INTERVIEW High Five offers a
wide range of lifestyle programming
offer corporate football, for example, because we couldn’t really say upfront what the fi tness results would be. But if I get you doing CV and strength training twice a week, I can reasonably predict the outcome – and that’s very important for corporates.”
GROWING THE BUSINESS Given this ‘tried and tested’ philosophy, does Kienstra have any plans to evolve the offering? Is there anything new he wants to implement, whether at an operational or strategic level? “There are different levels of managing
a club: a management fee, paid by the hour or for the programmes you deliver; a semi-commercial basis, whereby you get the membership fees of your members and perhaps an additional fee; and fully commercial, whereby you
We have to be part of a solution that brings activity back into people’s lives when the built environment is having activity designed out of it
work with the corporate to achieve their goals, but you look after your own business – you’re effectively a commercial club within a company. “I’ve found that the UK is more
experienced in the commercial management of corporate clubs. It’s starting in Holland, but we’re fi ve or six years behind, and this is something I want to look at. “The Netherlands is our home base,
and we won’t lose our focus on that just because we’re expanding internationally. However, we don’t believe there’s growth in Holland for the next fi ve years in terms of securing new sites, so we have to be creative to ensure we maintain our turnover. We’ll invent new programmes, we’ll deliver services to clients on a different basis – but we’ll also look at potentially switching management fee sites into becoming commercial or semi-commercial clubs.” We’ve already spoken about UK
growth plans, so what about Germany?
“We believe Germany should be growing organically, because the market is less mature than in Holland and the UK. We want to conquer that country step by step, winning contracts and helping companies defi ne their philosophy of
how to address the health and activity levels of their employees.” And beyond that, given that he’s already
mentioned Austria and Switzerland? “I think we’re well-positioned to go into other countries, and fl exible enough to make it work, but we won’t do it too fast. We won’t do it all as one big bang, but rather with a focus on quality and a focus on our clients.”
CHANGING SOCIETY He concludes: “That focus on clients is key across the whole fitness industry. The commercial sector has to understand that it’s not just a case of opening a box, putting in kit and selling memberships any more. We have to help people change their lifestyles. I think that’s happening now – slowly, but it’s happening. “What I hope is that, as an industry,
we’re able to look at our target groups, at what people’s problems are, understand how we can help them and what services and skills we need to be able to do that. Because we have to be very honest to ourselves – we’re still small. If only 12 per cent of the population are joining a club, it means 88 per cent aren’t. We need to look at our industry more as a service industry
40 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
than a facility industry, and fi nd new ways of bringing that service out to people wherever they are. “At a big picture level, we have to be
part of a solution that brings activity back into people’s lives, when the built environment around us is having activity designed out of it. “We’re raising our kids in an inactive
society and you don’t change that in one year; you have to change society, and then slowly you can also change generations. I always make the comparison with brushing your teeth: 50 years ago, most people didn’t brush their teeth twice a day and now they do. Now that’s normal. So how can we create something in the coming 50 years that makes it very normal for everybody to be active every day? “I really believe in what sports and
physical activity can bring to people, and I want everybody to enjoy that. I used to be a PE teacher and I still coach young kids. Seeing the difference activity brings to them – those are the best two hours in my week. If I can do that on a larger scale, getting employees active and getting more out of their lives, I believe I can be of a little more importance to the world.” ●
September 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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