Technology can offer great insight into member motivation
photo: www.shutterstock.com/Syda Productions
Clubs that adopt tracking technology can truly get to understand members
Karl HavardChief strategy officerSTEEL London
I was very interested to read the recent feature on activity tracking (see HCM Aug 14, p40).
With wearable technology now coming in a number of forms – wristbands, watches, vests, even temporary tattoos – only a few will make it through Gartner’s Trough of Disillusionment. These will be the ones that are not intrusive or cumbersome when training, that are easy to use and that genuinely help gym members get fitter, stronger, faster, lose weight. Real value derived will ensure adoption occurs.
It would be perfectly feasible for a gym member to track their exercises, duration, speed, calories, heartbeat, blood pressure and so on and have all the information automatically uploaded, via an app, to their club ‘exercise dashboard’. Clubs would learn much more about why their members go to the gym (fitness, strength, endurance, weight loss and so on) and the activities they undertake – who uses what equipment and fitness zone, when, how often and for how long – enabling them to build up a much more informed and valuable audience segmentation model.
Using this technology to better serve members would go a long way to helping them get more out of their sessions and to helping clubs better understand members’ needs.
Fortune most probably favours the brave. The chain to adopt the right technology, offering enhanced and genuine member value, will improve member retention and acquisition.
Nurture staff’s passions to drive high standards
Find out what drives your team and they’ll achieve great things
Manraaj SunnerMarketing Director3-1-5 Health Clubs
I read the recent feature on employee management with interest (see HCM July 14, p52). Our training philosophy can be summed up in one sentence: “Unleash the core genius.” We recognise that members of our team will always have at least one part of their work they’re truly passionate about, whether that’s getting member results, exceptional customer service or great marketing. We identify that passion and nurture it to create a win-win situation, giving them greater job satisfaction and enabling them to become masters of their own destiny within our business. The result is a business culture fuelled with entrepreneurialism and motivation.
Not every new recruit will walk in as the finished article, but everyone has ambition, so our internal training is designed to expand the skillset of a team member’s specialist area and their commercialism towards the task in hand, taking training concepts from outside the fitness industry and applying them to suit: reception training from a hospitality point of view, sales training from the direct sales companies, management training from self-made entrepreneurs.
“When you hand good people possibility, they do great things.”
In the dynamic world of indoor cycling, Schwinn has consistently been at the forefront of
innovation. Now, we proudly present the Schwinn Z Bike, the culmination of our legacy of
excellence. [more...]
Phil Heath, professional athlete, bodybuilder and 7x Mr. Olympia, has fielded a lot of
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Technology can offer great insight into member motivation
photo: www.shutterstock.com/Syda Productions
Clubs that adopt tracking technology can truly get to understand members
Karl HavardChief strategy officerSTEEL London
I was very interested to read the recent feature on activity tracking (see HCM Aug 14, p40).
With wearable technology now coming in a number of forms – wristbands, watches, vests, even temporary tattoos – only a few will make it through Gartner’s Trough of Disillusionment. These will be the ones that are not intrusive or cumbersome when training, that are easy to use and that genuinely help gym members get fitter, stronger, faster, lose weight. Real value derived will ensure adoption occurs.
It would be perfectly feasible for a gym member to track their exercises, duration, speed, calories, heartbeat, blood pressure and so on and have all the information automatically uploaded, via an app, to their club ‘exercise dashboard’. Clubs would learn much more about why their members go to the gym (fitness, strength, endurance, weight loss and so on) and the activities they undertake – who uses what equipment and fitness zone, when, how often and for how long – enabling them to build up a much more informed and valuable audience segmentation model.
Using this technology to better serve members would go a long way to helping them get more out of their sessions and to helping clubs better understand members’ needs.
Fortune most probably favours the brave. The chain to adopt the right technology, offering enhanced and genuine member value, will improve member retention and acquisition.
Nurture staff’s passions to drive high standards
Find out what drives your team and they’ll achieve great things
Manraaj SunnerMarketing Director3-1-5 Health Clubs
I read the recent feature on employee management with interest (see HCM July 14, p52). Our training philosophy can be summed up in one sentence: “Unleash the core genius.” We recognise that members of our team will always have at least one part of their work they’re truly passionate about, whether that’s getting member results, exceptional customer service or great marketing. We identify that passion and nurture it to create a win-win situation, giving them greater job satisfaction and enabling them to become masters of their own destiny within our business. The result is a business culture fuelled with entrepreneurialism and motivation.
Not every new recruit will walk in as the finished article, but everyone has ambition, so our internal training is designed to expand the skillset of a team member’s specialist area and their commercialism towards the task in hand, taking training concepts from outside the fitness industry and applying them to suit: reception training from a hospitality point of view, sales training from the direct sales companies, management training from self-made entrepreneurs.
“When you hand good people possibility, they do great things.”
Leisure Media has added another heavyweight to its line-up of CEOs for its inaugural HCM
Summit this October. Dean Kowarski will talk about the intersection of fitness and nutrition.
Speaking in the HCM Handbook 2024-2025, which will be out next month, PureGym managing
director, Rebecca Passmore, says the company is on track to deliver on its global expansion
plans.
Leisure, lifestyle, wellness and entertainment growth investor, Imbiba, has invested in boutique
gym brand, 1Rebel's holding company, One Rebel Ltd, after closing a £90 million fund.
Dr Cedric Bryant takes up the new position on 1 July, following on from Scott Goudeseune who
has been ACE CEO for more than 15 years, overseeing significant growth.
Improving physical strength and fitness, mental health and confidence are the main reasons
for joining a health club, while cost, time and motivation are the main reasons for leaving.
Planet Fitness has announced the repurchase of 314,000 shares at a rate of US$20
million. The
Class A common stocks were repurchased and retired, using cash.
Xponential Fitness today indefinitely suspended founder and CEO, Anthony Geisler, saying it
had been notified on 7 May that the company is facing a legal challenge by the United States
Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Fast Fitness Japan, master franchisee of Anytime Fitness in Japan, has acquired Eighty-8
Health
& Fitness, giving the company master franchisee rights to Anytime Fitness in Germany.
In the dynamic world of indoor cycling, Schwinn has consistently been at the forefront of
innovation. Now, we proudly present the Schwinn Z Bike, the culmination of our legacy of
excellence. [more...]
Phil Heath, professional athlete, bodybuilder and 7x Mr. Olympia, has fielded a lot of
questions about bodybuilding without machines. Should bodybuilders be limited to just free
weights? Why? [more...]