Every community eventually decides what it values most.
Some prioritize rapid growth. Others focus on convenience or accessibility above all else. At The Group, we made a different decision many years ago. We chose to build our community around trust, believing that meaningful relationships should develop naturally through shared experiences rather than profiles, algorithms, or lengthy applications.
That single philosophy has shaped nearly every aspect of The Group. It influences how people are introduced, how friendships develop, how membership evolves, and even why access to our community grows gradually over time. We are not interested in creating the largest community. We are committed to cultivating one of the strongest.
For most members, the journey begins by requesting an invitation to one of our gateway experiences. Some first join us at The Table, others at Jackets Required or Stiletto Social, while a smaller number are introduced directly by an existing Full Member.
Regardless of where the journey begins, every introduction is personal. Before extending an invitation, our team takes the time to become familiar with prospective guests through their online presence and any mutual connections. This is not about judgment or exclusivity for its own sake. It is simply our way of ensuring that each gathering remains comfortable, welcoming, and consistent with the character of the community our members have spent years building.
Many organizations begin with an application or an interview. We begin with a shared experience.
Whether gathered around a beautifully set dinner table, enjoying cocktails with new friends, or spending an evening among remarkable women at Stiletto Social, the objective is never to evaluate someone against a checklist. It is simply to spend time together. Conversation reveals far more than questionnaires ever could, and genuine compatibility has a way of becoming apparent when people are relaxed and enjoying themselves.
While many members begin at one of our gateway experiences, those introduced by a trusted Full Member may instead join us for a weekend gathering or visit The Resort as that member’s guest. The path may vary, but the philosophy remains exactly the same. Relationships always come before membership.
For those who wish to continue their journey, the next step is Provisional Membership. This period is intentionally designed to allow friendships to develop through additional dinners, parties, and shared experiences while providing limited access to The Group App.
People occasionally ask why we don’t simply grant unrestricted access immediately. The answer is remarkably simple. We believe technology should strengthen existing relationships rather than replace the process of building them. The strongest communities are created when trust is established first and digital connections follow naturally.
During this stage, members are encouraged to participate in a variety of gatherings and ultimately attend their first multi-day experience, most often at The Resort in Negril, Jamaica. Extended weekends create something an evening simply cannot. They allow conversations to continue over breakfast, friendships to deepen by the pool, and shared experiences to create the kind of familiarity upon which lasting communities are built.
Following that first multi-day experience, Full Membership may be considered by the Full Members who shared the weekend together. We have long believed that the people who know the community best should help shape its future, and this tradition has remained one of the defining characteristics of The Group.
The decision is not based on popularity, status, or professional success. Instead, members consider whether someone contributes positively to the atmosphere of the community, treats others with kindness and respect, values discretion, and genuinely enhances the experience for those around them. It is less about determining whether someone deserves membership than whether everyone will enjoy sharing many more years together.
Full Membership certainly brings meaningful privileges. Members enjoy unrestricted access to The Group App, invitations to our most intimate experiences, and access to The Resort. They may also introduce prospective members, helping remarkable people discover the community in much the same way they once did themselves.
Perhaps more importantly, Full Members become stewards of the culture itself. Some serve on advisory committees, others host gatherings in their home cities, provide professional expertise, make valuable introductions, mentor newer members, or eventually become Equity Members. Every contribution, whether large or small, helps preserve the character of the community for the generations of members who will follow.
One of the unique characteristics of The Group is that it has never been confined to a single city. Our dinners, parties, weekends, and resort experiences take place throughout North America, the Caribbean, and beyond. Members often travel specifically to attend gatherings that fit their schedule or simply because they enjoy discovering a new city with a few familiar faces.
That constant movement creates an experience unlike most private clubs. Rather than becoming a collection of isolated social circles, every gathering reshuffles the deck. Familiar friends are reunited, new introductions are made, and every event offers the opportunity to build relationships with remarkable people from across the broader community.
Over time, many members discover something they did not expect when they first requested an invitation. They may have joined because they were curious about the lifestyle or intrigued by an exclusive event, but they remain because they have found something far more enduring: a trusted community of extraordinary people who continue to enrich one another’s lives, one shared experience at a time.
