The Gathering Spot, the members-only Atlanta club that has become known for its timely, curated events and diverse community, has announced its expansion to Washington D.C. The Gathering Spot team made the announcement at the ChooseATL house during the SXSW conference in Austin in a panel discussion called “Scaling Culture + Community.”

“One of the best parts about Atlanta that you see within The Gathering Spot is the diversity that exists across age, industry, and interest. Our passion for the club is driven by our fundamental belief that it is important to be in community with like-minded yet radically different people,” explains Ryan Wilson, co-founder and CEO of The Gathering Spot.

Prior to founding the club, Wilson and co-founder TK Petersen lived in D.C. and attended Georgetown University. They moved to Atlanta to open the club but feel strong ties to the U.S. capital.

The Gathering Spot’s clientele, now 1,500 strong, range from business professionals to creatives to entrepreneurs. The Atlanta location offers members a co-working space, event venue, restaurant and bar.

Wilson says they’re aiming to develop a similarly-eclectic but harmonious vibe in their second location.

“Collaboration is one of our core values at TGS,” says Wilson. “The D.C. community will be built upon this same principle and bolstered by our design, approach to programming, and passion for community building that is the bedrock of the club. The culture at our new club won’t change because our core values haven’t.”

In an interview with Hype when the club opened, Wilson described how they went about their membership curation.

“We are being very intentional about ensuring our membership is well represented and welcoming to folks from all walks of life,” he said. “It’s not enough to simply have a nice title in a renowned organization. We want to know who you are and what animates you outside of your typical work day, with the ultimate goal of connecting members who can create a diverse community within the space.”

The Gathering Spot’s Atlanta location has hosted over 2,000 events with figures like Atlanta’s former Mayor Kasim Reed, current Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, musicians Ludacris and T.I., and civil rights leaders like Ambassador Andrew Young.

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