What’s new in the club…?

by Ryan Hogan | Monday, January 18, 2010

In a recent IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association) online publication What’s Important? A look ahead to the fitness industry in 2010, thirty leading US fitness industry figures shared their views on what they deemed to be most important to themselves and the fitness industry in the year ahead, and discussed the changes they predict they’ll see in the fitness world during 2010.

Some of the standout topics included the following.

Introducing new members and maintaining customer base has been a goal for many of us in the industry for years. However, knowing it and making is happen are two completely different things. In 2010, allow members to continue to see the value in their membership and help them to build relationships with friends and staff; ‘Offer special events, free massages … whatever it takes!’ suggested Barry Klein, co-owner of Elevations Health Club.

Exceptional customer service and better programming is the prime objective of executive director of River Valley Club, Jennifer Poljacik. Poljacik’s focus will be less on selling gym memberships and more on creating relationships and results during the new decade.

For new members, president of Management Vision Inc. Rick Caro plans to offer a greater variety of trial experiences to help membership retention. These will specifically focus on learning about fitness and exercise to improve the safety and efficiency of workouts.

It also appears that group programming will be on the increase in gyms and fitness facilities. This will involve an increase in small group or coached programming that will attract the special populations demographics and/or sports specific members.

Bob and Jolyn Esquerre have taken a similar outlook in creating an integrated programming system which incorporates the gym floor, group exercise, personal training and group training programs. By moving members through all four areas, they hope to add diversity to the member experience which will help members achieve their goals while increasing adherence to the club.

Cedric Bryant, chief science officer with the American Council on Exercise believes that the next 12 months will see a greater need for credentials for fitness professionals. Fred Hoffman, director of international services for the Club Synergy Group in Paris, similarly considers, ‘for the fitness industry to grow … worldwide standardisation is a necessity’.

So, according to predominantly US sources, 2010 will be a year of relationship building and showing value of membership; trial experiences; small group and integrated programming; and standardisation of fitness credentials.

But what about in Australia? Do you think the same issues are affecting us (after all, we already have the highest quality of fitness qualifications in the world, so perhaps the ‘greater need for credentials’ isn’t applicable here)? Join the conversation and post your comments below.

Posted by: Simon Hall | 18-Jan-2010 12:04 PM |

Club owners and managers in Australia also feel we have an issue with the quality of qualified staff.
The 2010 Australian Fitness Industry Survey reports that "finding good staff" and "the quality of qualified staff" are major concerns facing our industry.
Over 420 club owners managers and 7,500 club members responded to this years survey. The 2010 AFIS report will be released at FILEX.

Posted by: Dorian | 21-Jan-2010 03:39 AM |

How are you. I don't think about risks much. I just do what I want to do. If you gotta go, you gotta go.
I am from Germany and , too, and now am writing in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "A moderate educational contact goat can consider you from spending a moderate health of people and can react about of the cable of installing what to manage about case students, form facilities, local attorney, fitchew robocalls and the like, norco."

Thank you so much for your future answers :p. Dorian.

Posted by: Jim | 26-Jan-2010 10:38 AM |

Yeah.. what Dorian said.. although I'm not sure about the goat. But whatever works I guess.

These look like great ideas and I hope there is some work done locally on incorporating them. Too many gyms in my area are focussed on memberships and not results / educating the clients.