The Lubber Fiend launches a new event & hospitality membership program in the blink of an eye with Join It!

Organization: The Lubber Fiend‍

Type: Grassroots DIY music venue, bar, radio studio, and restaurant

‍Founded: 2022, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Package: Starter Package, annual

‍Using since: March 2026

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Key Takeaways

• Launched a structured recurring membership program with multiple tiers within days of signing up
• Replaced disconnected, manual supporter workflows with one centralized platform
• Reduced administrative complexity without a lengthy CRM rollout or heavy onboarding process
• Introduced digital membership cards now actively used and shared by members
• Enabled in-venue benefit redemption for staff and supporters with a simple, streamlined process
• Launched a members-only newsletter in April 2026 with strong early engagement
• Staff completed most of the platform setup before their first onboarding call

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About The Lubber Fiend

The Lubber Fiend is a grassroots DIY music venue, bar, radio studio, and restaurant based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Founded in 2022, the organization was built to support local musicians, provide affordable creative space, and strengthen the independent music community in the region.

The venue hosts gigs, club nights, film screenings, markets, and community events, with a particular focus on emerging and experimental artists. Since opening, the team has expanded its operations with Lubber Kitchen to further support its community-focused mission.

The Lubber Fiend adopted Join It in March 2026 to launch and manage a recurring membership program for supporters and regular attendees.

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The Challenge

As The Lubber Fiend grew from a volunteer-led venue into a larger operation with paid staff and multiple revenue streams, the team needed a better way to manage memberships and supporter engagement.

Donations and supporter activity were disconnected and difficult to track. There was no centralized membership system, no digital membership cards, and no consistent process for managing member benefits or recurring support.

The team explored using tools like Trello to manage membership workflows but quickly identified that approach would become too admin-heavy to sustain. What they needed was membership management software that could simplify setup, automate member communications, and reduce operational complexity without requiring a lengthy CRM implementation.

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The Solution

After evaluating several options, The Lubber Fiend selected Join It for its speed, simplicity, and intuitive setup experience.

"Join It gave us one place to manage memberships, supporter benefits, and communications. It was really easy to use."

Gareth, Membership Lead, The Lubber Fiend

The organization launched multiple membership tiers with supporter perks including discounts, exclusive offers, and members-only updates. The team introduced digital membership cards, automated email communications, and members-only content through the member portal.

A key requirement was allowing members to redeem benefits directly at the venue. After working through the workflow with Join It, the team implemented a streamlined in-venue benefit redemption process for both staff and members.

"The whole process is simple for staff to manage while making it easy for members to redeem benefits in the venue."

Gareth, Membership Lead, The Lubber Fiend

The onboarding experience stood out for how quickly the team was able to get up and running.

"By the time we had the initial onboarding call, we had already completed most of the setup because the platform was so intuitive."

Natalie, Membership Team, The Lubber Fiend

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The Results

The Lubber Fiend now runs a structured, centralized membership program that has removed significant operational friction for the team.

Membership operations

• Launched a recurring membership program with multiple tiers in days, not months
• Centralized previously disconnected supporter and donation workflows into one platform
• Reduced time spent on manual membership administration

Member experience

• Digital membership cards have been well received, with members adding them to their mobile wallets

"People really like the digital membership card and being able to add it to their wallet. It is an easy way for them to show and tell people they are a part of the membership."

Natalie, Membership Team, The Lubber Fiend

• In-venue benefit redemption is now straightforward for staff and supporters alike

Communications

• Launched a members-only newsletter in April 2026 to share updates, projects, and behind-the-scenes content with supporters
• Enabled targeted, members-only communications without additional tools or platforms

Staff adoption

• Team members were able to manage memberships confidently with minimal onboarding and training required

Why Join It

For grassroots venues, community organizations, and independent membership groups, launching a membership program should not require a complicated CRM rollout or heavy administrative overhead.

Join It helps organizations get set up quickly, automate operations, and manage memberships with less manual work, so teams can stay focused on what matters most.

Start a free trial or book a demo to see how Join It can help your organization launch and grow a membership program faster.

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