What’s in a club?

I recently did some work investigating private members’ clubs, which are no longer the preserve of gentlemen of a certain rank, wealth and profession, but a choice many more people are making to enhance their work/life style. An FT article I read captured their role brilliantly. A private members’ club is part retreat, part stage.

You join a club to avoid the crowds but the club you join puts you in front of exactly the right crowd. Tribal exclusivity you could call it. Or a very luxurious echo chamber. Apparently creative types only want to mingle with creative types, which doesn’t sound very creative at all.