| IHRSA Report | International
The Butterfly Effect
Sensitivity, flexibility, and adaptation for turbulent times
By David Patchell-Evans
here’s no end to the inspiration, ideas, and
Spain, and
T
innovations that nature gives rise to, and,
Club VII, one
recently, I was reminded of that once more. An
of its Portu-
experiment conducted by zoologists in the U.K.
guese facilities,
showed what butterflies can teach us about
staged a public fit-
how to be successful in business.
ness extravaganza
The researchers turned Red Admiral butterflies loose in a that attracted more
wind tunnel and studied them as they flew between flowers. than 700 people
High-speed digital photography revealed how, to deal with in Lisbon. Jas-
the extremely strong and problematic wind, the butterflies mine Kirsten, the
modified their usual flight mechanisms and experimented owner of My Sportlady
with a variety of aerodynamic methods. Fitness in Munich—who, over the
We can take a cue from these small insects: they overcame past 18 months, has attended the
a seemingly insurmountable force by relying on the strength IHRSA convention, IHRSA University,
of their own bodies and their ability to solve a new problem European Congress, and Asia Pacific Forum—introduced a
in a novel way. cooking school based on Aruyveda yoga principles; and, in a
As our businesses were buffeted by the winds of change in very PR-savvy move, arranged to offer the members of her
2009, IHRSA helped its member clubs to remain strong and women-only club a training program based on Germany’s
continue moving forward. It brought operators together Next Top Model, the popular German version of the U.S.
throughout the world who, in part, by sharing best practices, TV show.
were able to improvise and improve on their business Unique and intriguing programs are cropping up all over
aerodynamics. For example: eight road-show events were the place. Last April, Greinwalder and Partner, a Munich-
organized with the assistance of FHRSA, our partner in
based marketing and advertising agency, introduced Slim
France, which produced rewarding experiences in Austria,
Belly, which is already in use in more than 550 facilities in
Scandinavia, India, the Middle East, and, just last month, on
seven countries. The Milon electronic strength/endurance
Martinique, in the Caribbean.
circuit, built by Milon Industries GmbH in Bavaria, Germany,
has over 1,600 installations in a dozen countries and is grow-
ing in popularity. Metabolic Balance, a personal nutritional
“
We can take a cue from these small insects: program based on blood analysis that was created by
they overcame a seemingly insurmountable
Dr. Wolf Funfack, has produced meal plans for some 350,000
force by relying on the strength of their own
individuals in over 10 countries, and is now being introduced
bodies and their ability to solve a new problem
in North America.
On a national scale, the Brazilian industry, like the
in a novel way.
”
butterflies in my analogy, has adapted brilliantly, executing
a dramatic turnaround. It’s done so by becoming managerially
strong and more independent of the government, and by
The plan for the future is to expand this initiative to
embracing a promising new business model. Today, there
Eastern Europe, with a trial event at the Munich Oktoberfest
are many clubs with 70 pieces of equipment, but only one
(September 17-October 3); and, if successful, that would be
employee overseeing the entire room. If a member wants
followed by a ski-oriented program for IHRSA operators in
more personalized attention, they’re able to purchase
Arlberg, Austria, April 3-6, 2011.
The deft ability of clubs, suppliers, and even national
personal-training services.
segments of the global industry to successfully adapt to
So, after having weathered the storms of ’09, what should
dangerous breezes is attested to by the impressive surge of
our game plan be for 2010?
innovation that I’ve either seen or heard about recently.
My suggestion would be that, both individually and
Hans Muench, the Director of IHRSA Europe, reports
collectively, we perform like a Red Admiral butterfly.
—|
several outstanding examples. Mas Fitness, a chain based in – David “Patch” Patchell-Evans,
patch@goodlifefitness.com
www.ihrsa.org | JANUARY 2010 | Club Business International 99
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