Your Blueprint for Community-Driven Hospitality in 2026

If you ask most club leaders what 2026 will demand of them, you’ll hear words like labour shortages, operational pressure, rising expectations and shifting generations. But the standout clubs next year won’t be the ones that simply refine their systems. They’ll be the ones that deepen their community roots. Clubs where belonging is lived, not laminated. Clubs where giving back is part of the daily rhythm, not a seasonal campaign.

And if there is one story that shows exactly how to build that future, it’s the story of Club Taree and CEO Paul Allan . His blueprint for community-driven hospitality is not just inspiring. It is replicable.

How One Idea Became an 11-Year Movement

When Paul first drafted a new role for himself 11 years ago, he wasn’t pitching a marketing position. He was pitching a purpose. A rethink of how a club could show up for its town. And instead of telling his team what community work should look like, he asked them a simple question:

“Who do you want to help, and what would you actually show up for?”

That collaborative approach set the course for the Club Taree Community Team, now famous across the industry. The first volunteer activity attracted just six people. The second drew 36 because no one wanted to miss out. Gen Z, often unfairly labelled disengaged, became some of the strongest champions.

Since then, the team has:

• Raised $1.6 million

• Volunteered 16,000+ hours

• Delivered signature events including the legendary Le Tour de Taree, raising nearly $700,000 over ten years

• Built a multigenerational movement involving kids, families, suppliers and members

This is not corporate social responsibility. This is community as identity.

Scaling the Alps and Shifting Mindsets

This year, Paul and five staff travelled to New Zealand for the Club Taree Community Challenge, an eight-day mental health scholarship trek through the Southern Alps. Some hadn’t flown before. Some had never been away from family. All were pushed physically and emotionally.

What stood out wasn’t the climb, but the leadership lesson: Paul, the CEO, openly admitted his own fear at the base of the first mountain. The team carried him the way he usually carries them.

This is community in action. Shared vulnerability. Shared strength. Shared purpose.

Then came the Shitbox Rally.

Fresh off the mountain, Paul and Operations Manager Dom Liegl jumped into a 1992 Toyota Tarago named Wilmar (after their parents lost to cancer) and drove from Alice Springs to the Gold Coast.

Their goal: raise money for the Cancer Council.

Their result: The highest fundraising team in the 15-year history of the Shitbox Rally, contributing $106,445 to cancer research.

It became the club’s most widely celebrated community moment yet, with locals stopping Paul in supermarkets to say they were inspired to do more.

The Club Taree Foundation: The Next Evolution of Community Impact

2026 will be a milestone year, with the launch of the Club Taree Foundation. This is a structural shift that:

• Creates a dedicated charitable entity

• Opens pathways for bursaries, scholarships and equipment funding

• Directs support to local groups who simply can’t raise money on their own

• Puts decision-making power into the hands of staff

Yes, the Board entrusted governance to employees. Three staff, two managers, a board representative and Paul as Chair. This is unheard of for most clubs and an extraordinary demonstration of trust, legacy and empowerment.

It also turns Club Taree into a long-term community engine, not a club that simply “does good things”.

Your Blueprint for 2026: What Every Club Can Learn from Paul

1. Start With Your Team, Not A Strategy Binder

Rather than designing the plan, co-design it with your people. Ask:

• Who do you want to help?

• What causes matter to you?

• What would you show up for outside work hours?

People commit to what they co-create.

2. Make Community Visible, Not Optional

Community work shouldn’t live in a newsletter paragraph. At Club Taree, it's in induction, on the floor, on social media, in every team meeting, and part of performance conversations. If it matters, it must be seen.

3. Let Values Become Filters, Not Posters

Paul redesigned their values from single words to lived statements such as: “We are proud of who we are” and “We create positive experiences.”

Every decision is filtered through these statements. If it doesn’t align, it doesn’t happen.

4. Celebrate Small Wins Just as Much as Big Ones

Not everything needs to raise six figures. A sausage sizzle that funds $500 of equipment for a struggling community group is impact.

5. Bring Members, Suppliers and Families Into the Story

From kids in uniforms volunteering to suppliers donating auction items, the shared investment strengthens loyalty and membership growth.

6. Share Your Story Loudly

Some clubs feel uncomfortable promoting their community work. Paul is clear: You’re not promoting yourself. You’re showcasing what your people are capable of.

It sparks pride. It builds belonging. It inspires other communities to act.

Watch the full conversation with Paul here: https://youtu.be/KJ498lKJ4po

Links & Resources

• Club Taree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClubTaree

• Community Team Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575982781446

• Community Challenge Info: https://www.clubtaree.com.au/community_challenge

• Community Challenge Video: https://vimeo.com/1102884972?fl=ip&fe=ec

If you want 2026 to be your most connected, purpose-driven and people-centred year, we can help align your leadership team and create values-based operational strategies.

Book your 2026 planning session with us today --> https://www.michellepascoe.com/contact