In the spring of 1995, a group of pioneers in the use of contactless technologies for fare collection saw a need for a forum to promote the sharing of information and experience between transit operators. This group of transit leaders from Venice, Lisbon, Paris, and the Bodensee Region of Germany formed the Contactless User Board or CLUB as a not-for-profit association. The mission of CLUB is “to foster worldwide the adoption of Contactless Smartcard Systems, to provide an information exchange platform for members about contactless smart card technology, and to offer various views, feedbacks and visits to concrete installations.”