IHRSA EUROPE UPDATE
NEWS
Sector stats: A note from Belgium • Eric Vandenabeele • Director • De Fitness Organisatie (DFO)
I
think, to a large extent, the impact of the bad economic situation in Belgium came under the radar. While
other markets crashed, the Belgian economy experienced zero growth, or at worst a small decline. Even with higher unemployment, most citizens’ fi nancial situation therefore isn’t too dreadful. T at said, there has been some short-term
pressure, as well as increased competition from low-cost solutions, which has meant that small enterprises in the fi tness sector have had to lower their prices to prevent members from dropping out and switching to other clubs. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some closures. In my mind, this could probably have
been avoided, as recent studies show that Flemish people practise more sport than ever before and are willing to invest in their health. However, there’s no gym- based participation among youngsters and only a small increase in adult participation; most people seek sport in various other environments. Running is, by far, the most popular sport, with 30 per cent of active adults saying they run. I think the greatest challenge for the
fi tness industry is to latch onto this evolution and diversifi cation of the way people exercise. T is means stepping away
Running is by far the most popular physical activity in Belgium, with 30 per cent of active adults running
from the traditional fi tness off ering and looking for creative solutions, including a broader variety of activities, family off ers, and most importantly out-of-club activities. In addition, it’s up to fi tness industry
leaders to lobby for better fi nancial conditions for the club business, based on the economic value and the indirect and direct macro economic benefi ts through
Ask the experts: Staff codes of conduct for social media
Is it within our rights as an employer to have our staff sign a code of conduct agreement for social media use? Josh Gerber, marketing director for Brick Bodies Fitness Services, offers his thoughts:
“As an employer, it’s well within your right to have your staff sign a code of conduct for social media. We allow our employees the option of joining the Brick Bodies social network, but employees must then be aware that, with any posts they make on their social media pages, they’re making statements that are a representation of the company. Some key points to include are:
• Employees cannot use the sites for anything personal during work hours.
• Employees cannot make any posts that give a negative connotation to the company or its employees. • Employees cannot post anything illegal. • Include information about how to handle friend requests from club members. If the employee chooses not to participate in the company community, they should direct members to the company’s social media pages. • Conversations via social media with current or potential members should be handled with the same level of professionalism as if they were talking to someone inside the club. Ultimately, when they make posts,
employees must always ask themselves: Does this help or hurt the brand? Read more answers to this question at
www.ihrsa.org/industryleader
22 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital Employees must be professional on social media April 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
the impact on public health. Of course, directly linked to this, our industry has to make actual participation in club activities a priority, rather than people simply ‘joining the club’. This piece was excerpted from The IHRSA European Health Club Report: Size & Scope of the Fitness Industry, which was published in October 2013.
PHOTO:
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JAROMIR CHALABALA
PHOTO:
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MINERVA STUDIO
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