project profi les
FREEDOM CLIMBER – bringing the outdoors… indoors
Client: SLM (Everyone Active) Supplier: Revolutionary Products (Freedom Climber) Supplier involvement: Creation of a Freedom Climber Zone at Fareham Leisure Centre, along with the production of marketing materials and the delivery of staff training, as part of a gym refurbishment project
E
veryone Active at Fareham Leisure Centre was looking for innovative ideas for a creative new gym
refurbishment. The mission: to take the centre’s already successful centre to another level and fend off competition, increasing membership by focusing on the non-traditional gym-goer and attracting new members who wanted more than the ‘standard gym’ format. Also key to the project was the wish to invest in the community, with new activities for kids and families. Led by Neil King, SLM’s commercial
director, and supported by area contracts manager Ian Cooke – a keen extreme sportsman – Everyone Active set out to incorporate zones of outdoor-style activities within the gym refurbishment, such as mountain biking, climbing and martial arts. “We felt our main competition was
coming from the growing trend towards people pursuing outdoor activities,” says Cooke. “These are people who want more than the traditional exercise equipment. We decided to bring the outdoors indoors, creating zones in the gym where members could combine their regime with the ‘activity experience’.” Climbing has always been a fantastic total body and core workout, but
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previous systems needed space and supervision. However, Revolutionary Products provided the perfect solution: the Freedom Climber, a rotating disk with climbing handles and footholds, powered by a virtually maintenance- free hydraulic system. Fitting easily onto a relatively small area of wall, it takes up minimal fl oor space. It’s also simple and safe for members
to use unsupervised, with a digital display showing distance, time and calories. This allows for member challenges to be run, and also means it can be incorporated into personal programmes – just four minutes’ climbing provides a great functional activity and gets the heart rate up. The gym at Fareham had a spare wall
in the stretching/functional training area so, in conjunction with the graphic designers at Everyone Active, Freedom Climber created a themed ‘Climb Zone’, with funky graphics using strong mountain imagery around the climber. “The Freedom Climber creates an
impressive focal point when showing prospective members around the club,” says Matt Hague, fi tness and sales manager. “It’s become one of our unique selling points, which has resulted in signifi cant new membership sales. It’s also been a popular new addition with
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
The wall-mounted Freedom Climber offers a space-effi cient solution
our existing membership base, giving our members a new way of exercising and creating a sense of fun and enjoyment.” The Freedom Climber has also been
a great hit with the centre’s personal trainers. It’s been incorporated in the functional training element of their training programmes and, thanks to the interest in the new piece of equipment, has increased member- trainer interaction, which is resulting in higher PT revenues. Freedom Climber worked with
Everyone Active to create a pre- installation buzz at the centre, with strong imagery used on promotional brochures, the website and in the pre-sales area. In addition, training on the physiological benefi ts of climbing, as well as simply climbing technique, was enthusiastically received by the instructors and the sales team. Membership sales have increased
following the refurbishment, proving that a creative and innovative approach to gym design can create something special for existing members and also help win the battle for new members. Visit
www.freedomclimber.co.uk
november/december 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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