From team-building and member engagement to innovative acquisition strategies and modern facility design, here are the top takeaways from the 2025 Club Solutions Leadership Retreat that will help health club leaders thrive in a changing fitness landscape.
The 2025 Club Solutions Leadership Retreat brought together 60 club leaders, operators and managers for three days of discussions, networking and immersive learning experiences. Held at The Chateaux Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, the event encouraged attendees to step fully into the space, reflect on the evolving fitness landscape, and explore strategies to elevate every part of the club journey — from team building and member engagement to facility design and programming for the modern member.
Below are the biggest takeaways from the event.
Building the Dream Team: Strategies for Hiring and Retention
The first roundtable focused on creating high-performing teams and fostering a culture that attracts and retains talent. Leaders shared strategies for recruiting, structured onboarding, proactive coaching and referral programs. Recognition, career development opportunities, and staff empowerment emerged as key drivers of loyalty and performance.
Key highlights included:
- Referral Hiring is Critical: Employers are increasingly relying on referral candidates, as they tend to have a better cultural fit and higher retention rates.
- Career Growth Matters: Providing clear career paths, upskilling opportunities and internal mobility are key to retaining top talent, especially for younger employees.
- Communication is Essential: Clearly communicating company strategy, individual role importance, and maintaining transparency helps boost employee engagement and loyalty.
- AI is Transforming Hiring: Organizations are using AI to streamline hiring processes, with 21% using it to speed up recruitment and 37% using it to prioritize candidates.
- Employee Recognition Drives Retention: Creating a positive work environment, offering meaningful recognition and providing opportunities for employees to feel valued are crucial for keeping high-potential staff.
Maximizing Member Value
Attendees explored creative approaches to revenue generation and community engagement. Ideas ranged from hosting farmers markets and charity events to offering wellness and recovery services, gift card promotions and social hubs that encourage dwell time. Empowering staff with daily goals and recognition programs was highlighted as a way to create a culture invested in both member experience and financial performance.
Innovative Member Acquisition Strategies
Retention and acquisition were addressed in tandem. Leaders discussed win-back campaigns for former members, health care partnerships, and trial experiences designed to reduce barriers and lower intimidation. Encouraging members to become ambassadors and tracking engagement data were shared as essential tools for sustainable growth.
Specific examples attendees came up with included:
- Clubs cannot rely solely on member retention to remain profitable. With only 25 to 31% of community members typically involved in clubs, there’s a massive untapped market. Leaders need to develop innovative strategies to attract new members, focusing on generating approximately 50 new memberships per month.
- Successful member acquisition requires a multi-pronged approach. This includes word-of-mouth referrals, re-engaging former members, partnering with external organizations — like doctors’ offices — and creating low-barrier entry points for potential members who might find fitness intimidating.
- The “wow factor” is crucial. This means training staff to provide warm welcomes, developing personalized outreach strategies, offering unique community events and recognizing top brand ambassadors. The goal is to make potential and former members feel valued and excited about joining or returning to the club.
Fostering Loyalty and Engagement
The Retreat highlighted the critical first 90 days of a member’s journey. A framework for onboarding, engagement, and recognition emphasized personal connections, social integration and consistent staff interaction. Attendees shared creative ideas like behavior-based challenges, dedicated integration specialists, and small recognition initiatives to keep members motivated and connected.
“We talked about really making personal connections with your members, making sure you understand what the member needs are and why they’re at your club,” said Cher Harris, the president of the club division at The Houstonian. “So first really analyzing what their interests are; not just giving them three PT sessions if they’re not interested in personal training. They may be interested in aquatics or group exercise, so really making sure that member journey is personalized.”
Understanding the Modern Member
The final roundtable explored trends in generational expectations, facility design, wellness amenities and technology. Flexible memberships, social spaces, recovery-focused amenities and wellness-centric food options were emphasized as key to meeting the needs of Gen Z, millennials and older demographics alike. Clubs that combine functional fitness, lifestyle programming, and inclusive experiences were seen as best positioned to attract and retain diverse members.
Conclusion
The 2025 Club Solutions Leadership Retreat reinforced that success in today’s fitness industry requires a balance of culture, creativity and connection. Leaders left with actionable strategies to build empowered teams, increase revenue, deepen loyalty and design member experiences that resonate across generations.
“I’ve been to a number of these events, and I continue to come back because this is truly an authentic opportunity to connect with people in the industry,” said JoAnna Welle, the COO of the Wellbridge Company. “There are a lot of events in the industry. You can learn a lot of things, but what we want to do is dive deep into what in those things can actually change our business, and in some cases, change the trajectory of our careers. And I think this event really offers that opportunity.”
Want to attend the Retreat in the future? Email taylor@peakemedia.com to learn more about the event and how to participate.
