» Retention


Party Time! By Barb Gormley


Throwing a blow-out member ap-


preciation event can fire up your mem- bers and have a phenomenal ripple effect on motivation, satisfaction and retention. That’s why so many clubs go to great lengths to make sure they’re giving back to their loyal customers. Here’s how some clubs use apprecia- tion events to lavish some love.


The big bash If anyone knows how to show mem-


bers a good time, it is La Sporthèque de Hull. Over its 35 years of operation, the 5,000-member fitness and recre- ation facility, located in Hull, Quebec, has hosted numerous huge formal par- ties at a local hotel to celebrate its mile- stone anniversaries. And on an annual basis, for about


25 years, the club has also been thank- ing its members with a fall wine and cheese appreciation party. About 500 members attend the party which is organized by a team of five staff members. “We always hold it on a Friday night


with a live band, and we offer cheese along with six wines from six coun- tries,” says the club’s administrative services director Josée Brousseau. “The wines might be from countries like, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Africa, France, and we decorate tables to rep- resent each country. To add some fun, our employees dress up in costumes from the various countries.” The band starts off the evening by


playing soothing jazz, says Brousseau, but the music and atmosphere liven up considerably once the dance floor opens. The dancing is still usually in full swing at 1:00 am, she says. Brousseau estimates the event costs


$5,000 to $7,000; the major expenses are the wine and band while every- thing else is donated. And it’s worth every penny, she says. “Our retention rate ranges from 73-80 percent, which is quite good considering many clubs’


retention is about 55 percent.” And what do La Sporthèque mem-


bers think of the event? “People are always asking me, ‘When’s the wine and cheese party this year?’” says Brousseau.


The Friday night mix and mingle City Centre Health and Fitness in


Penticton, B.C., hosts a large mem- ber party approximately every eight months. But to be doubly sure that ties to its 700 members are strong, it also invites members to a more-casual weekly gathering. “We have a club social every Friday


night from 4-6pm at The Best Damn Sports Bar and Grill, which is locat- ed about 100 yards from the club,” says Kirby Layng, who has owned and managed the 700-member club for 14 years. “The pub does two-for-one appe- tizers for us, so it’s a win/win for them and for the club.” It’s also a retention tool that has no


expense attached to it and takes little staff time to promote. Layng and three or four of his staff


usually attend each Friday at the end of their shifts. Information about the weekly Friday night social event is posted at the front of the club and is listed along with other club discounts in club documents. According to Layng, many people simply don’t read the information, so it’s important that the front desk people start talking it up on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. “Our club is a gym with a comfort-


able feel, not a muscle gym. We have a fairly wide age group at our club, from 12 to 90, and we’re really like family,” says Layng. “We like to show our mem- bers that we appreciate them. If you can create a really nice feel for your members, including opportunities to socialize and get to know people, they stay longer.”


The one-week celebration 30 Fitness Business Canada May/June 2014


At the Badlands Community


Facility in Drumheller, Alberta, busi- ness is booming. According to the fa- cility’s business manager Guy Latour, its member satisfaction and retention levels are “fantastic” as the facility goes into its second year of operation.


“There are 8,500 people in the mu-


nicipality, and we have 1,200 mem- bers,” says Latour, of the multi-purpose recreation, education, health and well- ness centre.


Last year, to thank its members for


a successful inaugural year, a team of three staff members organized a mem- ber appreciation week.


Members were treated to free passes


for friends, class discount vouches and branded water bottles, and there was a draw for three memberships.


Classes that week were free (versus


$11-$14), and on Youth Activity Day all youth programs were 50 percent off. A badminton tournament was the focus of another day.


“We also brought in a company to


do body composition and V02 max testing, which are services we don’t have the equipment or staff qualifica- tions to provide,” says Latour. The fa- cility covered 80 percent of the cost, and the appointments quickly sold out.


The highlight of the week, however,


was an appreciation evening featur- ing three-time long track speed skat- ing Olympian Brittany Schussler as the guest speaker. Schussler, a mem- ber of the current world record hold- ing team pursuit team (winners of two World Championship titles), presented a motivational talk about her athletic journey, including her recent experi- ences at the Sochi Olympics. Rounding out the evening was a “meet and greet” with the facility’s fitness instructors, draws for memberships and equip- ment, plus food and beverages.


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