How CMAA Improved Efficiency and Boosted Member Value with Sticky Tickets

The Club Managers’​ Association Australia (CMAA) represents professionals who keep Australia’s registered clubs running smoothly. With 2,800 members on board across Australia and home to industry leaders in club management, they needed an event ticketing platform that supported their mission, “To protect, support and develop our members.”

To make running their events, training, and member perks simpler CMAA turned to Sticky Tickets. Results? Big improvements in efficiency, data management and way happier members.

See exactly how we turned things around for them in an interview with Meagan Porter, Office Manager of Club Managers’ Association Australia.

What is the focus of Club Managers’ Association Australia (CMAA)?

The Club Managers’ Association Australia (CMAA) serves as the national representative body for professional managers working within registered clubs across the country. These clubs, ranging from community-based sporting and social clubs to large-scale entertainment venues, play a vital role in Australia’s social fabric, and their effective management is essential to their continued success and compliance.

Professional Competency and Responsibilities In fulfilling their roles, CMAA members are expected to demonstrate proficiency across a broad spectrum of administrative and managerial functions. This includes:

• Strategic planning and operational oversight
• Financial management and budgeting
• Human resources and staff development
• Risk management and compliance
• Marketing, member engagement, and community relations

A critical aspect of their responsibilities involves providing informed and strategic advice to club directors and boards. Managers must also ensure the club’s operations align with the Registered Clubs Act, Corporations Law, and other applicable legislation such as workplace health and safety, liquor licensing, and gaming regulations.

Education and Professional Development: CMDA To support this high level of competency, the CMAA operates an educational arm known as Club Management Development Australia (CMDA). Through CMDA, members gain access to:

• Accredited training programs and certifications
• Executive leadership courses
• Legislative and compliance workshops
• Online learning modules and webinars

These offerings are designed not only to meet regulatory requirements but also to foster innovation, strategic thinking, and operational excellence within the club industry.

These include:

• National and regional conferences
• Leadership forums and roundtables
• Networking events and industry expos
• Awards ceremonies celebrating excellence in club management
• Social gatherings that strengthen community and camaraderie among members

These initiatives help cultivate a vibrant professional community, enabling managers to share insights, benchmark performance, and stay ahead of industry trends.

What problem were you trying to address by using Sticky Tickets as your event ticketing platform?

When selecting Sticky Tickets as our event ticketing platform, we aimed to solve several key challenges that were impacting the efficiency, accessibility, and member experience of our CMAA and CMDA events:

Streamlining Online Ticketing for CMAA and CMDA Events

• Prior to adopting Sticky Tickets, managing registrations for our events was fragmented and time-consuming.
• We needed a centralized, user-friendly platform that could handle multiple events across both associations with minimal administrative overhead.
• Sticky Tickets offered a reliable online solution that simplified event setup, ticket sales, and attendee tracking.

Offering Special Ticket Pricing and Access for Members

• One of our core goals was to reward our members with exclusive pricing and priority access to events.
• Sticky Tickets allowed us to create tiered pricing structures, including early bird rates, member-only discounts, and VIP access.
• This helped reinforce the value of membership and encouraged greater participation from our member base.

Automating Membership Verification

• Manual verification of membership status was inefficient and prone to errors, especially during high-volume registration periods.
• Sticky Tickets enabled us to integrate automatic membership checks, ensuring that only eligible members could access discounted tickets or restricted events.
• This not only saved time for our admin team but also improved the user experience by reducing friction during checkout.

Improving Data Collection and Reporting

• We needed better visibility into attendee demographics, ticket sales trends, and event performance.
• Sticky Tickets provided built-in analytics and reporting tools that helped us make data-driven decisions for future events.
• The platform also made it easier to export attendee lists, track payment statuses, and follow up with registrants post-event.

How did you benefit from using Sticky Tickets?

Sticky Tickets made it incredibly simple to promote our events across multiple channels. With customizable event pages, integrated social media sharing tools, and email marketing support, we were able to reach our audience quickly and effectively. This ease of promotion helped boost visibility and increase ticket sales without requiring additional marketing spend.

The platform streamlined our entire ticketing workflow, from event setup to attendee tracking. Features like automated confirmations, real-time reporting, and centralized dashboards reduced the need for manual data entry and follow-ups. This not only saved us valuable time but also cut down on administrative overhead, resulting in measurable cost savings.

For our association members, purchasing tickets became a hassle-free experience. The intuitive interface allowed them to register and pay online in just a few clicks. Flexible ticketing options – such as member discounts, group bookings, and early bird pricing, made it easy to cater to different needs. This convenience helped drive attendance and reinforced member satisfaction.

Sticky Tickets is a well-established, Australian-owned platform that’s PCI compliant and handles all credit card processing securely. Knowing our data and transactions were protected gave us peace of mind and confidence in the system.

What are the two features of Sticky Tickets that you favour the most?

The two features of Sticky Tickets that I favour most are Automatic Member Verification at Point of Sale and The Ability to Lock Member Details to Ticket Sales.

Automatic Member Verification at Point of Sale – This feature is a game-changer for streamlining event access and maintaining integrity. It ensures that only verified members can purchase tickets, which is especially valuable for exclusive events, member-only functions, or club activities. It eliminates the need for manual cross-checking, reduces administrative overhead, and prevents non-members from slipping through the cracks. For organisers, it’s peace of mind; for members, it’s a seamless experience that reinforces trust in the system.

Locking Member Details to Ticket Sales – This adds an extra layer of control and accountability. By tying ticket purchases directly to member profiles, organisers can track attendance, manage benefits, and ensure that tickets aren’t being transferred or misused. It’s particularly useful for events with limited capacity or tiered access, where knowing exactly who’s attending is crucial. Plus, it simplifies reporting and post-event follow-up, making member engagement more targeted and effective.

Sticky Tickets also offers solid support, but these two features stand out for how they elevate both security and efficiency in event management. If you’re running events for a membership-based organisation, they’re practically indispensable.

Further Comments

Reflecting on my time as a Sticky Tickets partner, I’d like to share a few insights that highlight both the strengths of the platform and areas where I believe continued collaboration could enhance mutual success.

• Ease of Use & Reliability The platform’s intuitive interface and reliable performance have consistently made event management straightforward and efficient. From ticket setup to attendee tracking, the system has proven to be a dependable tool that simplifies logistics and reduces administrative overhead.

• Customer Support & Responsiveness One of the standout aspects of working with Sticky Tickets has been the responsiveness of the support team. Whether addressing technical queries or assisting with last-minute changes, their commitment to partner success has been evident and appreciated.

Overall, my experience has been extremely positive, and I look forward to continuing the partnership with a shared focus on innovation, user experience, and event success.

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