One of the highlights of LIW 2014 will take place on the Tuesday evening, when the fourth annual Health Club Awards take place at the National Motorcycle Museum. The awards are sponsored by Physical Company and USN, and run in partnership with Health Club Management.

The black tie event will be attended by 400 guests, including shortlisted clubs, sponsors and key suppliers to the industry. A champagne reception will be followed by a three-course dinner, after which the awards ceremony will take place – hosted once again by TV presenter Mark Durden-Smith. An exclusive celebration after-party kicks off after the awards, with guests dancing into the early hours.

YEAR-ROUND EFFORT
For the shortlisted health and fitness clubs, the event marks almost a year of hard work, as the winners are selected purely based on the ratings and feedback received from their own members. This year over 37,000 members completed the online survey, rating their club on the quality of its facilities, customer service and value for money.

“Because the awards are decided by the members, they are a real reflection of the hard work put in by staff,” says Simon Brown, organiser of the Health Club Awards. “The atmosphere on the night is fantastic. You can see how much these awards mean to the staff – there’s a huge amount of anticipation in the audience and the pride and passion really come out when the award winners are announced.”

On the night, after battling to reach the shortlist, clubs in three categories (budget, mid-market and premium) will win 15 gold regional titles. Groups will also be honoured when the best small, medium and large health club chain winners are announced.

Sandwell Leisure Trust (SLT), which won Best Small Chain last year, is once again shortlisted. Paul Badhams, fitness development officer at SLT, says: “We were delighted to win last year. It was the perfect pat on the back for all the front-line staff who work so hard in our centres. We’re proud to be defending the title this year and hope to repeat our success.”

This year’s Best National Chain category pits two-time winner Everyone Active against énergie Fitness For Women, Fit4less, Fusion Lifestyle and LivingWell. “To win this prestigious category again would be a fantastic endorsement of all the hard work, with our local authority partners, to provide the best facilities and quality of service possible,” says Ben Beevers, associate director of the Everyone Active Group.

PEOPLE SKILLS
The spotlight will also fall on individual members of staff in the People Awards category. Only 20 staff nationwide have made the shortlist, and just five will receive Highly Commended trophies
at the awards ceremony.

Says Brown: “It’s not just the array of hi-tech equipment or first-rate facilities that make a club successful and keep the members coming back. Staff at all levels in a club are key in connecting with people, and their efforts to build and maintain relationships with customers are celebrated in this awards category.”