• EDUCATE. EMPOWER. SUCCEED.
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Login
Club Solutions Magazine
  • Topics
    • Leadership
    • Marketing & Sales
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Education
    • Club Solutions Leadership Summit
    • Club Solutions Leadership Retreat
    • Pickleball Innovators
    • The Leadership Accelerator Video Series
    • Club Solutions Book Club: High Road Leadership, John C Maxwell
    • Club Solutions Book Club: The Advantage
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier Voice
    • Supplier News
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
    • Thought Leaders: A Virtual Roundtable Series
    • On-Demand Webinars
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Leadership
    • Marketing & Sales
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Education
    • Club Solutions Leadership Summit
    • Club Solutions Leadership Retreat
    • Pickleball Innovators
    • The Leadership Accelerator Video Series
    • Club Solutions Book Club: High Road Leadership, John C Maxwell
    • Club Solutions Book Club: The Advantage
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier Voice
    • Supplier News
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
    • Thought Leaders: A Virtual Roundtable Series
    • On-Demand Webinars
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Club Solutions Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Operations

Roundtable Recap: Reopening Learning Lessons

Rachel Zabonick-Chonko by Rachel Zabonick-Chonko
May 22, 2020
in Operations
0
roundtable
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

On May 20, REX Roundtables and Club Solutions Magazine presented the seventh installment of a weekly virtual roundtable series aimed at helping clubs navigate through the COVID-19 crisis, sponsored by The Sanitize Guy. 

Panelists included Cher Harris, the general manager of The Houstonian Club; Pete Bakis, the president of Yuba City Racquet Club; Crystal Martin, the owner of Smart Marketing & Public Affairs and the marketing agency for Yuba City Racquet & Health Club; Bill McBride, the co-founder, president and CEO of Active Wellness; and Blair McHaney, the CEO of MXM and owner of WORX health clubs. The discussion was led and moderated by Brent Darden, the founder of Brent Darden Consulting and chair of REX Roundtables.

Following is a summary of top takeaways from the discussion, including attendance reports, marketing tips and more.  

Highlights from the Discussion:

  • As a whole, health clubs across the industry are going above and beyond to showcase they’re prepared and ready for members to come back in a way that’s safe. 
  • Bakis highlighted the California Fitness Alliance, with the goal of safely and responsibly initiating the reopening of clubs throughout the state. 
  • “Now is the time to invest in your state groups and IHRSA Industry Leadership Council (ILC),” said McBride. “We need to think long-term to protect our industry.” 
  • Clubs that have opened first in their areas are reporting a boost in membership sales, especially if other clubs in their area remain closed. The panel reported these sales are mainly coming from customers of competition that have remained closed; and avid exercisers. 
  • Start marketing ASAP, but consider how your marketing messages may need to change post-COVID. “Be careful about being overall promotional or COVID-specific,” said McBride, as customers are beginning to get COVID-messaging fatigue. Consider customer testimonials instead. 
  • Clubs that have opened are reporting an average of 30 percent of their normal visits in the first week; and that has jumped to upwards of 70% two or three weeks in. 
  • Operators are being flexible with freezes and cancels — balancing the needs of the customer with the financial needs of their clubs. 
  • Look at CDC guidelines for insight on what you must do legally if an employee or member tests positive for COVID-19. However, also consider optics beyond the CDC guidelines. Is transparency best? 
  • When it comes to personal training, take control of your client list, said Bakis. At his clubs, some trainers were saying clients didn’t want to come back, and others were saying they were ready — don’t leave it in your trainers’ hands to decide, as they may have personal biases. 
  • Currently, masks are the No. 1 most controversial issue among the membership and the trickiest to navigate. Also, don’t assume all members have masks. If you can get your hands on masks to pass out or provide to the membership, consider doing so. 

To access the on-demand version of this webinar, click here. 

UPCOMING: Don’t miss the eighth installment of our virtual roundtable series, “Successful Strategies for Shaping Your Future: The Road to Rebuilding” on May 27 at 2 p.m. EST, in partnership with REX Roundtables and Club Solutions Magazine and sponsored by Sports Solutions. Limited seats are available. Click here to reserve your spot.

Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!

Rachel Zabonick-Chonko
Rachel Zabonick-Chonko

Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.

Tags: coronavirusCOVID-19featuredleadershipmarketingoperations
Previous Post

Podcast Episode 7: Tiffany Levine on Social Media and Virtual Fitness Post-COVID

Next Post

The Importance of Strong Teams During a Crisis

Rachel Zabonick-Chonko

Rachel Zabonick-Chonko

Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.

Related Posts

click to cancel
Supplier Voice

Preparing for Click to Cancel

June 16, 2025
Hiring for the Right Reasons
Column

Hiring for the Right Reasons: Rethinking Recruiting for High-Performing Teams

June 11, 2025
2024 BFS State of the Industry Report
Operations

Inside the 2024 BFS State of the Industry Report

June 3, 2025
big rocks
Column

3 Big Rocks from The HFA Show That Could Reshape Your Gym

May 22, 2025
uncertain times
Supplier Voice

Leading During Uncertain Times

May 20, 2025
Retention
Column

Sales Are Sexy, But Retention Pays the Bills

May 8, 2025
Next Post
crisis

The Importance of Strong Teams During a Crisis

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GET UPDATES IN YOUR INBOX

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

The Current Issue

May/June Issue 2025

May/June Issue 2025



Browse

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • The Magazine
  • Club Solutions On-Demand
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Club Solutions Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Leadership
    • Marketing & Sales
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Education
    • Club Solutions Leadership Summit
    • Club Solutions Leadership Retreat
    • Pickleball Innovators
    • The Leadership Accelerator Video Series
    • Club Solutions Book Club: High Road Leadership, John C Maxwell
    • Club Solutions Book Club: The Advantage
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier Voice
    • Supplier News
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
    • Thought Leaders: A Virtual Roundtable Series
    • On-Demand Webinars
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Club Solutions Magazine. Published by Peake Media.