At the beginning of June 2013, Merritt Athletic Clubs partnered with Soul Body LLC to bring Soul Body’s signature SB BARRE classes to Merritt’s Canton, Md. location. Devon Dohony, the regional group fitness director for Merritt Athletic Clubs, spoke with Club Solutions about how the fee-based classes ($18 for members, $24 for non-members) have been received thus far.
CS: Since introducing SB BARRE to Merritt’s Canton location, what type of response has the class gotten from members?
DD: We had seven demo classes launch the first week, which were open to members only. The feedback has been positive from our members that had the opportunity to experience SB BARRE. I believe more interest will surface as well once the summer is over. The first month we had 18 packages sold, and this month another 15. Our goal is 22, so we are not far behind! Once we hit our goal we plan to then expand the offerings.
CS: So far, has the class attracted a good amount of non-members?
DD: The first two months we have focused first on internal members only. We have had a few non-members come just by word of mouth. We are now planning some external marketing that will start to draw in the non-members and businesses. Our next event is called “Barre at the Bar.” It will be a member and non-member event. We partnered up with our restaurant that runs our pool bar and grill at our Canton location. We will be doing a SB BARRE class on the pool deck followed by a happy hour. It will be on a Friday night — a great way to start the weekend. Our tag line is “See you at the Barre.”
CS: Since launching the class, how does Merritt feel about its partnership with Soul Body?
DD: We are very happy with SB BARRE and our partnership. It is great to have the creators/owners visible in the club and teaching the SB BARRE classes. They are mentoring our staff that has been trained to teach the program, working with my group fitness director, Chip Kafka, and also attending our team meetings. Many programs can launch and fall through the cracks if you do not have a champion or a leader to take charge. It is good to have strong partnership where both parties are committed to the success of the program.
CS: Are there any challenges you’ve had to overcome in launching the classes, and if so, how have you overcome them?
DD: There are always challenges, but yes they can always be overcome. Our challenge is like many other clubs out there — members are not used to paying for classes. This is a specialty class with limited enrollment, and there is a fee to participate. There is a fine line you have to keep when you have a strong group fitness program, where all classes are free with the members’ membership. The members have to see the value in the fee-based class. SB Barre is committed to offering specialized and innovative classes with a more hands-on approach than you would get in a 30-plus class. That is where value stands out.
Interview by Rachel Zabonick
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
