Existing in a vacuum in the fitness industry with little guidance from others can lead to burnout, feelings of helplessness and bad decisions. But support is out there if you know where to find it. The Club Industry Show is a good place to start—a place where experts come to share their wisdom and where networking events exist for you to create that network of peers who can help guide you through tough times.
Not only can you build your support group at the Club Industry Show, but the more than 90 sessions at the event offer you answers to some of the industry’s biggest problems. Do you see any of your problems represented below? If so, find out which session(s) will get you the answers you need.
How do I compete with boutiques? You may be a boutique studio owner or you may be a multipurpose club or YMCA or parks and rec facility that is competing with a boutique. If you are in the latter group, you will want to hear what Scott Gillespie, owner of multipurpose club Saco Sport & Fitness as well as consultant with Gillespie Club Services, has to say in his session, “Competing with Boutique Fitness,” at 12:45 p.m. on Oct. 24. Gillespie will share the strengths and weaknesses of studios as well as opportunities to compete with them.
How do I generate more leads? The answer to this question resides in this session, “How Many Leads Do I Need and How Do I Get Them,” presented by Daniela Spaid at 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 24. If you or your team struggles to hit sales goals every month, then register for this session to find out how to calculate how many leads you need to hit your monthly sales targets and strategies to help you hit those targets. Spaid will give you a goal-setting worksheet and a list of 10 prospecting ideas that she guarantees will get you more leads.
How do I get more referrals? A session related to leads but focused more specifically on leads from referrals is being offered by Casey Conrad, president of Communication Consultants. Her session, “New Approaches to Maximizing Referrals,” occurs at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 25. Conrad will share the psychology behind today’s referrals while outlining what must be present for referral campaigns to be successful. She will also share example of campaigns you can use for traditional and social media campaigns.
How do I get a better response rate? Following up on the two previous sessions, you’ll want to find out how to get better responses to your lead generation efforts. You will find answers in this session, “80% Response Rate: Follow Up Techniques That Will Get You the Results You Want,” presented by Brittany Bachman and Karen Joy, co-founders of Impact Sales Academy. In this session at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 26, the presenters will share follow-up techniques that get you the response rates you need and deserve, what type of communication will lead to conversions and what habits to drop because they are wasting your time.
Do I wake my dormant members or do I leave them be? Every club owner has a group of members who haven’t walked inside the club for months, maybe even years. Should you reach out to these members or would that only cause them to cancel their memberships and cost you that recurring revenue? It’s a tough question that Eric Hinderberger, consultant in the industry, is tackling in his session, “Letting Sleeping Dogs Lie,” at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24.
What new services will attract new members? If you are searching for new magnets that will pull people through your doors, this session, “New Marketing Magnets,” at 10 a.m. on Oct. 24, offers you answers. Casey Conrad, president of Communication Consultants, will lead you through new technologies, products and services that will pique the curiosity of prospects and drive them to you if you are one of the first to offer them in your community. Find out what is on the horizon, how to market these offerings and how they can increase your revenue by signing up for this session.
How do I make money on my aquatics area? What’s a bigger waste of time, resources and space than an unused pool? Probably no other area in your club can suck the profit from your facility like an empty aquatics area, but the hidden profit potential in aquatics is great. So how do you turn a liability into an asset? Find out in this session, “Market Your Pool to Maximize Revenue,” at 8:15 a.m. on Oct. 26. Presenters Wesley King, owner of WG King Aquatic Consulting, and Tim Petch, co-founder of TMI Salt Pure, will use real-life examples to show how targeted promotional strategies enhance the value of aquatic spaces. The presenters have promised time to take questions from the audience on specific problems that aquatics teams are facing, so get the help you need by signing up for this session.
How do I get physician referrals? We’ve all heard about the power of getting referrals from physicians, but how do you develop those relationships to get those referrals? It helps to understand where physicians are coming from. Find out from the best source—a physician. Dr. Beth Frates’ session, “Creating Synergy with Physicians around the Exercise Prescription,” at 12:45 p.m. on Oct. 24 will enlighten you about what aspects of exercise prescription are taught in medical school, how you can successfully collaborate with doctors, and what the value is in getting physicians themselves into your health club as members.
Of course, the whole Wellness track would help you with how to develop wellness programming and partnership that will generate revenue for you and results for your members. Kevin Steele, Wellness track chair, shares in this video more about the entire track.
How do I make ancillary services pay off? The products and programs you offer cost you money, so you obviously want to get a return on those investments. This session, “How to Maximize Revenue in All Your Ancillary Services,” at 12:45 p.m. on Oct. 24 will share which wellness program get the best ROI, how to successfully launch programs so they generate revenue, and strategies to keep you on track. Plus, the presenter, Jamie Fairly, president of FC Fairley Consulting, will share how to understand pricing and marketing and sales strategies.
How will technology affect my health club in the future? We know that technology has become a vital part of the fitness business, but how do you make the most of technology in your group exercise classes, personal training sessions, check-in systems, cardio machines and more? How do you ensure that your technology investments will get the greatest ROI for you and your members? The panel session, “Technology’s Role in the Future of the Fitness Industry,” can help. Come to this session at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24 to hear from four people entrenched in technology in different ways: Michelle Blakely, owner of See Jake and Jane Train; Dean Giamundo, director of sales at Jonas Fitness; Deb Heisler, director of operations at Active Wellness; and Mike Leveque, COO of Myzone. Come with your own questions, too, as the last portion of the panel opens the floor to you. Don’t miss this chance to get your questions answered.
How do I use my data to make better decisions? Health club operators are collecting more data today than ever before. What to do with all that data has left many club operators perplexed. This session, “Improve, Manage and Implement Programs with Data-Driven Decision Making” at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 25 will provide you with some answers. Kate Golden, director of operations at Newtown Athletic Club, will go through how data can help you better engage your members, manage instructors objectively, lead to better business decisions. And she will share what systems and processes can ensure you can easily access data.
In a related session, “How to Turn Your Health Club Data into Sales,” Dana Milkie, CEO and president of InTouch Technologies, will share the data you need to make the right decisions, how to ensure you are collecting that data, how to use the MAD process to make decisions and how to overcome challenges in using data. Register for his session at 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 25.
Can wearables really help engage members? Find that answer in this session, “How to Significantly Increase Member Engagement Through Wearable Technology,” at 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 25. Of course, the title of the session kind of gives away the answer, but the presenters, Grace Kerr and Rob Sobiek of Myzone, will share more than that answer. They will show you how to use wearable technology in your facility, how that technology can increase customer lifetime value and what social accountability does for you and your members.
Should I offer digital memberships? It can be scary to think about all the online fitness offerings out there that your health club now competes with. But those offerings likely are not going to go away, so should you join them? That’s what Daniel Waide, chief commercial officer of Wexer, will address in his session, “Digital Memberships: Today’s Biggest Opportunity to Boost Your Revenues,” which will be presented at 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 25. Find out how digital memberships can actually complement your club, why digital memberships are best delivered through an app, and what the practical considerations are for implementing a digital membership package.
How can I better manage my life as a personal trainer? The work schedule of a personal trainer and group exercise instructor is not a 9 to 5 job. Different schedules every day for weeks and months on end can lead to burnout and a desire to have a more stable work situation. Mark Cassidy, senior faculty member at W.I.T.S. and education author, will share in “Managing Your Time and Career in the Unpredictable World of Personal Training” how established systems and processes can help you use your time effectively and lead a more productive and satisfying life. Register for his session at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 25.
Are there too many problems and too many answers to get at the Club Industry Show? Well, we certainly hope there aren't too many problems but that we have all the right answers. In fact, we hope there are so many answers that you need to bring additional staff to gather all of them to take back to your facility so you can implement the solutions. Make sure to register for this event by going here.