All of us are painfully aware that the economy is in an inflationary cycle. Prices for nearly everything have gone up. Those increases now include the price of the UMRA monthly luncheon meeting, which will be $30 (up from $23 in February 2020 and $25 in May 2022) for the coming months. The UMRA Executive Committee decided the price had to go up because of increases in the cost of food, space, and service at the Campus Club.
For a long time, UMRA has not charged attendees the full cost of our luncheon meetings. We have partially subsidized the cost from membership income and will continue to do so this year. (The $30 charge will not actually cover the full cost.) Our budget projections tell us we need to charge $30 to balance the budget. Any less, and the subsidy required would be too large.
UMRA has had a long-standing relationship with the Campus Club, but the venue’s future is unclear. The Campus Club could raise prices further, be reconfigured, or go out of business next year. Any of these possibilities could lead us to look at other venues or other formats for our meetings. Stay tuned.