The NSW club industry generates $7 billion annually, yet many venues are operating out of buildings designed for a different era and a different member. Cashless gaming reforms, shifting demographics, rising construction costs, and competition from hospitality precincts are forcing boards to rethink what a club actually is, and who it's for.

Architect Jonah Geries and project advisor Noel Yaxley bring a dual perspective from the Granville Diggers Club redevelopment to explore what it takes to transform an ageing venue into a space the community genuinely values. Drawing on a project currently under construction in Western Sydney, they unpack the tensions between heritage and modernisation, commercial return and community purpose, and design ambition and budget reality.

This workshop covers:

- Why the next wave of club redevelopments will look nothing like the last

- Designing beyond the gaming floor — food, wellness, co-working, and community programming

- How to stage a multimillion-dollar build without shutting your doors

- Procurement models that protect the club's interests, not just the builder's margin

- The case for independent advice before the architect picks up a pencil

A candid conversation between the architect and the client-side advisor on what it really takes to get a club redevelopment right.