel each morning • Sunday evening welcome barbecue in the hotel’s gardens • Wednesday night tour dinner • Use of the hotel’s facilities including swimming pool, gymnasium, horse stables, fishing & indoor tennis courts

• Suggested driving routes, route plans & rally boards

Tour Price:

£879.00 per person (based on 2 people in a car sharing a double or twin room) A non-refundable deposit of £200.00 per person will be required at the time of booking This exclusive tour will be limited to 25 cars.

Please call Travel Destinations on 01707 329988 to reserve your place.