FERGUS AHERN
GROUP X SYSTEMS: MANAGING DIRECTOR
O
perators need to truly understand the power of group exercise and its
importance to their facility. Research shows that, in the US, our classes have enabled health clubs to service 200 per cent more members in group fitness and become 46 per cent more profitable than the average facility. However, many clubs just let classes
run without knowing whether they’re truly successful – ie what percentage of total visits are for group exercise, whether classes are simply servicing the same members or attracting new ones, and so on. Some clubs have the same 15–20 per cent of members using classes, when the goal should be to have 50 per cent participating. In order to compete with budget
brands, clubs should focus on selling memberships around their group exercise classes. Strong programming makes members more resilient to price change, so they’re less likely to join the newly launched local budget club than a treadmill user. Take a scientific approach: monitor
the timetable, understand the ROIs and analyse KPIs such as cost per head, capacity and percentage of members using group exercise. Keep shaking it up. By introducing new programmes on a quarterly basis, you can drive anticipation, excitement and awareness to retain fans and attract new ones, as well as increasing the perception of value offered by your classes. And for broad audience appeal, make
sure you build a team of instructors across all ages, both male and female. The more diverse your instructors, the more diverse your participants will be.
Is your group exercise studio large enough? Les Mills believes many studios around the world are too small to take advantage of economies of scale
VANESSA JODAR
LES MILLS: HEAD OF GLOBAL SALES AND CLUB PERFORMANCE
S
ome facilities understand the high value to their business of offering members a motivating,
inspiring environment – an amazing fitness destination. After all, growing membership and profit is all about motivating more members to come to the club more often. Unfortunately, many fitness facilities and
group fitness studios we see are about as exciting as hospital rooms. They’re just places to go to exercise, which shouldn’t be the case as they share so many points in common with a theatrical experience: the music, the lights, the instructor, the moves, the stage. The impact on the business of
improving the studio environment can be massive. When the Les Mills club in Auckland, New Zealand, created a new cycling studio a few years ago, it jumped from 1,200 attendances at its RPM classes each week to 2,000, generating an additional income of NZ$4,000 (US$3,200 / £2,070 / €2,400) a week. To start with, go big. Currently we’re
Strong programming makes members more resilient to price change
October 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
finding, worldwide, that studios are too small to take advantage of economies of scale. More attendees means more revenue to pay better instructors, which leads to even more attendees. If your existing studio is too small, can you re- arrange storage? Change the position of the stage? Swap spaces in the club? Use the gym floor or the car park? Create an experience: make it immersive and exciting, with the
Clubs must provide an environment that will inspire and motivate members
instructor and stage the centre of the focus. Don’t make the common mistake of scrimping on the sound system: you really need a professional system that can handle a high level of usage in a humid environment. Creative lighting can add a lot to the
experience. You need some theatre and the ability to play with colours and intensity, all of which creates energy and movement in the room. A dimmer switch can be a cheap solution to bring about a big show effect. And think about the décor: using
different graphics, colours, patterns and shapes can create a huge amount of impact and energy.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 49
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