Nobody wants to miss the next big thing-but nobody wants to shell out big bucks on the fitness equivalent of the Betamax either. Here, some of the industry’s leading minds weigh in on the hottest trends so you can make smart decisions about where to invest your hard-earned cash.
The fitness industry is recognized with infamy as a place where trends are as common as stoplights-from fad diets to wacky workouts and infomercial-renowned equipment. You’d think the sheer volume of fitness world trends would be enough to halt production of crazy ideas, but in the fitness industry, some of those “crazy” fads have staying power-so much staying power, in fact, that it can be hard to believe something as standard as spinning started out as a not-so-mainstream trend. For every late-night infomercial fitness madness, there’s an equally crazy idea that sticks around because it turns out to be not so crazy after all.
The challenge for club owners is figuring out which trends are destined for the garbage heap and which are worth investing in. And the answers can be tricky, since what works for one club isn’t necessarily going to succeed in another one. In tight economic times like these, it’s smart to spend your money where you’ll get the biggest return for your investment. That’s why we’re here: We’ve talked to some of the industry’s smartest trend-spotters to help you separate the facts from the hype and make the decision that’s best for your club and your members.
The Trend: Upscale decor
Walk into a health club today, and you shouldn’t expect to see cinderblock walls and fluorescent lighting. Some clubs are so posh, it’s easy to confuse them with fancy hotels-from fully appointed shower rooms with tiled walls to spacious, elegant reception areas, health clubs have gotten a major makeover.
Insiders agree that this trend is one that has staying power-but that doesn’t mean you have to go out and remodel your club to keep your members happy. The key is to make the upgrades that will appeal most to your members and that work best with the philosophy of your club. A no-frills, budget-oriented club probably doesn’t need to update the faucets in its bathrooms but could get a boost from switching to more flattering lighting. Upscale clubs, on the other hand, need to offer amenities to match the rest of the club.
“The more upscale the club, the more its members are going to demand upscale facilities,” says Ralph Rajs, vice president at Leisure Sports, Inc.. “It’s important to put your money where members will feel it most.”
Rajs recommends splurging on more spacious locker rooms, larger lockers and high-quality flooring to bring high-end style to your club’s locker rooms.
“You want to be careful, though, because you do hit a point of diminishing returns with these kinds of investments,” Rajs warns. He cites fancy tile or stone work as an example-at all but the very most high-priced clubs, these kinds of upgrades aren’t going to get the kind of member satisfaction levels that would justify their high price tag.
Nanette Francini, founder and president of The Sport Club in Los Angeles, caters to a high-end clientele but says that small upgrades can make a big difference.
“Two locker room amenities I’ve found members really appreciate are good lighting-though you want to be careful here not to upgrade to bulbs that are going to be ridiculously expensive to maintain-and really good quality amenities, like soap, razors, deodorant, etc.,” Francini says. These are relatively inexpensive upgrades that members really notice and appreciate.
Cheap fix: Switch the lightbulbs in your locker rooms to incandescent bulbs, or add diffuser panels to soften the light bulbs you’re using now. Upgrade your toiletries to better quality versions.
Splurge: Really nice towels don’t come cheap, but they can make a big impact-and if your members are paying top prices, this is one area where they may expect to see additional quality. Increasing the size of your locker room and the space of your lockers can also enhance your members’ experience. And waterfall showerheads can make your members look forward to their post-workout clean-up.
The Trend: Lifestyle clubs
Most club members today are looking for more than a place to work out-they’re looking for a lifestyle change, a one-stop shop to help them improve their overall health, eating habits, stress levels and general life habits. In other words, they’re looking to clubs as the basis of a healthy lifestyle. Megan Dawes says she would give up her satellite cable before she’d drop her gym membership.
“I get everything at the club,” she says. “They have a great restaurant, and I love Step Happy Hour on Thursday nights. I get excited every time I grab my workout bag.”
Megan, who belongs to trendy Los Angeles health club, is part of a new breed of club-goer who hit the gym for the experience as much as for the workout.
“Every area of our Club is focused on being a part of an overall lifestyle experience-which happens to be our motto,” says Nanette Francini, whose Sports Club has been a frontrunner in the movement toward lifestyle clubs. “We package services such as Private Training, nutrition, and spa services so that Members can truly experience a fitness lifestyle.”
Francini’s club keeps registered dietitians on staff to enhance her members’ lifestyle experience. And Doug Werner, COO for Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness, says his members have high expectations when it comes to club staff.
“Our members expect our fitness staff to be well informed on current trends and protocols and their wellness interests run the full range of fitness topics,” says Werner.
Another popular lifestyle addition for many clubs is a restaurant, which Matthew Stevens, president and CEO of Spectrum Clubs, says has been a big asset for his clubs.
“We have been lucky enough to partner with an amazing restaurant group called-Cafe Vida. They operate Pure Energy Cafe specializing in healthy cuisine, smoothies, and quick-to-go items. Thanks to a combination of great service, upscale amenities-real plates, silverware, etc-and outstanding menu, the addition of Pure Energy Cafe has made a remarkable difference to our business. They currently operate inside four of our clubs and we plan on rolling out four more in 2008.”
Cheap fix: Today’s members want staff who can answer most of their health and fitness questions, so prepare your staff for success by giving them the training they need. If your club isn’t big enough to support a full time cafe, dietitian or other lifestyle staffer, form mutually benefits with local experts so that you can easily refer members to their services. One-day seminars on specific topics don’t tend to attract big audiences because most members have very specific inquiries, so an informed staff is a better investment.
Splurge: A dining area at your club can go a long way toward making your club feel more lifestyle oriented. Not only does it give members a place to refuel and relax after their workouts, it can also be a great informal gathering place. Depending on your club, you could add something as simple as a minimal juice bar or pull out all the stops with a full-service restaurant.
The Trend: Small classes
Members are looking for smaller classes, where they can get personal attention from the instructor while still enjoying group camaraderie. When members get to design their ideal club experience, they often want the best of both worlds: the one-on-one attention they get from a personal trainer and the enjoyment that comes from making friends in a workout environment. Small classes succeed at giving members exactly that.
Doug Werner says group training, where two or more members share a personal trainer session, and small classes of four or fewer people are very popular. Healthtrax has also had success introducing small, sport-specific training sessions, including golf, tennis and cycling.
These small classes have double benefits: Their structure contributes to member success, which helps to increase member retention in the long run, and they help to create a communal atmosphere in a club that keeps members coming back.
Cheap fix: Offer members the opportunity to team up for personal training sessions at a slightly reduced individual rate. Your personal trainers can increase their hourly earnings without too much additional labor, and your members may be tempted to try out a service they’d be too timid to explore on their own.
Splurge: It’s time-consuming and it can be expensive, but putting together small classes can pay off in the long run. Consider converting one big workout room into several smaller rooms and putting a size cap on certain classes. (You can charge members a premium to register for these smaller classes.) Small classes, where members feel recognized and form relationships, can motivate them to keep coming to the club. Poll your members to find out if sport-specific training sessions would be popular with them, or if there are other areas they’d like to explore: a post-pregnancy or prenatal workout, a summer body workout or a seniors workout can all be good options, depending on your club’s membership profile.
The Trend: Personal attention
In today’s competitive gym environment, members gravitate toward clubs that give them exactly what they want-and more and more, that means clubs have to get personal to stay competitive.
A major tool in successful member retention is maintaining high levels of member satisfaction-and in recent years, that’s proven to mean a more personalized experience for members.
“Every person is different and comes to the club with a host of past experiences, both good and bad,” says Ralph Rajs. “The more we can intervene and and help guide or direct the person, the better chance there is for success. This is especially true for new members.”
Nanette Francini says that at her club, personal attention is the rule rather than the exception. “Our philosophy has always been personalized attention to our members,” she says. “We serve a very discerning membership who are accustomed to personal service.”
For Francini’s club, that level of personal service has translated into happy members and improved member results. “Our focus on private one-on-one training has proven to be effective and it is a very strong component at each of our clubs. We know that members who train with a trainer do have more fitness success and tend to keep their memberships longer.”
But as nice as the kind of upscale personalized experience Francini’s club offers can be for her members, Francini is quick to point out that personalized service starts on the most basic level: being nice to every member every time she walks through the door.
Doug Werner agrees that specific personalization is never going to replace a warm welcome. “What’s most important for the member who is not a prospective ‘personal training’ client is friendly and hospitable service by all staff at all times-a ‘hello”, a smile and eye contact-as well as consistent attention and recognition by fitness floor staff at all times, especially for those in obvious need of instruction or supervision, an attitude of shared responsibility and pride in housekeeping needs by all staff, and regular and consistent upgrades in equipment, programs and services. Indifferent service is often worse than bad service,” Werner says.
Cheap fix: Make your staff accountable for giving members a warm reception, and recognize staffers who go out of their way to assist a member.
Splurge: Book a personal trainer session for all new members when they join, and put together a personalized health and fitness plan for each of them. It’s an investment of time and resources that can really pay off in member results. If you can afford it and manage the logistics, a concierge service can be a huge draw for upscale clubs, where members will be more likely to keep showing up to work out if they know that their visit to the gym will help them cross another item off of their to-do lists.
The Trend: Techno connectivity
It’s a plugged-in world, and health clubs members come to work out with their Blackberries buzzing-and many of them expect their clubs to be as wired as they are.
The trend toward technology is nothing new, but its place in health clubs still isn’t clear. Some club operators, like Nanette Francini, feel that a wireless connection has no place in a health club.
“I feel strongly that wi-fiis not appropriate for our club,” Francini says. “The Sports Club/LA was conceived as a sanctuary where members could come in and focus on themselves-away from the workaday world. We don’t want to see laptops on tables the minute Members enter the Club.”
Francini admits that many members bring their handheld devices into the club, but because there’s no dedicated work station, members who want that space away from the rest of the world aren’t disrupted by a visible reminder of the office.
Francini’s sanctuary is the exception, though. Most clubs seem to be quietly bringing in wireless, mostly because members seem to expect it. Ralph Rajs says the connectivity actually helps drive members to LSI clubs.
“We have wireless in all our properties and it’s quite popular,” Rajs says. “This is very much a part of the club fitting into our members’ lifestyle. In one of our properties, we have a sports bar that’s open in the evening. During the day, it’s common to have all the tables full with people working on laptops.”
Rajs says he’s looking for even more ways to enhance the experience of those club-goers who-by habit or necessity-bring some of their work to their workouts.
Cheap fix: Your club’s probably already got wi-fiaccess, so make a few small adjustments so that you can give your members access while they’re in your club.
Splurge: If you’ve got a lot of members who spend time working at your club, setting aside a dedicated space for business activities can make your club feel very attractive to them.
The Trend: Entertain us
It’s no secret that many members feel multimedia enhances their workout experience.
TVs and music are pretty much health club essentials these days.
“I think TV’s are a must at this point. I think it will be interesting to see where things go with MP3 entertainment add ons and workout storage.,” says Ralph Rajs.
Matthew Stevens agrees. “Since 2005, we only purchase cardiovascular equipment with embedded televisions. Both Star Trac and Precor have helped us make this move by working on the integration of the mini-television. The response from the members has been fantastic.”
Virtual training programs are also popular exertainment options.
Cheap fix: Add iPod docks wherever it makes sense so members can program their own workout mixes.
Splurge: Moving to integrated TV units is an expensive proposition, but the practical and aesthetic results may be worth it.
