This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
OLYMPIC EFFECT


Ahead of the SIBEC event, delegates were asked to complete an online survey which aimed to provide a snapshot of the perceived impact of the London 2012 Games on business.


• 34 per cent reported that the Games had made them personally


more active


• 35 per cent achieve 5 x 30 mins of physical activity every week


• Only 20 per cent of facilities noticed an increase in volunteering


after the Games


• 81 per cent of facilities were quieter than usual during the


London 2012 Games


• 76 per cent said they felt large-scale spectator events would


It remains to be seen whether the Games has sparked greater sports participation


of the fun added extras we organise. For example, post-Games, staff members and spa members have been much more willing to participate in our members’ charity fi tness challenges than ever before. This helps to unite our staff team and enhance the member experience. Martin Kay: In these challenging economic times, it’s a good mix of capital and revenue legacy that local authorities really need. If volunteer numbers increase, they will need to be managed, coached and organised. This will require investment in both capability and skill development. Harnessing the opportunity will be the challenge. What we need is longer-term consistency in government policy to enable us to build strategies on the back of the legacy. David Stalker: While it’s too early to start talking about whether the Games have initiated mass behavioural change, we need to start viewing the legacy from a different perspective. Rather than keep asking what the legacy is delivering for us, we need to start asking what we can deliver on the back of the legacy. Mark Lemmon: Expecting large- scale sporting events to motivate a


couch potato from the sofa into a pair of trainers is unrealistic. I remain to be convinced whether the Olympic Games will promote a long-term mass population movement towards more physical activity. John Treharne: It’s diffi cult to deny the positive short-term community impact of the Games, but it’s dangerous to assume the Olympics will result in a lasting increase in sporting participation. Following Wimbledon fortnight, the demand for tennis courts always rises, but this uplift is only ever temporary. Do people make a link between elite sporting performance and what they could personally achieve by regular visits to a gym? I’m not sure that they do.


Q If we want to attract more people into our facilities, do


we need to change our model? Liz Holmes: Yes, we need to be more reactive to market demands. We’re fi nding, certainly at the premium end of the market, that people want to share their workout experiences with other like-minded people. They want to feel a part of a club. There may come


encourage more people to get active


a time when providing a space where people train in isolation no longer draws enough numbers to sustain business. As operators, we need to become more fl exible and able to quickly react to consumer needs. John Treharne: I agree that the sector needs to pay more attention to the needs of the consumer if it’s to continue to grow market penetration. This may mean radical changes in the type of facilities and services we provide. At The Gym Group, our clubs offer round-the-clock access at an affordable price. As a result, we’re bringing new people into the sector: 40 per cent of our members have never belonged to a gym before. Innovation and bravery to try something new is what will be required to facilitate growth. Mark Lemmon: The middle market will be squeezed because there just isn’t enough differentiation in this space. Market penetration is stuck at 12 per cent and has been for some years. We cannot hope to positively infl uence this unless we think more creatively. We need to start pushing the right buttons when it comes to encouraging sedentary people to want to be physically active. ●


January 2013 © Cybertrek 2013


Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 75


PIC: WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84