Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Remington Davenport. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Remington, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
I am the founder of NYC Backgammon Club. We are a social club for people to play + learn backgammon while meeting new people. What started as a casual social club in April 2023 is now turning into a full fledged business. I host events every single week and I sell out every event with anywhere from 150-200 people at each event.
People are burnt out from dating apps and are looking to meet new friends and people to date through in person events. Especially after covid people want to connect with new people IRL.
I have seen tons of social clubs pop in New York in the past year. I’m seeing new businesses created to give people more events to attend. I’ve also seen all of the dating apps start to focus their budget on in person events.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I moved to New York City in January of 2023. I was searching for backgammon events to attend around the city. The only events I could find were hosted on www.meetup.com which is typically used for older crowds who are not on social media. I attended every event I could find and didn’t see anyone in my age demographic.
I created NYC Backgammon Club in April of 2023. At my first event I had 7 people attend and now I sell out of every event. I created this club so that I could find new friends around the city. It’s turned into this flourishing community and the growth has been unbelievable.
I’m rolling out all sorts of events this year. The backgammon events will continue on but there will be an event for everyone. I’ve worked hard to make all events welcome to everyone.
Come for backgammon leave with friends!
How did you build your audience on social media?
NYC Backgammon Club was created entirely on Instagram. I was never a social media guru prior to starting this business but learned on the spot. I focused on authenticity and kindness. I made everyone feel super welcome. Every single person who follows @nycbackgammmonclub gets a welcome message from me, the founder. I give the run down on my events and encourage people to come alone to make new friends. After each event, I create a recap video to showcase what it looks like to attend my events. I be sure to highlight all different types of people so that they know the events are extremely diverse.
Building a community is something that comes naturally to me. I’ve been in sales my entire career and making new friends has always been a staple in my life. Finding the right people to connect with and surround yourself with make for a strong community.
I’ve been told by hundreds of people the reason they first attended my event was because I was so warm and welcoming to them in my welcome message on IG. People want to feel comfortable when walking into an event by themselves.
I’m working on rolling out a consultant side of my business to coach other women around the country to start of social club of their liking.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
In order for people to attend events I ask them to add themselves to the mailing list so that they get access to the event announcements. I focus on finding cool venues to give people more than just backgammon. It’s all about the experience. I introduce people to a venue they might not have ever been to. They receive a weekly email from me with upcoming events. I work hard on making my events free so that everyone feels welcome. I also use another app Geneva which fosters community and makes it easy for people to connect within a community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nycbackgammon.club/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nycbackgammonclub/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E8Vels9-wk