“Many operators are already expanding overseas: if you have a solid base in one territory, it makes it easier to go into markets with parallels.

At the moment, a lot of places are ripe for expansion. Fitness First looks for sites with rising populations and rising incomes – because of this, we think there will be a wave of expansion on a city by city basis, rather than country by country. Delhi, Istanbul and Rio are currently looking like they can be future hotspots. If you get in early with a flexible model and competitive proposition, when the penetration rate is still only about 5 per cent, there are good opportunities for expansion.

However, the risks are high. Overseas expansion is not a quick buck: it’s a long-term proposition so plenty of capital, patience and above all integrity is essential to long-term success. Companies have to invest in service and standards – they can’t cut corners and must continually differentiate to meet consumer demand.

Going forward, Fitness First’s international expansion will be more about digital products and services, with differently priced online memberships that take our expertise beyond the gym to a potentially larger audience.”

“I’m not sure we’re set for a rash of overseas development. Expansion across borders requires an immense amount of capital and the risk of failure is high. It’s difficult enough for fitness operators to stay relevant and successful within their own borders, much less when spread thin across multiple countries.

A major challenge when expanding is to not divert attention from domestic business, while also devoting adequate attention to localising the brand in new markets. Local competitors know the market much better than a foreign operator and can more easily exploit local opportunities. A foreign operator can run into unfortunate challenges by misreading the market or making mistakes with legal or financial assumptions.

Although we’re seeing lots of interest from the Middle East and Asia, the challenge in both regions is the very low awareness of the benefits of exercise and joining a health club.

I view these markets as a very long-term growth opportunity.

At least one Australian company is expanding into Europe now, and several Asian and Latin American companies are crossing borders within their own continents. A handful of American and British companies are dabbling with foreign expansion, although very few are making great strides.”

“Ithink we’re ready for the next wave of international expansion, especially in the low-cost sector. As the world gets wealthier, the spending power of the middle class gets stronger; and as the world gets less healthy, the awareness of good health grows. All this will fuel the appetite for health clubs.

I think there are strong opportunities all over the world, especially in emerging markets. Even though the US is the market leader, I still see many opportunities for growth there, as well as across Europe, in parts of Asia, Brazil and Mexico. South Africa has opportunities and Nigeria has a large economy. The Middle East is also a strong contender.

The strongest, most capital-rich companies will go out and exploit these opportunities. If you don’t have the capital capacity or the appetite for risk, you won’t stand a chance – all these opportunities come with risk.

The main threats are not understanding the market and not having a local partner. A copy and paste approach is not the path to success: adaptation is necessary.

Neither is it a ‘get rich quick’ situation – it will require significant commitment and dedication, and finding the right properties at the right price will be crucial.”

“For companies that have an appetite for risk, the emerging markets can offer a huge amount of growth going forward. Meanwhile, both at home and in mature markets, there’s the opportunity for a shake-up. However, I don’t think the industry is set for the next wave of international expansion, as a lot of the major operators are laden with debt and acting cautiously.

One of the risks of expansion overseas is that operators take their eye off their core assets at home, neglecting their ageing estates and failing to attract new members. It’s important for businesses to stay ahead of the game in all their businesses while they are pushing ahead with international expansion.

Various franchise operators are seeing continued overseas growth, as franchising offers speed to markets, and this is 1Rebel’s preferred route for overseas expansion. We will be launching an international franchise department to take advantage of growing demand from key international cities, but we’re still taking a conservative approach. We think 20 clubs over five years is appropriate. Our brand works best in transient markets where the population changes, so we will be looking at locations such as Hong Kong and Singapore.”