ihrsa
review
EUROPE
FOCUS
Kate Cracknell summarises the
presentations from October’s
IHRSA European Congress
ith nearly 350 delegates
W
from 26 countries
attending the ninth
annual IHRSA European
Congress, held in Dublin on 22–25
October, it seems only fitting that
the thread uniting a number of the
presentations was the notion of ‘tribe’
– the bringing together of disparate
groups by creating an entity to which
they feel they belong.
CREATING FANS
Kicking off proceedings, Peter Draper,
former director of marketing for
Manchester United, presented “a story of
football, spectacles, car park attendants,
mobile phones and underpants!” The
message at the heart of his keynote was
the need to know your customers – their
feelings towards you, their beliefs and
needs – and to adapt your business to
embrace these. This, he said, is the only
way to reach nirvana: a customer for life.
“Football clubs have to try to turn fans
into customers, and that’s hard,” he said.
“But health clubs have to turn customers
into fans, and that’s even harder.” In
order to build a tribe of loyal customers,
he continued, you must understand
what your brand stands for, reinforcing who’d forgotten their own, so they over the road that would loan him gym
these values at every touchpoint of the could still read their own menu. kit for a workout. The receptionist also
business and through every individual Another tale covered the time Draper’s handed him a mobile phone. “No need
who works for the company. luggage was lost on a fl ight to Asia. The to keep coming back to check sir – we’ll
He then offered a series of anecdotes Ritz Carlton, where he was staying, call you as soon as your room’s ready.”
to illustrate ways in which businesses offered him an emergency kit, which he “Find your phone,” Draper concluded.
can do this. As part of its First expected to comprise toothbrush/paste Find the thing that makes the real
Impressions Programme, for example, and shaving kit. In fact, it also included a difference to your business, setting it
Man U changed the role of its car park shirt, vest, socks and underpants. “What apart from the rest, and that will turn
attendants, from “you can’t park here” size would you like sir?” your customers into fans – into devout
bouncers to “welcome to Manchester His fi nal story related to a hotel in members of your tribe.
United, thanks for coming, you can Dubai. Arriving bleary-eyed from the
park over there” hosts. overnight fl ight, the hotel offered him SENSE OF BELONGING
Draper also spoke of a restaurant its ‘early arrivals brochure’ that listed In an entertaining presentation, David
he’d visited in Durban, South Africa, all the things he could do until his room McWilliams – economist, journalist,
which had a box of six different pairs was ready, including details of various broadcaster and author – continued on
of reading glasses for the use of guests restaurants serving breakfast and a gym this theme, explaining that the world is
64 Read Health Club Management online january 2010 © cybertrek 2010
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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