Australasian Leisure Management 158 2023

www.ausleisure.com.au

ISSUE 158

SPORT

FIFA Women’s World Cup Women’s Participation

AQUATICS

Access Compliance Parramatta Aquatic Centre

Print Post Approved PP100022562

FITNESS

Stepping Up Mystery Shopping

PLUS

Geelong Arts Centre Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa Theme Park Experiences Crowd Management

Let’s talk

1300 088 922

www.perfectgym.com.au

contents

Issue 158

18

42

22

32

26

34

features 18

For Future Generations The new Parramatta Aquatic Centre

22

Creating Inclusive Aquatic Environments The importance of access compliance

26

Equitable Access to Sporting Facilities Sporting facilities help women go further

32

Australia’s World Cup Win Australia’s Nation Brand and the FIFA Women’s World Cup

34

The Geelong Arts Centre - a cultural asset

Cover: The newly opened Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa in Rotorua.

See page 36.

36

regulars

42

6 From the Publisher 8 Two Months in Leisure 52 People in brief 53 People 54 Products

Raising the Curtain Rotorua’s Wellness Game Changer The newly opened Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa

No longer ‘Business as Usual’ AUSactive’s Barrie Elvish wants the fitness industry to step up

46

Revealing the Unexpected Mystery shopping for fitness businesses

48

The ‘Swiss Cheese’ Metaphor An innovative concept in crowd hazard reduction

50

To subscribe go to subscribe.ausleisure.com.au 4 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

All about the Experience Guest experiences are key to full attractions recovery

2023 AMPSEA Conference November 28th Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne

Hear from guest speakers from across the industry, discuss latest trends and find out more about AMPSEA’s mission to support the Australian Mass Participation Sports industry.

Tickets Now on Sale

ampsea.com.au

From the Publisher

Published by Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd, 45/30 Nobbs Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 (PO Box 478, Collaroy, NSW 2097) AUSTRALIA ABN 32 092 549 721

Tel: 02 8018 6808 E-mail: leisure@ausleisure.com.au www.ausleisure.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/AusLeisure Editor Karen Sweaney Publisher Nigel Benton Design Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd Contributors James Croll and Gwen Luscombe

Advertising Inquiries Nigel Benton Tel: 0411 551 731 Email: nigel@ausleisure.com.au James Croll Tel: 0488 090 904 Email: jcroll@ausleisure.com.au Printed in Australia by Newstyle Printing Pty Ltd 41 Manchester Street, Mile End, SA 5031 Tel: 08 8154 3600, www.newstyleprint.com.au Annual subscriptions cost $99 in Australia and New Zealand.

Details at subscribe.ausleisure.com.au or call 02 8227 6486.

Members of ARI NSW, ASSA, ExerciseNZ, IAKS, LIWA Aquatics, the Sports and Play Industry Association and the VMA receive the magazine as a membership benefit.

The views contained in Australasian Leisure Management are not necessarily those of Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd or the Editor. While every care is taken with advice given, Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd and the Editor can take no responsibility for effects arising therefrom. Views expressed by contributors may be personal and are not necessarily the views of their employers or professional associations.

© Australasian Leisure Management, 2023. ISSN 1446-1374

Official Publication

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Australasian Leisure Management is an Australian product, Australian owned and printed in Australia.

Changing face of industry media and why independent and unpaid for news is so valuable How independent and credible is the news you read?

It’s a question that increasingly needs to be asked as anyone who consumes news and information needs to be sceptical about the reliability of what you read.

Of course, we have long had paid endorsements but, as ABC TV’s Media Watch often reports, in a bid to chase income, mainstream media outlets increasingly rely on placements, promotions and ‘comment for cash’ - often driven through sensational and, often inaccurate, coverage.

And then there are opinions, oh so many opinions, all-toomany of which seem to be badly informed.

When allied with misinformation through social media, it can be very difficult to make a judgement.

Australasian Leisure Management With this publication and our associated Asian Leisure Business website, we look to report on what is best about the industry that is leisure - covering developments, announcements, funding, achievements, events, appointments and all other aspects of the industry.

We also report on products and services, and where appropriate, we scrutinise.

In presenting our news, we always rely on input from the industry, readers and other stakeholders.

But, in answer to questions we sometimes receive on “do we have to pay to be in your news?”, the answer is no, our news is not paid for.

End of the road for Parks and Leisure Australia’s printed journal Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) has advised that its Australasian Parks and Leisure journal, produced by the association and its predecessor body the Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation since the 1980s, is to cease publication as a printed entity.

The quarterly journal will now only be available online in a digital format.

PLA advise “this move allows us to reduce our environmental impact and work towards becoming a Net Zero organisation.”

However, with PLA understood to be facing membership challenges and constraints on its income, the move also sees the company (while performing as an industry association, PLA is actually a proprietary company) avoid printing and postage costs.

Alcohol in Surf Sport Much has been written about sponsorship in sport and the arts in recent years, with particular scrutiny placed on the appropriateness of resources, gambling and alcohol companies looking to enhance their image and profile through links with the industry.

Separate to this has been a number of studies linking alcohol consumption with drowning events.

In that light, elite surf sport’s partnerships with alcohol companies has not raised any comment.

Here, Surfing Australia has recently secured a three-year partnership with Jim Beam that sees the bourbon whiskey brand becoming the sport’s official spirits partner, providing support for key surfing events.

This follows the World Surf League having last year attracted Coopers Brewery as its official beer sponsor for WSL Australia events.

These sponsorships appear to be at odds with findings that alcohol is a major factor in drownings of adult males and other findings that have repeatedly questioned how sporting endorsements normalise alcohol consumption.

Put simply, are the beach, marine environment and surfing events, the right place to be promoting alcohol consumption?

Nigel Benton, Publisher

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Two Months in Leisure Some of the industry headlines over recent months.

Daily industry news can be read at www.ausleisure.com.au

IN BRIEF The board of the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) has approved the $154.7 million redevelopment of its historic home ground in East Perth.

The City of Parramatta has launched its multi-million-dollar redevelopment of Riverside Theatres, and is inviting Australian and international creative architects and designers to participate in the design competition.

Nearly six months after the tender closed, Belgravia Leisure has been announced as the manager of the ACT Government’s five-owned pools, formerly managed by the YMCA NSW.

Western Australian Government announces WAIS review The Western Australian Government has announced that audit and business management specialists KPMG have been appointed to undertake a holistic review of the governance and culture at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS).

The review of the troubled elite sporting body, follows last year’s Sport Integrity Australia report which found that the WAIS allowed women in its gymnastics program to be abused over three decades.

New era for Queensland aquatics with ARQ launch Aquatics and Recreation Queensland (ARQ), a new peak body for the aquatic and recreation industry in Queensland, has been launched.

ARQ replaces the former ALFAQ (Australian Leisure Facilities Association Queensland), in providing new representation for Queensland’s aquatics and recreation industry, echoing the functions of fraternal state bodies including Aquatics and Recreation Victoria and LIWA Aquatics.

Speaking at its launch event, Jay Clarke Managing Director at City Venue Management and ARQ inaugural President advised of ARQ’s “brand new mission” backed by a board that has been focussed on “rebranding and creating a new purpose and strategy plan”, introducing its four-word purpose “endorse and support, collaborate and advocate”.

Collapsed Dunedin ticket company owed millions to creditors A recent liquidation report into New Zealand’s Fortress Information Systems - known by its trading Ticket Rocket and previously known as TicketDirect - has revealed that, as of 27th February this year, the Bank of New Zealand - a secured creditor - was owed a total of $5.56 million either directly or through cross guarantees against the companies.

The Dunedin-based Fortress Information Systems, owned

by Canadian Matt Davey, were placed into receivership and liquidated in mid 2020 while affiliated companies - Dash Group and Dash Tickets New Zealand - were also placed under receivership.

The demise of the companies followed the cancellation and postponement of ticketed events during Coronavirus lockdowns in April and May 2020, with requests for refunds surging.

8 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

Construction is approaching completion on a new lagoon attraction at Perth’s Outback Splash.

The Queensland Government is contributing $56 million in funding to boost infrastructure and program delivery at PCYC centres across the state.

More than 35 hectares of parklands in Melbourne’s southeast is to be delivered by the Victorian Government following community involvement in developing a new park plan.

The NSW Government has abandoned plans to build a new stadium in the Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, instead opting to spend the $309 million budget originally for the project on refurbishing the existing BlueBet Stadium.

The new-look Cairns Convention Centre (pictured left) has officially opened following a 10,500 metre2 expansion and $176 million refurbishment.

Perth-based business Global Marine Enclosures have been awarded the contract to design, construct and install the Swan River’s first-ever shark barrier in Bicton Baths.

One of the last remaining examples in Australia of the famous chain of Tivoli theatres, Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre has passed its 110th anniversary.

The eastern grandstand at Sydney’s Accor Stadium has been renamed in honour of Australian athletic legend Cathy Freeman.

Following the completion of a $6.9 million upgrade, Penrith’s Cambridge Park Harold Corr Oval has officially opened as a high-quality athletics precinct featuring an all-weather synthetic track and field facilities.

Rockhampton Zoo’s new enclosure for its wedge-tailed eagle, Valkyrie, has opened having been built with funding via a $540,000 Queensland Government grant.

Facial recognition technology is to be introduced at Melbourne’s AAMI Park for A-League fixtures this season.

City Venue Management is the new operator of Toowoomba Regional Council’s Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre and Highfields Aquatic and Fitness Centre. The Council has also opened its new $6.4 million Millmerran Aquatic Centre (pictured left) - managed by Belgravia Leisure.

Women’s sport to benefit from new $200 million Federal Government fund

Super Netball facing $7.5 million losses over next three years

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $200 million funding package for women’s sports, with funding and reforms to help more women play sport and a commitment to ensure more Australians are able to access women’s sporting events on free-to-air television.

Following the successes and engagement resulting from the Matildas performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World which has prompted calls for more funding for female football, Prime Minister Albanese announced the launch of the Play Our Way grants program to improve sporting facilities and equipment specifically for women and girls.

With an investment of $200 million, the new program aims to promote equal access, build more suitable facilities, and support grassroots initiatives to get women and girls to engage, stay, and participate in sport throughout their lives.

Details from an unreleased Netball Australia report have revealed that the Super Netball competition is losing millions of dollars and is being supported by money from the grassroots level of the game.

The report, authored by former NRL and Football Australia Chief Executive David Gallop (prior to his naming as new Chair of Venues NSW), was commissioned by the sport to establish the value of its elite national competition.

Not shared publicly, Gallop’s study had warned Netball Australia that the competition, once envisaged as the “commercial jewel” of the sport, was ‘highly unlikely” to “return a dividend to the game.”

The findings, following the Australian Diamonds winning the Netball World Cup for the 12th time, show that the Super Netball competition - which feeds the national team - is on track to lose $7.5 million in the next three years.

Victoria Government to pay $380 million in compensation for Commonwealth Games cancellation The Victorian Government has agreed to pay $380 million to Commonwealth Games bodies in compensation after cancelling the 2026 event.

In July, then Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the surprise announcement that the state would not host the Games across regional cities as planned due to concerns they would far exceed initial cost expectations.

Following the announcement, mediation was launched between the state of Victoria, The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships (CGFP) and Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) with lawyers for the Victorian Government travelling to London in August to negotiate what the cost would be for terminating the contract.

Belgravia Leisure urges parents to prioritise childrens’ swimming lessons With many families across Australia impacted by the rising cost of living, and families facing the prospect of having to decide between childrens’ activities, Belgravia Leisure is emphasising the vital role swimming lessons play in familiarising the swimmer with the water, and for children especially, is crucial in keeping them safe.

Mindful that childrens’ extracurricular activities can often get put on hold or cancelled when families are looking for ways to cut spending, Belgravia Aquatic Services Manager, Sarah Podesta is urging parents to prioritise swimming lessons.

She explains “we need to change our outlook on swimming and water safety lessons from being an optional activity to one that is an essential life skill.”

Life Saving SA gains support for collaborative program to address industry staff shortages Aiming to build capacity to deliver aquatic training by injecting new staff into the South Australian aquatics industry, a new one-year program is to address staff shortages.

Advocacy by Life Saving SA and the SA Aquatics Committee for a South Australian Government commitment to help support the shortfall of staff in the state’s aquatics industry experienced during and post COVID-19 was successful this year.

South Australian Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Katrine Hildyard allocated funds under the Active State Collaboration Grant Program.

Surf Life Saving SA/Life Saving SA is leading the project, along with specific project partners AUSTSWIM SA, YMCA SA, Belgravia Leisure, Blue Fit, SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre (SAALC), the City of Campbelltown (The ARC), Immanuel iSwim and Tjindu Foundation.

AUSactive campaign calls on Federal Parliamentarians to be ‘Fit for Office’ An example of AUSactive entrepreneurship in action, the body has staged its ‘Fit for Office’ campaign, challenging Federal MPs and their staff to be part of a friendly four-week challenge.

Launched at Parliament House in Canberra at the beginning of September with the support of more than a dozen Federal parliamentary members, the campaign aims to highlight Australia’s inactivity and health crisis and emphasise how exercise and physical activity can relieve the economic burden.

The friendly four-week challenge, which ran from 25th September to 22nd October - encouraged Australians to be active more often and raise awareness of the importance of regular physical activity. For more information go to page 46.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 9

Review says New Zealand Rugby’s governance structure is ‘not fit for purpose’

Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia unveils updated brand identity The Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) has launched a new brand identity, described as “animal led and purpose driven” and reflecting the commitment of its members to positive animal welfare and their contributions to the conservation of global and regional biodiversity.

ZAA advise “these values for conservation action and positive animal welfare are reflected in the identities of all ZAA members, whether through taglines, visuals, or the name itself.

All these cues help visitors to connect meaning to your work and see purpose in your operations.”

Gold Coast Council gives approval for new 600-room hotel at Warner Bros. Movie World Village Roadshow Theme Parks is to move forward with plans for a $333 million hotel adjacent to Warner Bros. Movie World after City of Gold Coast Councillors approved the plans.

Plans for the 22-storey 600-room hotel, which include event and convention facilities, also feature a ‘panoramic sky deck’, infinity pool, bar and restaurants on its 21st level.

Western Australian Police warn trespassers over accessing Perth’s Adventure World Western Australia Police have issued a statement discouraging youth from trespassing at Perth’s Adventure World during its winter closure.

The warning comes after footage emerged on social media of teenagers scaling walls to enter the amusement and water park at Bibra Lake in Perth’s southern suburbs.

The alleged trespassers have filmed themselves exploring rides and waterslides out-of-hours, prompting “multiple reports” to authorities.

AOC’s Matt Carroll tells Federal Senate hearing that redevelopment of the Gabba for Brisbane Olympics is ‘not required’ The Queensland Government’s $2.7 billion plan to redevelop the Gabba to host the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics is not required by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), according to Australian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Matt Carroll.

Speaking to the Federal Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Carroll said that the rebuild was not required by the IOC and that the IOC’s view was that infrastructure should not be built “just for the Olympics”.

10 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

New Zealand Rugby’s organisational structure and constitution has been declared as “not fit for purpose in the modern era” by an independent review into the governing body.

Recommending urgent change, the scathing report from a review panel, which included former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie, paints a bleak picture of New Zealand Rugby (NZR), describing it as an outdated organisation hamstrung by its own structure and not fit for the modern era.

Review panel Chair, David Pilkington advised “New Zealand Rugby in the professional era is a large and complex business.

The structure it sits within was not designed for a business of this size and complexity.”

Study shows Australians moving to informal sports participation A landmark study from Monash University has revealed a continued decline in organised sport participation over the past decade and points to the Intergenerational Review of Australian Sport report’s predictions that rates will drop by a further 10% by 2030.

Investigating the economic and social contribution informal sports participation has on the wellbeing of diverse groups of people and how governments, sport and health agencies can further support this participation, the study shows a shift towards informal sports participation in activities including ocean swimming, casual basketball, indoor football/futsal, cycling and running groups.

It advises “these less tangible activities are also more appealing to diverse groups of people who are often underrepresented in mainstream sport.”

Ardent Leisure agrees $26 million shareholder class action settlement following Dreamworld ride deaths Ardent Leisure is to pay $26 million to settle a shareholder class action lawsuit arising from the deaths of four Dreamworld guests in 2016.

The death of four people on the Gold Coast theme park’s Thunder River Rapids Ride on 25th October 2016 saw Dreamworld report a subsequent massive decline in visitation. This saw Ardent report a $50 million loss in February 2017, incurring costs of $95 million as a result of attendance dropping by 27%.

About 300 shareholders claimed in June 2020 that Ardent Leisure misled investors about safety measures and corporate governance standards causing Ardent’s shares to trade at an artificially inflated price.

www.ausleisure.com.au for all the latest industry news

Experience Co advises of success in recycling old staff uniforms Adventure tourism company Experience Co Limited has advised of the success of an initiative to recycle its old staff uniforms from its Skydive Australia, Reef Magic, Big Cat Green Island and Fitzroy Island Adventures.

Resulting from a partnership with textile recovery and textile waste recycling company Upparel which commenced at the end of the 2021/22 financial year, the initiative now includes not only old uniforms but also parachutes, harnesses and any textile that would previously have been thrown away.

Pollstar report advises of records tumbling for Australian and New Zealand concerts A report in USA-based trade publication Pollstar has advised of the strong performance of the concert and live music sector in Australia and New Zealand Building on 2022 PWC forecast of a 30.8% compound annual growth rate for the years 2021 to 2026, which showed Australia as having the second fastest growing live sector in the world, the report cites the sector’s strong performance despite the weak Australian dollar, escalating production and travel costs, along with rising living costs and insurance premium dramas.

The report also notes that as records tumbled through 2023 and are set up for a strong summer, Australasia’s promoters continued to expand their footprint across the globe.

VenuesWest sets attendance record with over six million patrons in 2022/23 VenuesWest has reported on having staged its most successful ever year, breaking records for attendances, events held and financial support of high performance sport.

During the 2022/23 financial year, VenuesWest welcomed 6.18 million patrons and 194 national and international sporting and entertainment events to its portfolio of 14 venues.

This record-breaking success is the highest annual patronage VenuesWest has ever achieved and is 92,478 above the previous record set in pre-COVID years.

Permanent closure of Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome After almost two decades of providing wildlife encounters and adventure experiences above Cairns’ Reef Hotel Casino, operators - The CaPTA Group - has closed the Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome.

The attraction, which has held a prominent position in Far North Queensland as a premier wildlife park and adventure attraction, closed as of 8th October 2023.

Making the announcement, a statement from The CaPTA Group advised that “taking into consideration the effects of the elements over the years and the importance of infrastructure upkeep, it is necessary to undertake comprehensive maintenance.”

ASTMA releases new five-year Strategic Plan The Board of the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) has released its new Strategic Plan for 2023-2027, which it describes as “a significant milestone in our continued progression”.

Following a six-month review of the current Strategic Plan (2019-2023), the Board and Association team have developed the new Strategic Plan, following the previous plan as it approaches conclusion at the end of this year.

City Venue Management recognised as top performer in Workplace Excellence Awards Brisbane-based City Venue Management (CVM) has announced its recent achievement in being recognised as one of the Top 15 Best Places to Work by WRK+, the renowned Australian-based global workplace research and consulting firm.

The award underpins CVM’s relentless dedication to creating an exceptional employee experience and fostering a culture of growth and collaboration, with the WRK+ Awards 2023 a testament to CVM’s commitment to employee well-being and workplace satisfaction.

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Offices In Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Auckland, Christchurch, Sunshine Coast . Office: Level 1, 678 Victoria St, Richmond VIC 3121 +61 (0)3 9046 2316 info@otiumplanning.com.au www.otiumplanning.com.au Head Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 11

New Hobart AFL stadium could generate $226 million a year for Tasmanian economy

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland advises of new Amusement Devices Code of Practice Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has advised of the approval of the commencement of the Amusement Devices Code of Practice 2023 as an approved code of practice under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 as of 1st February 2024.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland/WorkSafe Queensland has advised that “the Code is a practical guide on how to manage health and safety risks associated with an amusement device at a workplace.”

The Code has been developed in Queensland and is not a national model code of practice. However, guidance material about amusement devices developed by Safe Work Australia has been adapted and included in the Code.

Latest National Drowning report reveals rise of deaths among older men The 2023 National Drowning Report has revealed that men made up 77% of drowning deaths in the past year, with adults over 45 making up 57% of the total.

Released by Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia, the National Drowning Report 2023 (covering the period 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023) reported that drownings fell 17% from the previous year returning the annual drowning toll closer to pre-pandemic levels - falling from 339 deaths in 2021/22 to 281 in the latest 12 month period.

Merlin Entertainments launches new initiative to expand global conservation projects Merlin Entertainments has launched a new global conservation programme across its portfolio of over 50 SEA LIFE aquariums and in partnership with marine conservation charity, the Sea Life Trust, to deliver projects designed to make a positive impact on conservation in local communities.

The first phase will see seven projects, spanning across Asia, Australia, the USA and Europe, drive positive impact on marine and freshwater ecosystems, species, and habitats across the globe.

12 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

A newly released cost-benefit analysis of Hobart’s new AFL stadium in Tasmania has found it could add $2.26 billion to Tasmania’s economy in its first 10 years operation.

The report, ‘Economic Benefits to Tasmania from the Introduction of a Tasmanian AFL Team and Concept for Hobart AFL Stadium a New Stadium in Hobart at Macquarie Point’, authored by Tasmanian Russell Hanson, former Finance Director of FitzGerald’s department stores and Chief Executive of The Wilderness Society, has assessed the new stadium project following criticism that the venue would be a financial burden on the state.

New Anytime Fitness promotion welcomes every type of gymgoer Anytime Fitness Australia has launched a reboot of its ‘Any Body, Any Time’ campaign, aiming to undo the misconceptions of people feeling like they don’t belong in a gym and who, as a result, are held back from achieving their exercise goals.

The ‘Find Your Fit’ video presents a typical day at one of the group’s 24/7 gyms, showcasing the full gamut of diverse members of the Anytime Fitness community with a tongue-in-cheek reverence that makes heroes of them all.

ICC Sydney becomes first convention centre to be recognised in national equality program International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is the first convention centre to be awarded a Bronze Tier status in Pride in Diversity’s Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI).

Driven by ICC Sydney’s internal LGBTQIA+ diversity focus group, The Same Same Collective, and underpinned by its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy, this accreditation highlights ICC Sydney’s proactive approach to creating an inclusive workplace.

ICC Sydney Chief Executive and Group Director Convention Centres, ASM Global (APAC), Geoff Donaghy said the accolade was welcome recognition of the team’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for its workforce, customers and visitors.

Former gym owner fined for not complying with Working with Children Check Matthew James Long, the former co-owner of the Noosa Box Office gym on the Sunshine Coast has been fined $1500 for not holding a Working with Children Check ‘Blue Card’.

Long, aged 34, pleaded guilty in the Noosa Magistrates Court to one count of not having clearance required to carry on a regulated business.

ASTN releases new playbook to encourage sports tech startups Committed to strengthening the reach, international reputation and global connections of the sports tech startup ecosystem, the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has released a new playbook outlining strategies and tactics specific to the nation’s sports tech sector.

The ‘Born Global or Die Local’ Playbook builds on the success of hundreds of sports tech companies in the ASTN network over the past decade, and covers how successful, scalable and globally significant sports tech companies have been built.

STRONG Pilates continues global expansion Australian fitness franchise, STRONG Pilates is continuing its global expansion with the launch of its first studio in Toronto, Canada this November.

This marks the first of an expected 60 studios to launch in Canada over the next five years, joining over 100 studios confirmed across the UK, Asia, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

The popular fitness franchise which combines low impact Pilates with high intensity cardio, most recently exploded into South East Asia in partnership with leading yoga studio, Yoga Movement, announcing 11 new STRONG studios in Singapore over the next three years.

Adelaide Festival 2023 generates significant impact on South Australia’s economy Adelaide Festival 2023 has generated an estimated gross expenditure of $57.6 million for South Australia and secured additional funding of $2.3 million from the South Australian Government, enabling it to continue to attract major international events over the next three years.

Adelaide Festival’s impact on South Australia’s Gross State Product saw a 44% increase on 2022 figures, reaping an estimated $38.1 million in newly created income for the state.

Strategy endorsed to guide expansion of Cairns’ recreational trails Cairns Regional Council has endorsed a strategy to guide use, maintenance and future expansion of Cairns’ recreational trail network. The Recreational Trails Strategy aims to reflect community needs and expectations, formalise Council’s role and responsibilities, and develop a framework to respond to growing demand for walking and mountain biking experiences.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 13

Five sports first to sign up to Sport Integrity Australia’s safeguarding program

Rowing Australia announces four-year funding agreement with Hancock Prospecting Rowing Australia has announced that Hancock Prospecting, Australia’s leading mining and agricultural company, will back Australia’s rowers in their journey to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games after renewing its Major Partnership with the sport.

The four-year funding agreement will see Hancock Prospecting and Rowing Australia Patron Gina Rinehart continue to provide direct funding to elite athletes and enable them to have a laser-focus on chasing their dreams to represent Australia to the best of their ability.

Hancock’s and Rinehart’s relationship with Rowing Australia dates back to 2015 and has revolutionised the HighPerformance program. The results were on show in Tokyo in 2021, when Australian rowers collected two Gold Medals and two Bronze Medals at the Olympic Games and a Silver Medal at the Paralympic Games.

Jetts Fitness named second in ‘Best Places to Work in Australia’ In recognition of their team’s commitment to fostering positive company culture, Jetts Fitness has been awarded second place in this year’s list of the top 10 places to work in Australia by business management consultancy WRK+.

With Australia’s job mobility rate at the highest in a decade - sitting at 9.5% for a second year in a row, fostering great company culture to maintain employee retention is of the upmost importance. And this is exactly, what home-grown Jetts Australia have been recognised for, rising from seventh to second place in Australia’s 2023 Best Places to Work by WRK+.

ATSB releases findings on 2022 Melbourne hot air balloon incident An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into a serious hot air balloon incident last year in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Ellwood found that testing and analysis on modification design was not completed prior to the incident.

The balloon and basket sustained minor damage, and three passengers sustained minor injuries.

The ATSB highlights the importance of engineering rigour in analysis, design and testing.

14 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

Swimming Australia, Disability Sports Australia, AusCycling, Softball Australia and Basketball Australia are the first sports to sign up to the Safeguarding in Sport Continuous Improvement Program, showing their commitment to providing safe and inclusive environments for all members, including children.

Sport Integrity Australia Chief Executive David Sharpe says these sports are leading the way in child safeguarding and member protection by working towards embedding a safety in sport culture across all levels of their sport.

Sharpe noted “these sports are leaders in this space and are showing a genuine commitment to their members.

“By being the first to sign up to the Continuous Improvement Program, they are showing their members and their community that safety matters.”

Royal Life Saving advise 1300 public pools across Australia need swim teachers and lifeguards Royal Life Saving Society - Australia’s National Manager Training and Workforce Development Shaun Jackson has advised that 1300 public pools across Australia have commenced looking for swim teachers and lifeguards to keep people safe this summer.

With predications for a scorching summer this year, community pools are looking to have a summer workforce that maintains safety standards.

Among those the aquatic industry is looking to attract are students on university holidays; carers looking for flexible employment that works around other responsibilities; or retirees keen to keep active with some work.

Australian Sports Commission releases new corporate plan The Australian Sports Commission has tabled its Corporate Plan for 2023-27, outlining its strategic goals and key focus areas for the next four years.

Each year the ASC produces a rolling fouryear Corporate Plan that details the key activities, targets and measures upon which ASC are held accountable.

To achieve their strategic goals, the ASC have identified five key focus areas which set the direction for their work: 1.Build the capability of sport and the people involved 2.Advocate for sport and its positive influence on Australia 3.Promote and support inclusive and diverse sporting environments 4.Drive thought leadership and innovation, inspiring world’s best practices 5.Optimise their facilities to advance sport and inspire Australians to get involved

Christchurch parks to be maintained by in-house team Christchurch City Council has announced all parks maintenance activity, excluding tree maintenance and Sexton services (burials in cemeteries), will be carried out by Council employed staff rather than contractors.

The previous contract for maintenance services performed

by Recreational Services Ltd including mowing, sports fields, gardening, rubbish collection across councils 1,000 plus community parks was due to expire in June 2024.

A number of options were considered including keeping the current mixed model service (using both contractors and inhouse), a modified in-house delivery of services and full inhouse delivery of services.

New peak industry body announced for Australian Travel Industry The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has been announced as the new peak industry body representing Australia’s $69 billion travel sector with its combined powerhouse of travel agents, tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers.

ATIA will champion the needs of Australia’s largest import, Travel, which had a direct economic contribution in 22/23 of $43.1 billion.

ATIA will build on its predecessor the Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ focus on enforcement and compliance to stimulate, encourage and promote travel as an economic driver and major employer while also promoting the highest standards of excellence, service and professionalism.

Creative Australia launches to rebuild and expand live arts and entertainment industry Creative Australia has been launched with expectations that the revitalised investment and advisory body for Australia’s arts and entertainment sectors will deliver new opportunities through stronger connections between private and public investment in arts and culture.

The launch of Creative Australia brings together Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Partnerships Australia under one government agency - a move long advocated by Live Performance Australia (LPA) - to enable the building of closer relationships and engagement across the breadth of organisations, companies and businesses of all scales and sizes that make up Australia’s live arts and entertainment industry.

LPA Chief Executive, Evelyn Richardson, said Creative Australia would help bring a greater focus to strategic policy and investment to support our cultural and creative sectors, commenting “we look forward to working with the new Board of Creative Australia and its team in supporting the rebuild and growth of our live arts and entertainment industry following the devastation of COVID.”

Live Nation study finds that fans are more loyal to brands that offer live music perks A newly released Live Nation Fan Insights Study has captured how fans across the USA. feel about and engage with brand loyalty programs - revealing that fans are more loyal to brands that offer live music perks.

While offering loyalty programs naturally garners favour with customers, brands with loyalty programs that include live music perks resonate on a deeper level with fans, and can see gains in brand perception and more consideration for future purchases.

Women leading the way as ‘Get Into Golf’ numbers surge across Australia Women looking for a way to learn how to play the game of golf are still the biggest user group for ‘Get Into Golf’, making up 84% of the total registrations.

The number of beginners to golf who are registering for the ‘Get Into Golf’ program continues to surge across Australia with women trying the game for the first time leading the way.

Registrations for ‘Get Into Golf’ jumped by another 39% in the 2022/23 financial year, following on from the 65% increase achieved over the previous 12 months.

The jump in registration numbers came across all states and territories with the strongest growth coming in Victoria where registrations grew by almost 2000 new golfers over the 12 months to take the state’s total past 6000 for the first time.

Australia’s women rugby players call out Rugby Australia over inequality Australia’s women’s rugby team - the Wallaroos - have taken issue with Rugby Australia over inequality and lack of investment in the game, highlighting the different treatment afforded to the men’s team, the Wallabies.

In a coordinated move, almost every current women’s Test player recemtly posted the same statement on social media demanding that the governing body address their concerns, saying it’s time for Rugby Australia to invest properly in the women’s game.

According to the statement, the players said they were informed by the national governing body that there was no money for full-time playing contracts, yet it paid $5 million for a National Rugby League player.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 15

Viva Leisure annual report charts ‘remarkable journey’ The newly released 2022/23 annual report of leading Australian fitness brand owner Viva Leisure has advised of the ASX-listed company’s first full year of uninterrupted trading post COVID 19, delivering a series of performance milestones.

Writing in the annual report - its fifth since its listing on the ASX - Viva Leisure Chief Executive and Managing Director, Harry Konstantinou stated “I cannot help but reflect on the remarkable journey we have traversed together.

“We have witnessed a full year of uninterrupted performance, and I’m immensely proud to report that the business hasn’t just performed - it has shined.”

Western Australian Government overturns Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Laws Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws that came into effect in Western Australia on 1st July 2023, have been overturned by the Western Australian Government - claiming the new legislation went too far, was too prescriptive and complicated.

WA’s previous laws dated back to the 1970s and allowed the state’s Aboriginal affairs minister to grant land users permission to disturb cultural heritage sites.

Rio Tinto had ministerial approval in 2020 when it blew up the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters, sparking global condemnation and devastating traditional owners.

UNESCO decides to not list the Great Barrier Reef as being ‘in danger’ UNESCO has decided to not list the Great Barrier Reef as being ‘in danger’, confirming the draft decision from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation handed down which cites “significant progress” being made on climate change, water quality, and sustainable fishing - all putting the Reef on a stronger and more sustainable path.

The Australian and Queensland governments have welcomed the decision.

Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Senator Nita Green commented “I’ve been delighted to receive so much support from the global community in relation to the Australian Government’s efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

“There is of course more work to do but as Special Envoy I will continue to be focused on delivering our substantial commitments and enhancing Australia’s reputation through the World Heritage convention.”

Water Polo Australia unveils Climate Action Strategy With Water Polo Australia recognising that their sport is not exempt from the impacts of climate change and that their sport’s impact on the climate is not insignificant, they are pleased to present their Climate Action Strategy for the next three years.

WPA acknowledges they have a responsibility to ensure their sport operates within and protects the environment they play in.

WPA Board Director Susie Smith noted “by leading in climate action, Water Polo Australia contributes to a larger legacy. It’s about leaving a positive impact beyond the sport itself, showing that the organisation cares for the planet and took steps to make a difference.”

16 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

Wellington’s Botanic Garden is first in New Zealand to ditch glasshouse gas heating Wellington’s Botanic Garden is the first plant nursery in New Zealand to switch from gas heaters and instead use heated pipes to keep their glasshouses warm.

Previously, the gas heaters in the glasshouses used to blow hot air around at floor level and were often temperamental and unreliable.

Wellington City Council advises they used up to 33,000 kWh of gas per month in the winter - the same amount as 30 average homes use in a year - in just one month.

Gymnastics Australia unveils guidelines for transgender and gender inclusivity Gymnastics Australia, with support from Pride in Sport, has unveiled its Guidelines for the Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Community Gymnastics.

The guidelines demonstrate the ongoing commitment from Gymnastics Australia to ensure a safe, welcoming, and accessible sport for all athletes, coaches, and community members, regardless of their gender identity.

The body has also joined the national redress scheme set up in response to the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, more than two years after it began the process.

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For Future Generations The new Parramatta Aquatic Centre has opened in Western Sydney

A

fter six years in the making, the landmark Parramatta Aquatic Centre has opened to the public.

Located in the Mays Hill Precinct of Parramatta Park - an 85-hectare of parkland that includes the World Heritagelisted Old Government House and Domain, the new facility replaces the former Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Pool, demolished in 2017 to make way for the new CommBank Stadium.

The City of Parramatta’s $88.6 million swimming, fitness and wellness hub, features a 50 metre 10-lane Olympic sized

18 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

heated outdoor pool, a 25 metre eight-lane heated indoor pool, dedicated learn-to-swim indoor pool, spas, sauna, steam room and fitness centre.

Parramatta Aquatic Centre (known as PAC) is also home to the City of Parramatta’s first all-abilities pool with ramps to enter the 50 metre and 25 metre pool and a level, beach-style entry into the water ‘splash and play’ zone. There are accessible change rooms as well as lifts and ramps to all indoor and outdoor areas.

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Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 19

and McGregor Coxall, and built by construction company Lipman, PAC is located on a sloping site opposite Parramatta Park and has been designed to blend in with the landscape with a circular form that limits its intrusion into the surrounding park lands.

The circular design makes the outdoor 50-metre pool the centrepiece of the facility, with other elements radiating from this midpoint including the structure containing the wellness and fitness centre which act as a buffering element from an adjacent road and railway.

Speaking as he officially opened the venue, City of Parramatta Lord Mayor, Sameer Pandey stated “we’ve created a place where our community can have fun for generations to come.

A place where kids will swim their first lap and race to victory at the swimming carnival, where future Olympians will be nurtured, where families can cool down on a long, hot summer day and where locals can train and wind down all year-round.”

Mayor Pandey said the multi-purpose nature of the Centre meant it was expected to attract more than one million visitors a year - about 10 times the annual visitation to the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre.

He noted “there are so many reasons to visit the PAC - from taking the kids to swimming lessons or to cool down in our ‘splash and play’ area to training in one of the three pools, working out in the gym or taking a yoga class and then relaxing in the sauna afterwards.”

Importance of Aquatic Centres Representing the NSW Premier at the event, Donna Davis, State Member for Parramatta, advised “Parramatta Aquatic Centre is an example of how state and local government can work together for the benefit of the community.”

Expanding on the benefits of aquatic centres, she added that “they provide opportunities to meet new people and reconnect with others.

20 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

“They are the ultimate equalisers and a catalyst for fostering a sense of community.

“Swimming is such an integral part of our common Australian culture, and that’s one of the reasons the people of Parramatta have missed their public pool so much.

“It’s important that all people, especially children, have skills and confidence in and around the water so they can safely enjoy a splash at the local pool, a trip to the beach or a dip in Lake Parramatta.

“Water safety education is key to ensuring children learn vital safety and survival skills from a young age, a skill that they will keep with them for life.

“All of us remember the pool where we learn to swim and the PAC will take its place in collective memory for generations to come.

“I’m proud to say that the NSW Government is committed to supporting safe participation in swimming.”

Design and Place Located on the western edge of central Parramatta on part of what was once a golf course, PAC connects with and makes a positive impact on the CBD area.

Here it fulfils the City of Parramatta’s recognition of the importance of placemaking, delivering a positive impact for the community with a space that improves urban vitality.

Grimshaw Managing Partner Sydney, Andrew Cortese commented “if you look at Parramatta as a whole, the southwest corner is the least tended to.

“The pool has this idea of balancing the social impact of the development of Parramatta. It’s so important that communitybased aquatic recreation informs part of the city’s cohesiveness and brings many people together (as) a place of inclusivity and accessibility.”

Its design by Grimshaw, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall was chosen from a shortlist of four designs

from an international design excellence competition in June 2018.

Andrew Burges explains that the heritage importance of the area and the topography of the park resulted in a design that “minimises the impact within its park setting and at the same time, giving it a clear and singular identity.”

Explaining the circular design, Burges noted “obviously a pool has to have a substantial fence.

“But rather than having a fence around the pool, we thought by doing this concept of the circular ring, it turned a concept of the enclosure into an element that we could also program as circulation, shade, and something that is very multifunctional.”

Grimshaw Project Director Josh Henderson said it was a much-needed piece of infrastructure for Western Sydney, commenting “the design team, City of Parramatta and Lipman have all collaborated to create a valuable community asset that is enjoyable to experience, well made, highly functional and accessible.”

Aquatic elements Swimplex was contracted to supply the pools, filtration, water toys and pool hardware, supplying and installing five stainless steel pools using Myrtha Pools technology, a water play package from Parkequip and a pool hardware package from S.R.Smith/Fluidra Australia.

In the 50 metre pool, this included a Sunbather swimming pool cover to reduce heat loss and a Swim Wall to allow for additional programming, squads, lap swimmers and water polo.

In the indoor pools, S.R.Smith Mobile Platform Lifts were installed to enable users to descend into the pools from an aquatic chair or from a standing position – allowing ‘access with dignity’.

Cost The $88.6 million project has been co-funded by the City of Parramatta’s Council and the NSW Government, which has invested $38.5 million from its Restart NSW Fund and will employ more than 140 people.

Nigel Benton is Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management.

Fitness Centre Novofit has equipped PAC’s gym with over 100 pieces of equipment from leading brands including Precor, Concept2 and Ziva.

Membership and Entry Management PAC features a fully integrated access control and membership management system from PerfectGym for all entry to the facility, controlled through four stand-alone kiosks.

Embracing Perfect Gym Solutions’ branded mobile app, members and guests simply scan a QR code for entry, while parents wishing to enrol for swimming lessons use a bespoke enrolment process and questionnaire assessment delivered via the PerfectGym API, while ‘walk-ins’ and members alike are able to utilise Self Service Payment Kiosks.

The PerfectGym technology enables bookings to be made for all PAC services and classes and integrates with access to storage lockers from Metra Australia and turnstiles from dormakaba.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 21

Creating inclusive aquatic environments Anne Nasr advises why aquatic centres need access compliance

I

magine the excitement of getting into a cool, refreshing pool on a hot summer day and the sound of splashing water and laughter. This experience signifies leisure, fun, and fitness.

However, for individuals with disabilities, access to aquatic facilities isn’t always straightforward. Access compliance not only improves the lives of those with disabilities but also benefits the entire community.

Access compliance refers to the adherence to specific guidelines, standards, and governments legislation aimed at making public spaces, including aquatic facilities, accessible to people with disabilities, these are outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the Australian Standard AS 1428.

A person with a disability refers to anyone who finds accessing the water challenging. From a person who uses a wheelchair, a person with vision or hearing impairment to an elderly person suffering with joint pain or recovering from a hip replacement.

The Impact of Accessible Aquatic Centres Aquatic centres have long been hubs of community activity.

They offer a range of benefits: fitness, rehabilitation, leisure, socialisation. But true community spirit means ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can take part and this is where access compliance comes into play.

Why Access Compliance Matters •Inclusivity: At the heart of access compliance is the principle of inclusivity. It sends a powerful message to the community that all members, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, are valued and welcome and when people with disabilities feel included, the community benefits.

•Health Benefits: Aquatic activities provide a multitude of physical and mental health benefits and enable people with mobility impairments, sensory disabilities, or chronic conditions to engage in exercise, rehabilitation, and relaxation, enhancing their overall well-being.

•Safety and Dignity: Access compliance isn’t just about ramps and wider doorways; it’s about ensuring that individuals with disabilities can access and use facilities safely and with dignity.

22 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

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•Staff Training: Training should cover how to support the needs of all customers and how to use assistive devices.

•Regular Maintenance and Upkeep: Accessible equipment should be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure it remains functional, safe and compliant.

The Ripple Effect, Benefits for All The positive impact of access compliance in aquatic centres extends far beyond the disability community: •Accessible facilities attract a broader range of customers, increasing customer numbers and revenue. Good access is good business.

•Aquatic centres strengthen their reputation by prioritising accessibility.

•Accessible aquatic centres contribute to the overall health and well-being of the community by promoting physical activity, relaxation, and socialisation.

The Future of Accessible Aquatic Centres The journey toward full access compliance and inclusivity is ongoing. As standards evolve, aquatic centres need to adapt and innovate. Things to consider: •Smart Accessibility: The integration of technology to enhance accessibility, such as mobile apps for navigation and assistance.

•Inclusive Programming: Expanding inclusive programs and events to encourage community involvement and awareness.

•Sensory-Friendly Environments: Designing sensory-friendly areas for individuals with sensory sensitivities.

•Environmental Sustainability: Incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable design principles into accessible facilities.

Accessible bathrooms, change rooms and pool lifts are crucial for maintaining the physical and emotional well-being of customers.

•Community Engagement: Accessible aquatic centres promote social interaction. Families and friends of all abilities can enjoy aquatic activities together creating a more inclusive society.

•Negative Feedback: Let’s be honest, nobody likes negative opinions. Keeping ahead of the game with compliance avoids feedback such as: “Your website mentioned that you have a pool hoist, but it wasn’t working when I visited your centre and wanted to use it.”

“My local pool doesn’t have the right equipment for me to feel safe accessing the water.”

“The lifeguard team member didn’t know how to use the equipment to help me, I came all that way and had to leave without swimming.”

Access Compliance Best Practices How can aquatic centres implement best practices?

•Accessible Parking: Ensure accessible parking spaces are available close to the main entrance. This makes it convenient for individuals with disabilities to access the facility.

•Accessible Entrances and Exits: The journey begins at the entrance. Installing ramps, automatic doors, and accessible pathways ensures that everyone can enter and exit the facility without obstacles.

•Pool Lifts and Transfer Systems: Installing pool lifts, ramps and aquatic wheelchairs or transfer systems is essential for individuals who require assistance getting in and out of the pool. These devices provide independence and dignity while ensuring safe access to the water.

•Accessible Bathrooms and Changing Facilities: Accessible bathrooms and change rooms must be provided and extra space, grab rails, and appropriate amenities made available to assist customers to be more independent.

24 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

Staying Ahead of the Game and Future-Proofing Aquatic Centres for Compliance Anticipating Changing Standards: The Proactive Approach While current access standards and regulations, such as the Australian Standard AS 1428 and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), provide guidelines for accessibility, forward-thinking aquatic centres are going a step further, anticipating changes and updates in legislation and proactively adapting their facilities to meet future compliance requirements.

Centres will need to: •Establish a culture of continual improvement by regularly reviewing and updating accessibility policies and practices.

•Conduct assessments to identify potential areas for enhancement.

•Seek guidance from accessibility experts and consultants who can provide insights into emerging trends and standards.

•Collaborate with professionals who specialise in accessibility and disability inclusion.

•Stay informed about the latest developments in accessibility by attending industry conferences, workshops, and seminars.

These events often feature presentations on emerging compliance standards.

Moving Forward Access compliance in aquatic centres is more than just a legal requirement; it’s a commitment to creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

So, let’s embrace access compliance, and make our aquatic centres truly accessible to everyone.

Anne Nasr is a Partner at Aquatic Access Consulting (Aqua Access). She can be contacted on 0420 100 725, E: anne@aquaaccess.com.au

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Melbourne’s AAMI Park during Round 2 of the Pride Cup.

Equitable Access to Sporting Facilities Danielle Bleazby explains how world-class sporting facilities help women go further

F

or the first time in history, the FIFA Women’s World Cup was held in Australia (and New Zealand), generating close to $900 million in revenue.

But beyond the immediate economic impact, something even more profound is taking place - the powerful trickle-down effect of women’s participation in sport.

Global events like the World Cup are a watershed moment and driver for social change, inspiring more women and girls in sport by showing them how far they can go.

Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson predicts that there will be a 20% rise in youth football participation, as local clubs have already seen a rise in interest generated by the excitement from the tournament.

But to support this surge and foster ongoing participation, grassroots players and top-tier athletes need access to worldclass facilities and female-friendly facilities.

Spaces designed for women’s sports are not just a necessity but a vital investment in the future of the sport and in society as a whole.

that only 40% of football facilities nationwide are classified as female friendly, and 35% don’t even have lights.

Melbourne Victory midfielder Beattie Goad has dealt with her fair share of abysmal facilities over her career, explaining “I’ve had to use male showers because the women’s didn’t have hot water, I’ve stored my bag on a park bench at training because we haven’t had lockers, our coach has arrived early to clean away picnic rubbish because we’re training in a public park.

“It’s hard not to feel like second best when this is what you’re offered.

“And this has been my experience at an elite-level too.”

Women and girls need safe spaces to play and spectate, and private restrooms for changing. Having suitable changing rooms, showers, and medical facilities tailored to their needs enhances player comfort and promotes a positive playing experience.

Further, well-maintained pitches and courts reduce the risk of injuries, ensuring women can play without unnecessary physical risks.

Outdated facilities are an outdated mindset Outdated or inadequate facilities can discourage women from taking part in sports or hinder their development.

In Australia, women are under-represented in organised sport - as participants, coaches, officials, administrators, and board members - when compared to their male cohort. In 2022, the Australian Sports Commission’s Ausplay survey found around 35% of the female population participated in a sportrelated activity at least once a week.

Concerning female grassroot sports, Football Australia found

Equitable sporting infrastructure creates a level playing field There is also a correlation between better facilities and support staff leading to better on-field performance at both a grassroots and elite level.

Providing women with appropriate facilities creates a level playing field no matter the level, fostering inclusivity, and enabling female athletes to reach their full potential. They’re not foregoing game preparation, rushing to get ready in makeshift areas with no privacy or warming up in mud pits.

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Melbourne’s AAMI Park hosting Melbourne Victory Women (left) and with Beattie Goad taking on Western Sydney Wanderers (top).

Thanks to additional funding provided by the Victorian Government to enhance the venue ahead of FIFA, Melbourne & Olympic Parks (M&OP) was able to build two new changerooms for women at AAMI Park. Now, if we have a double-header with a men’s match, women have their own space to prepare, warm up, and strategise. Neither team is rushing, which can compromise performance, to allow the other space.

At AAMI Park we also have a gym that both male and female tenant clubs share, as well as several training grounds at Gosch’s Paddock where both women and men’s teams train and upgraded lights so the area can be safely used year-round.

Access to game-changing facilities improves experience for all Having elite-level facilities is one thing, but women and girls having access to them is another.

Goad notes “there have been times when my pro team has been told to wait to train because an under 13s boys’ team needs another 30 minutes on the ground. So, we just wait on the sidelines.”

Fixturing women’s games and training at elite stadiums like AAMI Park, at prominent times, is a critical step toward achieving equality and fostering the growth of women’s sports.

At M&OP, equality in representation is important to us so we continue to work with codes to find opportunities to fixture women’s games just as prominently as men’s games.

Fixturing women’s matches at elite stadiums helps to bridge the gap in resources and investment between men’s and women’s sports. Elite, modern stadiums with greater capacity not only attract larger crowds but also attract sponsors, partners and media which leads to greater financial investment. Revenue can then be reinvested back into the club and its facilities.

This has downstream effects with the entire level of competition rising, resulting in increased interest, investment, and overall advancement of women’s sports.

28 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

Goad adds “when girls see international players competing at top-notch stadiums, they are inspired to take up the sport and chase their dreams too.

“Investing in women’s sports is an investment in society’s progress. To us, it’s about more than just the game; it’s about breaking barriers, promoting gender equality, and empowering women to pursue their sporting passion.”

Making the most of the spotlight Sport should be a community for everyone. Players, fans, sponsors, and officials all benefit from fit-for-purpose facilities, family-friendly environments, and safe spaces to play.

With FIFA now over, and Spain having take home the silverware, the real victory is the spotlight on women’s sport.

And while remarkable progress has been made, including the Australian Government’s recent announcement of the $200 million Play Our Way program to improve sporting facilities and equipment for women and girls, there is still work to be done.

Goad agrees with this sentiment, going on to say “we joke that we’re toughened in Australia because we’ve come through from grassroots to elite without the facilities, kits, support, or funding that we need. But it’s not a laughing matter.

“A strong sporting infrastructure helps nurture talent, develop skills, and create a pipeline of athletes, driving the continuous growth of women’s sports at all levels. I really hope as a nation we capitalise on the momentum of FIFA and give women and girls what they deserve.”

At M&OP we hope attendance continues to grow as a legacy of FIFA. It is our vision that women’s sport be on the same pedestal as men’s year-round.

The infrastructure typically lags the inspiration, but I have no doubt the end goal for all is that women and girls are given a fair go in sport.

Danielle Bleazby is Director of Venues for Melbourne & Olympic Parks (M&OP).

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The Matildas before their FIFA Women's World Cup Quarter Final clash with France in Brisbane on 12th August with Australia’s Nation Brand on display on the half-way line. Credit: Chris Hyde - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images.

Australia’s World Cup Win

Sarkis Khoury explains how Australia’s Nation Brand was showcased globally during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 he highly successful FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & Nation Brand Advisory Council, cultural organisations, New Zealand 2023 - which shattered match attendance and T Austrade and federal, state and territory governments, and television viewership records coupled with the Matildas’ history making performance - also delivered a win for Australia’s ‘Nation Brand’.

The tournament set a new benchmark for all-time attendance records for the tournament attracting a total audience of over 1.9 million fans and billions of television viewers globally.

Raising awareness of Australia’s Nation Brand to the world began with an event during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour stop in Adelaide and then during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Importance of Nation Brand Publicly released in February 2022, Australia’s Nation Brand resulted from research and collaboration between Australia’s General view of Australia’s Nation Brand at the match between Australia and Nigeria in Brisbane. Credit: Matt Roberts - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images.

32 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

followed Australian businesses called for a strong, consistent nation brand.

Jessica Hamilton, Austrade General Manager Communication and Marketing, advises “the Nation Brand helps to show international audiences that we are as famous for our smarts as we are for being friendly and down to earth. We are a country that drives breakthroughs in science, technology, medical technology, and energy, and we offer world-class products in education and culture.”

The Economic Return of Nation Brands study notes the value of a nation’s brand correlates to factors that contribute to economic prosperity.

Australia’s Nation Brand was ranked 10th overall and in the top 10 across all key areas according to the 2022 Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index (NBI) index. Rankings were informed by feedback collected from 60,000 interviewees in 20 panel countries.

Explaining how Australia’s Nation Brand is used to promote and tell the stories of Australia’s people, places and their products across trade, investment, international education and the visitor economy, Hamilton notes “during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the largest women’s sporting event in the world, the Nation Brand was seen by over 1.2 million fans across the 32 matches held at Australian venues, as well as millions of viewers around the world.

“Australia’s Nation Brand appeared on electronic rotating boards positioned on the halfway line at both Sydney venues Stadium Australia and Sydney Football Stadium - and matches held in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

“Austrade acts as the custodian of Australia’s Nation

Brand, and we are privileged to manage the unifying brand that provides more than 440 free marketing assets - including the logo that was used on the sidelines - to help Australian businesses and government organisations promote Australia.

“More than 36,000 assets have been downloaded from the asset library, which includes the Australia logo, graphic devices, fonts, and colours; templates to support digital marketing, events and exhibitions, reports, brochures; a storytelling guide; and a suite of photography reflecting Australia by people, place and product.”

Nation Brand was co-created with Indigenous designers, Balarinji, and is an ‘umbrella’ brand to create a more unified presence for Australia on the world stage. The Australia logo includes a kangaroo bounding forward which reflects Australia’s optimism and is formed by a contemporary expression of three boomerangs.

Crowd records smashed Football fans across Australia and New Zealand embraced the tournament with stadium crowds at the 2023 tournament attracting over 1.9 million fans, across the 64 matches held.

Across Australia, more than 1.2 million fans attended the 32 matches held nationally.

The largest attendances were at Stadium Australia in Sydney, attracting five capacity-crowd matches of 75,784 - which included Australia’s opening match over Republic of Ireland, and the final between Spain and England - where Australia’s Nation Brand was also on display.

The crowd of 75,784 was a record home audience for a women’s football match in Australia and the third largest in FIFA Women’s World Cup history.

The previous record was 1.35 million set at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 in Canada which hosted 52 matches and had 24 teams. The next best-attended tournament was the third edition hosted by the USA in 1999, which attracted 1,214,209 fans across 32 matches.

Record breaking domestic audiences Across Australia, driven by the Matildas’ history making performance, the Nation Brand was seen by almost 18.6 million Australians who watched the tournament across the screens of Seven, including 14.76 million reached on broadcast and 3.82 million on 7plus.

Australia’s Matildas’ semi-final against England held at Sydney’s Stadium Australia became the most-watched TV program in more than two decades, with a reach of 11.15 million and an average audience of 7.2 million and most watched of their seven matches.

While the final reached 5.54 million Australians and drew an average national total audience of 3.08 million on Seven and 7plus.

Australia’s Nation Brand on show during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour. From left: Tom Rischbieth of Football Australia, Jessica Hamilton of Austrade and Ben Robertson of the Office for Sport. Credit: Austrade.

Matildas’ star Alanna Kennedy in action against France with Australia’s Nation Brand in the background. Credit: Elsa - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images.

International broadcast records smashed Record-breaking international television audiences also saw Australia’s Nation Brand on display too, as matches hosted across Australia were televised globally.

This included Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, England, France, Germany, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland, South Korea, and Spain - all important trade, investment, and tourism markets for Australia.

According to data from FIFA, the China PR v England match had the highest reach for a single match anywhere in the world with 53.9 million Chinese viewers watching some part of their team take on England. While China’s opening match was watched by 14.58 million viewers on CCTV5.

The Final which featured Spain and England, attracted record breaking numbers and provided an additional platform to increase awareness of Australia’s Nation Brand.

In Spain, 5.6 million watched the final, and it peaked at 7.4 million viewers, with data published by Barlovento Comunicacion highlighting 56.2% of the Spanish television audience was male. It was also the highest ever TV audience for a women’s football game.

Across England - now part of the recently completed Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement - the BBC announced the match attracted a peak audience of 12 million viewers on BBC One. This was higher than the men’s single Wimbledon final in July which peaked at 11.3 million.

ITV, which also covered the World Cup final in England, hit a reported peak of 14.4 million, according to figures from ratings compiler Barb. This made it a record TV audience in the UK for a Women’s World Cup Final.

According to data from FIFA other record-breaking broadcast matches held across Australia where Nation Brand was seen were: •England v Nigeria: 60.2% of the viewing audience in England watched the game - the highest FIFA Women’s World Cup™ share on record. The peak viewing audience was 5.5 million.

•Colombia v Germany: Attracted 10.36 million viewing audience, the second highest TV audience on any channel in Germany this year and the biggest audience for a live sporting event in the last 18 months.

•Republic of Ireland v Australia & Republic of Ireland v Canada: Registered record-breaking audiences in each country.

The Nation Brand has also been showcased at other significant international events. In 2022, it was featured at COP27 in Egypt, Asia Fruit Logistica in the Thai capital of Bangkok, GamesCom in Germany and during the Prime Minister’s visit to Indonesia.

Australia’s Nation Brand is a unifying platform with free assets for businesses, industries and government agencies.

To learn more about Australia’s Nation Brand visit, www.brandaustralia.com Sarkis Khoury is Senior Media Adviser in Austrade’s Communication and Marketing Division.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 33

Distinctive seating from Maxwood Technology in the main venue at the Geelong Arts Centre’s Little Malop Street building, and above right.

Raising the Curtain Following four years of design and construction, the redevelopment of the Geelong Arts Centre is now complete. Karen Sweaney explores he middle of August saw the Geelong Arts Centre welcome patrons to the grand opening of its transformed Little Malop T Street building, raising the curtain on the $140 million project.

The project has created Australia’s largest dedicated regional performing arts centre - centred on a 764-seat theatre Play House - establishing a new landmark for Geelong with new performance space alongside new bars and event spaces and a dining destination called Tutti.

Sitting in the heart of Geelong’s cultural precinct - recognised

by UNESCO as a City of Design - the building was designed by Ian McDougall, director of ARM Architecture.

With the grand opening featuring multi-ARIA-Award winning singer Jessica Mauboy along with an Australian comedy triple header starring Dave Thornton, Dilruk Jayasinha and Lizzy, the Centre already has more than 1,000 events already booked in across its venues in the months ahead.

Commenting on the expansion, Geelong Arts Centre Chief Executive and Creative Director, Joel McGuinness stated “this milestone in our cultural history puts Geelong Arts Centre on a global stage and ensures those from around our region and beyond can gather, connect, and share their passion for the arts right here in Geelong.

“Overall, we will have over 2,000 people in the building at any one time.

“One of the other key parts of the design that we’re really proud of is the work that we’ve done with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the region.

“The building has a cohesive First Nations narrative from across every floor and the process of co-design has been extraordinary in terms of working so closely for a number of years with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and other First Nations 34 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

New spaces in the Geelong Arts Centre’s Little Malop Street building.

Creating Exceptional Spaces people in the area on sharing and reflecting the narrative of this land as it has been for thousands of generations, so that’s amazing.”

Backed by the Victorian Government, the new building results from a collaboration between the Geelong Arts Centre, ARM Architecture, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the wider First Nations community who have worked together to welcome Country into the very fabric of the design and found opportunities for deep collaboration.

Ian McDougall, Director of ARM Architecture, commented “central to our architecture is the idea of local community engagement and storytelling.

“I think the most remarkable aspect of the design is the exciting combination of themes and stories from the widest community and especially a powerful telling of Wadawurrung stories. The whole project group worked together to capture Geelong’s spirit and build this into the physique of what is a campus of Geelong’s continuous history.”

Welcoming the new building, Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, Steve Dimopoulos stated “Geelong Arts Centre of old helped kickstart the careers of Rachel Griffiths, Guy Pearce and Dave Thornton and now this transformed facility will inspire a whole new generation.”

Backed by world leading manufacturers - the Kotobuki Group including Audience Systems and Interkal as well as internationally renowned Junckers Flooring, as Maxwood Technology - we have established ourselves as a leader in both sports flooring and audience seating solutions across the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Key features There are several spaces in the redeveloped Centre ready to house Geelong’s vibrant performing arts scene, including a new multi-format 542-seat theatre designed to expand to hold up to 800 audience members when in ‘live gig’ mode with a dance floor.

The building also includes a 250-seat contemporary hybrid venue that connects via a giant door to Little Malop Street Plaza, including the lively foyer, bar facilities and a range of event spaces, including alfresco dining.

A 750-seat playhouse theatre is the only part of the original venue, sitting in the middle of the complex.

Seating at the venue was supplied and installed by Maxwood Technology Australia.

Karen Sweaney is Editor of Australasian Leisure Management.

The exterior of the Geelong Arts Centre’s Little Malop Street building.

Head Office +61 2 8407 9538 E: sales@maxwoodtech.com.au W: www.maxwoodtech.com.au

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 35

Rotorua’s wellness game changer Karen Sweaney looks at the newly opened wellness and spa experience offered at Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa

F

ollowing a $52.21 million investment from the New Zealand Government and five years of planning, geotechnical prepara on, COVID challenges and building, Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa - located on the Rotorua lakefront - officially opened in June.

Combining the Rotorua region’s healing geothermal waters with Ngā Whakaue culture, healing prac ces and manaakitanga (the concept of care and hospitality), Wai Ariki has been designed to offer an authen c wellness and spa experience for manuhiri (guests).

The most significant luxury spa development in New Zealand for more than 100 years, it is also one of only a handful of indigenous-owned opera ons in the world.

David Tapsell, Deputy Chair of the project’s developer Pukeroa Oruawhata Group (POG) explains that Ngā Whakaue and Māori culture sits at the heart of the experience, with the 650-year history of the tribe in Rotorua and Rotorua’s spa heritage forming an intrinsic part of the development.

He advises “Wai Ariki is the living embodiment of the reason the geothermal city of Rotorua was first established.

“Since the 1800s, people have been visi ng our city from all over the world to experience the region’s healing geothermal waters. Wai Ariki con nues that legacy, reclaiming Rotorua’s tle and re-posi oning it as an interna onal spa and wellness des na on.

36 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

“Wai Ariki will be a game changer for our city, economy, tourism sector, community and our people.”

POG Chair Malcolm Short said there has been a deep focus on authen city throughout the development, sta ng “every element is founded on Ngā Whakaue principles, prac ces and stories, reflec ng the whakapapa (kinship) we have with the natural environment, from the heavens, to the water and the earth.

“These have come to define us through me. In par cular, the hot and cold experiences - while delivering therapeu c benefits - draw on the story of our ancestor, Ngātoroirangi, who called on life-saving geothermal heat when he was close to perishing on the cold and icy peak of Mt Tongariro.”

Explaining the wellness and relaxa on journey guests can expect at the Belgravia Leisure-managed a rac on, Arvid Ditchburn, Belgravia Leisure’s New Zealand Business Development Manager, comments “there are many experiences to choose from, all of which are devoted to replenishing the body and mind to achieve health and wellbeing in a truly unique culturally informed experience.

“Whether you are looking for a shared experience with friends or loved ones or just want to take some much-needed me out for yourself, all our exclusive experiences are set to delight, restore and revive and are unlike any other experience you’ve had before.”

Ditchburn adds “Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa’s unique features combine with therapeu c mineral waters to deliver a world-class sanctuary that provides a place to relax, sustain and heal.

“The way that culture has been incorporated throughout the concept, design and product offering, combined with its loca on and people, provides a level of authen city which we believe makes it unlike anything else in the world.”

Within its 4,453 metre² space Wai Ariki has two main spa areas: Wai Whakaora (Restora ve Journey) and Te Āhuru Mōwai (Sanctuary), a premium space for bathing and spa treatments plus a café and gi shop.

Wai Whakaora (Restora ve Journey) Wai Whakaora is a carefully planned, mul -sensory, restora ve journey made up of a series of hot and cold experiences designed to maximise therapeu c benefit. In addi on to a range of geothermal pools, freshwater and cold plunge pools, the restora ve journey includes a herbal pool, which combines mineral water with the aromatherapy proper es of na ve plants kawakawa (Piper excelsum) and koromiko (Hebe Ellip ca) to support calmness and relaxa on; a nourishing mud experience and an invigora ng frigidarium.

Te Āhuru Mōwai (Sanctuary) Te Āhuru Mōwai is the epitome of luxury and exclusivity at Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa and includes a range of sanctuary bathing experiences in geothermal mineral-rich waters, drawn directly from its source, deep below the surface. Guests can rest in a unique mineral bathing experience, combined with spa experiences founded on Ngā Whakaue tradi onal healing prac ces.

Belgravia Leisure Chief Execu ve, Nick Cox considers Wai Ariki to not only be a unique development for Rotorua, but one that also reclaims New Zealand’s preeminent posi on on Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 37

the global wellness stage. He advises “we are so proud to be able to share its uniqueness with the world in this way.”

History With New Zealand formed by the mee ng of two tectonic plates of the earth’s crust, the resultant geothermal ac vity sees warm water rising at loca ons across both the North and South Islands to form hot pools.

Tradi onally used by Māori for trea ng illness, cooking, hea ng and bathing, New Zealand’s geothermal waters were also the early focus of the na on’s tourism in New Zealand.

From the mid-19th century Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) tourists began visi ng Rotorua’s hot springs giving the Māori - who retained control over all major geothermal areas - economic independence.

As word spread about the thermal a rac ons, and access to the area improved, visitor numbers increased. The village of Ōhinemutu on Lake Rotorua’s shore developed as a stopover on the way to Te Wairoa and the premier visitor a rac on - the Pink and White Terraces beside Lake Rotomahana (destroyed in the 1886 erup on of Mount Tarawera).

Through to the current day, Rotorua’s bubbling mud pools, clouds of steam and natural hot springs are perfect for bathing and relaxing in – with the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa now offering a premium angle on this experience.

Visita on At the me of opening, New Zealand Tourism Minister Peeni Henare referenced tourism data which shows an es mated 220,000 interna onal visitors will come to the Rotorua region in 2023.

Seeing that Rotorua is well-placed to welcome interna onal visitors and tap into the trillion-dollar interna onal ‘wellness tourism’ market, Minister Henare advised “wellness tourism is a high-value visitor category, with total visitor spend on health and wellbeing over $1.7 million just this past April.

38 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

‘Relaxa on and wellbeing’ is on the top three reasons Kiwis travel to des na ons outside of where they live.

“The mineral waters of our geothermally rich regions have long been a feature of New Zealand that our visitors love.

“A facility like this, combined with the manaakitanga provided by Ngā Whakaue and the team onsite providing the services, is a tourism offering of significant poten al value for the region.”

Future With the facility seen as just one element of a wider health and wellness vision for POG’s 11-hectare site, Tapsell says the opening of Wai Ariki is just the beginning, adding “this is just the start of our vision for a unique health and wellness precinct. Tourism and manaakitanga are part of the fabric of Rotorua, and who we are as Ngā Whakaue.

“We’ll con nue to build upon our strong founda ons created with the opening of Wai Ariki, with exci ng plans in the pipeline for the former QE Health site, which will be enveloped into the precinct.”

Tapsell sees that “Wai Ariki is set to firmly posi on Rotorua in the global wellness and spa market.

“Every part of this spa provides a connec on to the Ngā Whakaue people and places that have come to define us through me.”

Centrally located in the North Island of New Zealand, the Rotorua region is renowned not only for its geothermal ac vity, lakes and forests, but also its rich Māori culture, embedded into all aspects of Wai Ariki.

With Rotorua’s spectacular hiking and mountain bike trails, range of high-quality accommoda on op ons and awardwinning cafes and restaurants, Wai Ariki guests can complete their wellness experience with an array of relaxa on or adventure-packed op ons for guests from around the world.

Karen Sweaney is Editor of Australasian Leisure Management.

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Myrtha’s Wellness Revolution Best known for its stainless steel pool technology, in recent years Myrtha Pools has expanded its exper se to the spa and wellness sector, supplying an extensive range of wellness products to the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa. Offering mul ple advantages from design to func onality and installed in more than 70 spa retreat and wellness centres worldwide, Wai Ariki represents the best showcase of Myrtha’s products in the Southern Hemisphere, with the company having supplied and installed Omoroa/ hammam, Finnish sauna, herbal sauna, Himalayan salt sauna, frigidarium, water paradise, heated relax beds, cold wading pool, private pools and hydrotherapy pool.

With New Zealand being prone to earthquakes, one of the key factors in the selec on of Wai Ariki’s Myrtha Wellness products is their high resistance to tectonic instability. The spa pools and wellness cabins feature modular stainless-steel panels, forming the founda on of their structures.

Myrtha Wellness Global Director, Stefano Ca aneo explains “the thermal centre is divided into different areas, a central thermal square overlooking a Finnish sauna, an herbal sauna, and a salt sauna. In this square, there’s also a Kneipp path to ensure thermal shock to the lower limbs a er a sauna or steam bath.

“With the same goal, guests of the Rotorua spa can choose other cold treatments such as a frigidarium with an ice fountain and other cold water features.”

The dis nc ve feature of the loca on is the Omoroa, a circular ‘stand-alone’ hammam made with a Myrtha stainless steel structure with a diameter of 7.6 metres, covering 46 square metres, en rely pre-engineered and clad in black mosaic.

The same structure that Myrtha uses for compe on pools, this Māori culture steam bath, is one of the very first Myrtha wellness projects where the structural technology of pools was applied.

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Reformer Pilates Credit: Yawa Aquatic Centre.

Credit: Heart Foundation.

Group Fitness Credit: Townsville City Council.

No longer ‘Business as usual’ Following on from his article in Australasian Leisure Management issue 156, Barrie Elvish explains that, in addition to calling on governments to enhance physical activity rates, he also wants the fitness industry to step up hile there is a real need for Federal and State governments past two years as an initiative to take action to enhance physical activity rates, there is a W to develop an open and lot this industry can do to support and progress policy changes and give comfort to elected parliamentarians and their policy makers in the face of the inevitable detractors and vested interests more concerned with protecting their own patch.

I learnt early that exercise and physical activity, in my case particularly outdoors, was an effective way to prevent poor mental health. For almost 60 years I had been practicing selfhelp without any idea of what that term meant.

Our sector, the physical activity, exercise, movement and fitness sector, has been a successful business model for the past 20 years and, Covid interruptions excepted, would probably have continued to do so for the next 20 years as digitalisation, a growing focus on community and individual wellbeing continues, new niche programs and concepts are developed. The industry has a well-earned reputation for energy, creativity and innovation - albeit in many instances variations on a theme.

At a global level, World Active has been created over the 40 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

transparent platform for the fitness and physical activity sector, in line with its mission to get “more people, more active, more often” and its vision “to be the worldwide representative voice of the fitness and physical activity sector, working for a physically active, healthier world”.

While this could be Barrie Elvish. perceived as underwhelming at best - after all most developed countries have effective or embryonic industry associations, memberships continue to grow, government interference or regulations are fairly nonexistent, and profits are being made. On a global scale we have International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) and Europe Active, both with their own regional

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Credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio.

Credit: Fit your Ability.

empires, both trying to bring in new allies, both involved in some territorial creep, not collaborative, but also not blatantly competitive.

Of course, none of us could have predicted the emergence of Covid and its devastating impacts on not just our sector but global economies. Covid presented unprecedented challenges for our sector as decisions with severe operational ramifications were made by external health policy makers, ignorant bureaucrats and politicians, and some sections of the sensationalist media. This was the first major crisis the sector had experienced and it was ill prepared for it. The temptation for many operators in our sector, particularly as there are good signs of strong bounce backs, with the possible exception of some F45 facilities, to return to business as usual is compelling.

Why fix what isn’t broke?

In my view, Covid has generated several crisis opportunities that should not be ignored. If I use the Australian experience as an example Covid has: •Caused health authorities to look at our sector differently •Made it obvious that our sector is incorrectly categorised under ‘sport’ in government policy decisions •Demonstrated vividly the role, we play in the preventative health environment - remember being told we could go outside to exercise, and it was important to do so •Created opportunities to have our preventive role acknowledged, solidified and entrenched. And funded if not directly then indirectly through increased funding on programs like national GAPPA generated initiatives which as we know leads to more participation in our sector In Australia we are doing our best to take advantage of these opportunities, but our industry needs to move beyond a pre Covid mindset that was in effect a comfortable echo chamber Aqua Fitness. Credit: Shutterstock.

of self-congratulation, and engage with health bureaucrats, policy makers, finance departments, politicians and other stakeholders to ensure our critical role in preventative health is recognised, appreciated and supported.

At a global level, World Active can help other nations and jurisdictions lift their standards and assist with the development of local associations taking into account local context and conditions. Acting together, we can do our absolute best to make sure that when the next Covid-type global health crisis emerges, and it will, we are not subject to draconian knee jerk reposes from health authorities but our combined capabilities are used to mitigate against epidemics, ballooning chronic disease rates and poor mental health.

In Australia, we want to be taken seriously, with an acknowledgement of the integral role we play in Australia’s preventive health and for there to be a deconstruction of the nation’s established health industry paradigm.

Key components to this would be our industry having access to NDIS programs, aged care in home packages, and greater health insurance rebates. Fringe benefit tax on gym memberships removed and fitness club memberships to be tax deductible; for doctors to prescribe exercise and physical activity as a first choice, for all of Australia’s states and territories to follow Queensland’s lead and to classify gyms as ‘essential services’ and ultimately for our sector to be recognised by Medicare?

While we would be the first country in the world to achieve this complete package of objectives - I believe they are all achievable if the industry takes itself seriously and behaves seriously.

How do we make this happen?

Before Covid, AUSactive conducted a survey to see what level of support existed for the introduction of a regulatory framework in our sector; the response was overwhelmingly in favour.

Now, it has to be acknowledged that talk of regulation is counterproductive with some sections of our industry, but I am not talking about bureaucratic red tape or unnecessary paperwork that only adds to operational administration.

42 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

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I propose a softer opt in model of accreditation that hangs off a regulatory framework developed in consultation with the industry, key external stakeholders and government policy makers. The model could evolve over a 12 to 18 month period, achieve buy in and support from our membership and be presented to government as the industry preferred model for implementation.

The model could include such aspects as a revised Code of Ethics, education and professional development requirements, operational standards, community inclusion, audit and sanction protocols and community engagement guidelines. Exercise professionals and facilities could then choose to opt in to the Accreditation system and by doing so receive recognition by, and access to, government health programs, private health insurers and the wider health system. This is similar to the system that operates in Australia’s early childhood sector where although accreditation is not compulsory 95% of providers do elect to opt in.

The time for AUSactive and supportive industry players to be accreditation trendsetters is now as: •Australia has appalling chronic disease rates including obesity, diabetes and physical inactivity rates •Covid has exacerbated the already dire state of mental health in Australia •The health system is at breaking point and unsustainable in its current form •Economic productivity is low and worsening •Australia has a major Covid induced budgetary problem •NDIS is allegedly being rorted by unscrupulous operators •Australia has an ageing population •There are rumblings of Regulation being mandated •Every day there is more research and media coverage on the benefits of exercise •The Federal Government is looking for trusted partners to address the above and other related issues.

The AUSactive Board has unanimously given the go ahead to fully develop an Accreditation concept and the successful Fit for Office campaign has provided us with multiple entry points to begin positive discussions with the Federal Government and the Opposition on a possible Accreditation regime.

Indeed, recent discussions with the offices of the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Minister for Health and Aged Care, have been very positive. Both have encouraged the development of an Accreditation program, mentioned the concept of accreditation equivalence in the healthcare sector and encouraged AUSactive submissions to relevant policy reviews. We need to take the opportunities that are presented to us.

Barrie Elvish is Chief Executive of AUSactive and Chair of World Active.

He wrote on how fitness and exercise sector can save Medicare in ALM issue 156.

44 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

AUSactive campaign calls on Federal Parliamentarians to be ‘Fit for Office’ An example of AUSactive entrepreneurship in action, the body has launched its ‘Fit for Office’ campaign, challenging Federal MPs and their staff to be part of a friendly four-week challenge.

Launched at Parliament House in Canberra at the beginning of September with the support of 26 Federal parliamentary members and almost 150 of their staffers, the campaign aims to highlight Australia’s inactivity and health crisis and emphasise how exercise and physical activity can relieve the economic burden.

The friendly four-week challenge, which ran from 25th September to 22nd October - encouraged Australians to be active more often and raise awareness of the importance of regular physical activity.

Looking to inspire Australians to be more physically active and to spark the conversation about the importance of exercise, the MPs and their teams’ efforts were measured via wearable Myzone heart rate monitors worn on the chest, wrist or upper arm to log their physical activity before, during and after the workday. Participants were able to follow a live leaderboard to monitor their progress against each other.

Modelled on earlier US and UK campaigns, the AUSactive campaign stems from the peak body’s commitment to promoting exercise as preventative health. The campaign strongly supports the Australian Government’s commitment (in 2018), to the WHO’s Global Action Plan for Physical Activity and we want to help the government to inspire 15% more Australians to be more active by 2030.

Subscriptions Subscribe to this magazine for just $99 (in Aus/NZ) for 12 months/six issues.

To subscribe go to subscribe.ausleisure.com.au

Credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio.

Revealing the

Unexpected Lisa Lord explains the value of mystery shopping for fitness businesses n established method of testing the quality of services, when incorporated into business mystery shopping - a research A technique used to evaluate the quality control of all areas of a business that includes the sales process and the customer experience - is a proven method to significantly enhance your membership sales.

Reports generated through mystery shopping will reveal both your strong points and areas for improvement within your sales process. Consider mystery shopping as a strategic insurance policy, empowering you to drive increased membership and program sales, elevating your business by optimising sales performance.

The initial step for every fitness business considering mystery shopping is to define specific objectives. Once the criteria they want evaluated is identified the reporting format is aligned (reports are ‘tailored’ specifically for each client) with these individual goals and objectives and the mystery shopping is then set up to focus on any/all particular areas of the business.

46 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

At Mystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses, we carry out a variety of mystery shops. One of our trained mystery shoppers will call your facility ask the questions and answer your questions just like a prospect in real life who wants to join.

‘Walk In Tours’ are carried out at your gym, health club, recreation centre or studio and the ultimate mystery shop is our ESP (entire sales process) whereas we start with an initial call - make an appointment to tour/attend a class/book in a swim school session - walk away without signing up and then waiting for and reporting back on the important follow up. Our reports are comprehensive and provide phenomenal feedback of the complete overall picture.

The top three reasons as to why you would Mystery Shop your business: -Gain valuable insights into the customer experience during the sales process, highlighting staff interactions, communication effectiveness and professionalism.

-Assessment of the gym’s sales techniques, identifying strengths and weaknesses in handling objections, explaining membership options and upselling.

-Aids in competitor analysis by comparing your sales process to competitors, helping to refine pricing transparency, membership benefits and tours.

As for the critical component of mystery shopping - you have received your report, but you need to know how to make the most of this valuable feedback.

•Analyse the reports and identify areas ripe for improvement.

•Measure and monitor performance of individual team members.

•Plan ongoing training and development.

•Benchmark results and set new targets.

•Review your customer experience standards.

•Reward and Recognition.

The data we compile is often a reality check (including on the operational side of things). It drives action through

Credit: Pexels/Yan Krukau.

modifications and is a great foundation to develop strategies to improve. Some of these findings may surprise you: •Enquiries addressed within 24 hours - 70% •Knowledgeable interactions - 82% •Instances of proactive conversation - 64% •Converted to an appointment - 59% •Follow up after a ‘no show’ to tour - 96% •Lack of effective strategies for overcoming objections - 80% •Did not answer a call with their name or re-introduce themselves - 45% Mystery shopping reveals the unexpected: •Proof of staff doing their job daily at a disengaged level •Incorrect contact numbers on website, socials and Google My Business •Unclear and/or confusing benefits or information •What your staff consider benefits to a prospect without knowing what the prospect wants •95% of mystery shops on a Saturday had disappointing results •Sales processes not being followed And one we never expected. On a routine mystery shop call evaluation we heard ‘Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, please note our reduced hours over the Christmas Holiday period …”. A nice message except that it was February!

Interestingly our data shows that the top rating aspect our Mystery Shoppers love is first and foremost friendliness followed by when team members really personalise the experience for them and ‘sell’ them the kind of things you can’t put a price on - support, care, community.

When staff take that little extra time to build a connection by laying questions on answers and finding out the callers needs and goals then in turn demonstrating how their club will be able to help meet these goals is always impressive. Being an active listener, showing empathy and understanding specific requirements is how to gain trust and have a meaningful conversation.

The lowest rating aspect is when our mystery shoppers feel ‘quizzed’ with an abundance of scripted questions. Rushing through a call with a boring tone of voice and giving the impression of zero interest came in at a close second.

Mystery shoppers were also put off when being invited to tour before any discussion has taken place at all, they are looking for some rapport in the first instance. And one that is slowly but surely creeping up in percentage is the ‘over the top’ follow up. Follow up is an extremely important part of nurturing the relationship with a prospective member.

However, there must be a balance between persistence and annoyance. Know when to take a hint as there is nothing more annoying than when you ‘Opt out’ but still continue to receive ongoing communication.

Mystery Shopping really does provide a reliable snapshot of what is happening on ground level in your fitness facility.

We will help you confirm what you already know about your business, disprove what you thought and maybe discover things you don’t know are happening.

It will identify workplace challenges and help you formulate an action plan to close the gaps between your current and ideal customer service. Mystery Shop - Set A Vision - Training - Drive Change - Empowerment - Reward & Recognition = Service Excellence and the Ultimate Customer Experience that quite simply leads to optimal sales and membership retention. Use the results to design targeted training programs within your fitness business. Track the progress over time so that your business is always evolving to meet the expectations of your prospective members.

We have a commitment to enhancing the fitness journey of your prospects along with fortifying your Team’s sales acumen which is fuelled by the insightful mystery shopping results and reports that Mystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses will provide for your fitness business.

Lisa Lord is the General Manager of Mystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses powered by Active Management.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 47

Crowd at the Australian F1 Grand Prix.Credit: Shutterstock.

Crowd Management and the ‘Swiss Cheese’ metaphor Nigel Benton explores a new concept in crowd hazard reduction

T

he first Crowd Safety Summit Australia, which took place in May at the University of NSW in Sydney, resulted in an impressive scientific paper, published in the journal Safety Science.

The paper explains how a ‘Swiss Cheese Model’ approach to crowd safety is an appropriate way to distinguish the different ‘layers’ of safety measures needed to prevent accidents with crowds and to work on a Vision Zero target (a principle that no one should be killed or seriously injured).

The paper Contemporary Challenges in Crowd Safety Research and Practice, and a Roadmap for the Future: The Swiss Cheese Model of Crowd Safety and the Need for a Vision Zero target was written by Milad Haghani of the UNSW’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in collaboration with 19 other professionals in the field of crowd safety from around the world.

The paper discusses a model that takes the implementation of multiple layers of safety measures, which it suggests should become the norm for crowd safety practice.

The concept A concept widely used in industries such as aviation, healthcare and nuclear power, the Swiss Cheese Model is a concept used in risk management and safety engineering which helps to explain how multiple layers of defence can help prevent accidents and errors. This model visualises holes, as found in Swiss cheese, as potential weaknesses in a system.

The layers of cheese are the various defences put in place to help prevent failure.

In crowd safety, the Swiss Cheese Model is based on the starting point that each individual safety protection measure is subject to flaws, and that each of these layers has the potential to fail. However, by having multiple layers in place, the likelihood of a critical failure occurring is substantially reduced.

In short, multiple safety layers ensure that the system does not fail unless all individual layers do, which is much less likely than the failure of a single layer.

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Five layers for Crowd Safety In the Safety Science paper, Haghani et. al. name five layers to the Swiss Cheese Model of Crowd Safety: Policy and legislation: this level is important to establish minimum safety standards which must be met by event organisers and authorities. For example, requirements for the number and placement of exits, crowd control measures and emergency response plans. Moreover, legislation and policy can also play a role in the means of accountability for authorities and event organisers through penalties for noncompliance with safety requirements.

Planning: is a two-step level of ‘Risk Assessment’ and ‘Simulation and Modelling’. A risk assessment helps determine which risks are reasonably foreseeable and what appropriate measures can be taken to prevent or mitigate these risks. Tools like DIM-ICE and RAMP analysis support this process. A welldocumented risk assessment is proof that the stakeholders responsible for crowd safety understand their responsibility.

Computer simulations allow planners and designers to test and optimise crowd management strategies in a controlled, virtual environment. The use of simulation studies is increasingly popular, but it has several practical challenges.

One major challenge is the need for accurate, reliable data used as input for a simulation study.

Operational: the operational layer mentions ‘Visual Monitoring’, ‘Sensors’ and ‘Social Media Monitoring’. The first one, visual monitoring, relates to real-time video feeds from surveillance cameras. Sensors in crowd safety can provide real-time data and information used to monitor crowds, detect potential safety risks and to respond quickly to emergencies.

By monitoring social media feeds it is possible to gain valuable insights into crowd behaviour. Moreover, it can help to identify risks.

Community and behavioural: discusses the layer of ‘Safety Culture’ and ‘Nudge & Soft Interventions’. The latter

Risk Assessment and Crowd Management

The Swiss Cheese Model of Crowd Management. Credit: Event Safety Institute.

mentioned involves the use of subtle interventions to influence the behaviour of people within a crowd (nudging). This can be done through simple things such as the placement of signage.

Nudging is most effective when used alongside other measures, such as crowd control barriers. Safety Culture can promote good crowd management practices. Through promoting a good safety culture, people can learn to take responsibility for their own safety and help to ensure the safety of others in crowded places. Educating individuals on how to act safely within a crowd can help reduce risks.

Incident response and impact mitigation: this layer names the actions of ‘Zero Responders’ and ‘First Responders’. Zero Responders are the people who are not trained as emergency responders, but who are present at the scene of an emergency.

These individuals can provide immediate assistance and help to mitigate the harm before emergency responders arrive.

They are helpful in a crowd emergency as they can alert the emergency services, provide first aid, assist with evacuations, and provide comfort and support. First Responders are the emergency responders, including fire, police and medical personnel, who are responsible for responding to emergencies that occur in crowds.

Multi-layer and multi-agent approach There is no gold standard as a solution to crowd safety problems but the paper concludes by offering two recommendations that have potential to tangibly enhance crowd safety practice: Development, adaption and deployment of the of a multilayer crowd safety model: Having multiple layers of protection reduces the chances of a hazard passing through all layers.

Improved communication and interaction between stakeholders of crowd safety: the model cannot be successfully implemented without close collaboration of all major stakeholders. It requires collaborations between academics, community, government, crowd safety professionals and the media.

All this to get to the end goal - a Vision Zero of Crowd Safety, the global initiative of bringing deaths and severe injuries in crowded spaces to zero by a set year.

Nigel Benton is Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management.

With thanks to by Manon Gijbels and Roderick van Gelder of the Event Safety Institute.

Commenting on the Swiss Cheese Model, crowd safety expert Roderick van Gelder of the Event Safety Institute and a contributor to the Safety Science paper, explained that its concept “is that every hazard reduction system has its shortcomings, represented by the holes in Swiss cheese.

“Because each system has different holes of different sizes at different positions, a hole in one ‘slice’ can be covered by another ‘slice’ and prevent the failures that can occur in dealing with the safety of crowds.”

Paying particular attention to planning, van Gelder explains the process structure in building a risk assessment report that will underpin the crowd management plan.

Identifying the layers in the plan In the crowd management plan, the first layer will be the ‘type of event’. Concerts require a different approach from religious gatherings, protests a different approach from a street festival. And then within those broad descriptions, we look in further detail to the event type and site/venue specifics.

The next layer will be ‘demographics’. Understanding what the general age, gender and expectations are of the crowd. Is it a homogenic crowd with quite clear norms? Or is it a crowd with different, possibly conflicting norms and interests? In this layer, Haghani‘s point regarding education comes up, the matter in which they have had some form of education in recognizing risks and dealing with these risks.

This layer will be closely linked to the next one, ‘design’.

Understanding the demographics will aid in the design or layout of services, signage and facilities for the event.

Families with small children have different requirements from people in their 20s.

As stated above, design looks at services and facilities required to keep the crowd happy and to improve the overall comfort level of the crowd. A happy crowd is an easy crowd to manage. And a well laid out site will improve the flow of people around the event venue. Adding extra bars to service a beer thirsty crowd (it takes longer to pour a beer than a glass of wine) calculating how long the queues may be and making sure you don’t obstruct the flow between the event and the toilets.

Then we look at ‘information’. What do people need to know when and how will we distribute that information? This is where age will play a big role: a younger crowd will want to find information on their devices where an older crowd will more rely on information given ahead of the event or on on-site signage. The size, consistency and positioning of signage has a huge impact on their effectiveness. Part of this slice is how information will be given to people not yet on-site during ingress, and how information is given in emergencies.

And finally, ‘management’. A large part of that will be staffing levels at different times, in different roles and different positions. Carefully understanding arrival patterns will help reducing queues by planning appropriate staff levels. But because we also need to look at budgets, we need to find the delicate balance between service and costs. Look at how we can move staff between positions to make the most efficient use of their skills.

The last three layers can then be reviewed against the three stages of an event: Ingress, Circulation and Egress.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 49

Fright Night at Warner Bros Movie World on the Gold Coast and Sea World‘s most recent addition, the Leviathan (below right).

All About the Experience Bill Gillies reveals how guest experiences are key to full attractions recovery

T

he latest edi on of the TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index shows that the world’s theme parks, waterparks and museums bounced back in 2022, repor ng annual a endance or revenues - and some mes both - at par or even above pre-pandemic levels.

Providing informa on on the world’s most-visited theme parks, waterparks and museums, the recently released 17th edi on of the annual publica on showed that, although regional differences varied last year, much of the industry moved towards full recovery as pandemic restric ons were relaxed and pent-up demand for loca on-based entertainment was released.

Sites across much of the world took advantage of these market condi ons to a ract impressive numbers of visitors - with a rac ons in North America and Europe genera ng average a endance figures close to 2019’s record numbers.

Commen ng on the findings, John Robine , Senior Vice President of AECOM’s Economics and Advisory Prac ce, stated “2022 has proven that people are craving experiences with family and friends, which is fuelling the near-total recovery for many parts of our industry.

“The pandemic has ushered in a renewed focus on the guest experience, and savvy operators are already taking advantage of the efficiencies new technologies and trends are providing.

“That resulted in some operators seeing 2022 revenues that exceeded 2019 levels, even though a endance o en lagged slightly behind. In fact, with con nued

50 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

strong demand, we expect to see even more growth in a endance and revenue for 2023 and beyond.”

However, China was an excep on, with pandemic lockdowns increasing through most of 2022, affec ng a endances in domes cally and in markets relying on Chinese tourists.

Looking forward though, Beth Chang, Execu ve Director of AECOM’s Economics Prac ce for its Asia region, noted “with China now reopened and travel star ng to pick up, we expect 2022 was the final chapter in this region’s recovery story.”

Separate to the TEA/AECOM report, June Ko, Asia Pacific Execu ve Director and Vice President for the Interna onal Associa on of Amusement Parks and A rac ons (IAAPA), recently revealed how the region has recovered from the impact of the pandemic, advising “despite the pandemic, infla on and rising costs, we see that people are willing to spend more on the experience, to spend me with family and friends.”

However, Ko sees a range of challenges that the industry is facing, including changing guest behaviour and how “we are facing a manpower challenge, we cannot hire enough people - and we need people to manage the higher expecta ons of guests.

“Now everyone wants to feel special, everyone has reflected during the pandemic and they expect more a en on.”

Experiences These changing expecta ons are summed up by Francisco Refuerzo, an economist with AECOM, who explains “theme parks and waterparks have been

looking at ways to reduce fric on for guests and make experiences be er and more interac ve.

“This includes inten onally crea ng and selling - technology to allow the guest to more fully interact with experiences in the park.”

The TEA/AECOM report advises that “in 2022, operators became laser-focused on improving the guest experience.

“This has resulted in a con nued focus on crea ng the best guest experience.

Whether through cke ng policy, new merchandise or con nued investment in park a rac ons, being inten onal about how visitors interact with (and in turn spend money with) the park and its brands has proven profitable. Special events within the parks remain popular.

“Extra cketed events, par cularly around Halloween and the winter holidays, con nue to drive addi onal a endance and revenue to parks.”

It also notes the con nued refinement of in-park technology that completes the guest experience, star ng from the process of buying ckets.

With Covid having forced a mass accelera on of consumers online, a rac ons have had to follow.

As the TEA/AECOM report states “people don’t want to queue, they want to pre-purchase ckets and experiences and they want interac ve experiences”.

Lessons learned and trends emerging from the pandemic, many of them described above, have led a rac ons operators to centre their investments and strategies around improving the guest experience.

Another strategy involving crowd control is Disney’s efforts to purposefully limit capacity (some mes by 20%) at some of its domes c and interna onal parks during key holiday periods in order to preserve the guest

experience. Some of these improvements have the dual goal of maintaining the per capita spending and length of stay trends at parks that emerged post-pandemic.

However, there has also been some resistance to the increased cost of visi ng parks.

Around the world, parks looked for opportuni es to engage with guests beyond the gate, such as developing their surrounding proper es into full resort concepts by introducing themed or immersive hotels and/or new complimentary uses like retail and leisure ac vi es.

Much like other visitor a rac ons, museums are focusing on improving the guest experience.

While a endance con nues to be driven by special exhibits, many museums are inves ng in their permanent exhibi ons to make them more immersive and engaging.

Museums are also more keenly aware of their role in communi es, and the expecta ons that go along with that. Efforts to expand diversity in the workforce and visitor popula on con nue, as do programs that take the museum’s mission outside its tradi onal campus.

Linda Cheu, Vice President with AECOM’s Economics and Advisory Prac ce, advises “we see visitor a en on spans decreasing, and museums are making changes to adapt to this reality.

“In order to remain relevant, museums are developing their facili es to create interac ve and educa onal spaces where people can spend me together with family and friends.”

While a endance con nues to be driven by special exhibits, many museums are inves ng in their permanent exhibi ons to make them more immersive and engaging.

Museums are also more keenly aware of their role in communi es, and the expecta ons that go along with that. Efforts to expand diversity in the workforce and visitor popula on con nue, as do programs that take the museum’s mission outside its tradi onal campus.

Sophis cated Consumers The pandemic revealed a sophis cated consumer base that is willing to pay more for out of home entertainment and experiences. However, consumers also demand more in terms of comfort, ease, quality, and sa sfac on.

Overall tolerance for big crowds and long waits seems to have gone down. Operators con nued to introduce strategies like dynamic pricing and cke ng products, as well as make big investments in mobile app services and improvements in the way they engage with guests. Business intelligence and data analy cs were a big part of informing changes to opera ons and management for many parks.

Bill Gillies writes for Australasian Leisure Management.

The 2022 TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index is available to download from the TEA and AECOM websites.

Its cover image (above) shows Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, USA which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 51

People In Brief Nick Aspinall has joined Evolt 360 as Chief Sales Officer.

Christchurch City Council’s Jen Baen-Price has been named Lifeguard of the Year at the 2023 National Aquatics Awards.

Wes Battams, having completed 26 years as the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) Director, has announced his retirement effective in early December 2023.

Lucia Brennan has taken up the role of Group Manager Metropolitan Melbourne at Sport and Recreation Victoria.

The USA’s National Basketball Association has appointed media executive, Kelly Cooke, as their Head of Content Distribution and Direct-to-Consumer Partnerships for Asia-Pacific.

Michaela Curran has been promoted to the role of Membership and Engagement Supervisor within the City of Swan’s Swan Active Midland team.

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art Australia has appointed Lamia Dabboussy as Director of Engagement.

Tahnee Donkin is the new National Fitness Manager at Genesis Fitness Clubs.

The Victorian Institute of Sport has advised of the appointment of Hannah Every-Hall as its new General Manager High Performance.

Former Victorian Arts Minister Martin Foley has been named Chair of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, the body responsible for Melbourne’s $1.7 billion art and design gallery.

Nathan Gardiner has been appointed as the new Head of Technology and Innovation at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

The Australian Sporting Alliance for People with a Disability (ASAPD) has appointed Dr Phil Hamdorf as its inaugural Chief Executive.

Fiona Hawes has joined Y Australia’s new Y Careers initiative in the role of Executive Manager - Marketing and Communications.

Coryn Huddy has become part of the ASM Global team, being appointed Head of Events - South Precinct at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park.

Global sports and entertainment venues point of sale (POS) specialist, MyVenue, has appointed Claudia Lezcano to its Board of Directors.

Dentsu Sports International has appointed Echo Li in the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer.

Selena Magill is the new Chief Operations Officer at Melbourne & Olympic Parks.

Businessman Peter Margin has been appointed as the Chair of Golf Australia.

Rose Minar has been promoted to the role of Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at Lift Brands.

HOTA, the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts, has announced the appointment of Susi Muddiman as Director, Gallery and Visual Arts.

Swimming Australia High Performance Director Tamara Sheppard has resigned from her role to take up a role as General Manager of High Performance at USA Rugby.

Former consultant John Summers of Leisure Management Excellence has taken up a new role as General Manager of the Brighton Recreational Centre in Melbourne.

Glen Taylor has joined Torque Fitness as APAC Sales Director.

Jeremy Wilson has been appointed as the new pool manager at the City of Armadale’s Guyra Swimming Pool.

Funlab’s Blaise Witnish is to relocate to the USA to head Funlab’s new North American operations as acting Chief Executive and Chief Growth Officer.

52 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

Vale: Rodd Craig The Australian Business Events Association has acknowledged the achievements of Rodd Craig who died in September after a short battle with poor health.

Rodd had a long and distinguished career in the exhibition industry. He commenced his career in the late eighties in Queensland partnering with local organisations to aid in the delivery of events such as the Courier Mail Real Estate & Property Expo, Courier Mail Home Shows, and the Personal Investment Money Shows.

Vale: Ross Melville The Y in Australia has acknowledged the achievements of Life Governor Ross Melville, who died at the end of July aged 78.

Described as “a true giant of the Y”, Melville was seen “as an outstanding leader during his 15 years as the YMCA of Brisbane’s Chief Executive from 1992 until 2007”.

Known for his hands-on approach and opendoor policy, Ross was responsible for the incredible growth of the Y of Brisbane and Y-Care on all levels, advancing the association to a strong and reputable organisation.

New Chair at WAIS The Western Australian Government has appointed Dr Neale Fong (pictured) as the new Chair of the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS).

The appointment follows resignations across the WAIS board in the wake of the 2022 Sport Integrity Australia report which found that the WAIS allowed women in its gymnastics program to be abused over three decades.

The WAIS’ Steve Lawrence has also left his position as Chief Executive at the Institute after 22 years in the role.

Chris Nikou to step down as Chair of Football Australia Football Australia Chair, Chris Nikou, has announced that he will stand down from the role before the end of the year.

Nikou told the Board and Congress Members of his decision to step down from the position and not seek re-election following Football Australia’s Annual General Meeting in November.

Stephen Conroy named first independent chair of the A-Leagues Australian

Professional

Leagues has announced the appointment of former Federal Senator Stephen Conroy as the first independent chair of the A-Leagues.

A long-time President of Volleyball Victoria and an ambassador for A-League club Melbourne City, Conroy takes up the role at Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the body that runs the A-Leagues, as it hopes to carry on the momentum of this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

IAAPA enhances team with new appointments IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry has enhanced its leadership team with the addition of three strategic hires that will drive its commitment to advancing the attractions industry worldwide.

The new appointees are Jack Chan as Executive Director and Vice President of IAAPA APAC; Jorge Cabrera, Senior Vice President, People Development and Christy Spahn as Vice President of Expo Sales and Operations.

Fitness On Demand names Andy Peat as new Chief Executive USA-based Fitness On Demand™ has appointed Andy Peat as its new Chief Executive, promoted from the role of Chief Product Officer at Lift Brands to drive a new phase of innovation and expansion.

Peat assumes leadership of Fitness On Demand’s operations spanning 2,800 locations worldwide, tasked with propelling the brand’s evolution to being a technological partner for fitness establishments in the fitness, corporate, hospitality and multi-family housing sectors.

First New Zealander to be President of global zoos body Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo Chief Executive, has been confirmed as the President for the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Council, making her the first New Zealander in history to hold this global position.

Fifield was confirmed as the incoming President during the recent WAZA Council meeting and was appointed by member vote. Her term runs for two years.

WAZA is the global alliance of conservation-based zoos and aquariums, national and regional zoo and aquarium associations and academic professionals.

Inaugural Chief Executive at Experience Gold Coast John Warn (pictured), a senior tourism executive with experience in hospitality, major events, sport, retail and the arts has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive of the Gold Coast’s new entity - Experience Gold Coast.

Warn, the Chief Operating Officer at hotel group Accor (Pacific) and former Chair of both Cricket NSW and Destination NSW was unanimously chosen by the Board to lead this new entity charged with driving visitation growth and economic investment.

In a related development, Grant Hunt - Director of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, the G’Day Group and Discovery Parks - has been named as the new Chair of Tourism and Events Queensland.

Send your people news to leisure@ausleisure.com.au

People

AFL appoints Laura Kane as new Executive General Manager of Football The AFL has announced the promotion of Laura Kane as its new Executive General Manager of Football.

Kane, who has filled the position on an interim basis since Brad Scott left the role last year to coach Essendon, will now be the AFL’s most senior sporting official as well as becoming one of the most senior deputies to incoming Chief Executive.

Inaugural Chief Executive at Stadiums Tasmania The Tasmanian Government has announced that James Avery has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive of its Stadiums Tasmania agency.

Avery will move into the new role having spent eight years as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive of the GWS GIANTS Football Club.

The Tasmanian Government has also announced the Board of Directors for the state’s new AFL and AFLW teams.

In addition to inaugural Chair Grant O’Brien, the other Directors will be Alastair Lynch, Alicia Leis, Graeme Gardner, James Henderson, Kath McCann, Kathy Schaefer, Laura McBain and Roger Curtis.

Staff changes at Xplor Technologies Xplor Technologies has undertaken a series of changes in staffing of its Australian operations.

Michelle Furniss, formerly responsible for Xplor’s TrueCoach product, has been promoted to a new international position of General Manager - Gym. Another change has seen Colin Walker move from his role of General Manager - Gyms and Studios AU/NZ to a new position as Director of Payments AU/NZ, heading Xplor’s payments division across Australia and New Zealand.

A series of departures at Xplor this year have seen Davin Miller move on from being Chief Executive of Xplor’s APAC Health and Fitness Division.

Swimming Australia President moves to Chief Executive’s role at National Sports Tribunal Michelle Gallen (pictured), Swimming Australia President is moving to the Chief Executive role at the National Sports Tribunal - an independent body responsible for settling complicated sports disputes, covering everything from doping violations to disciplinary matters, governance issues, bullying and discrimination.

Gallen was elevated to the president’s role less than a year ago, replacing Tracy Stockwell.

With the NST appointment requiring her to relinquish her position on the Swimming Australia Board, fellow Board Member Susan Smith is filling the role vacated by Gallen on an interim basis.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 53

People/ Products

New Chair and Board appointments announced for Adelaide Festival Adelaide Festival and the South Australian Government have announced the appointment of cultural leader Tracey Whiting as Chair of the Adelaide Festival Corporation. Whiting succeeds Judy Potter who leaves the Festival Board after eight years of service.

In addition, former Adelaide Festival Artistic Director, choreographic luminary and Nunukal/Ngugi Man of Qandamooka Peoples and Munaldjali Man of Yugambeh Nation Southeast Queensland, Stephen Page also joins the Festival Board.

Digital upgrade helps YMCA North get more people active A new software platform that makes it easy for aquatic and recreation customers to book and pay online has led to a surge in online bookings for swimming lessons and group fitness classes at YMCA sites across Auckland and Waikato.

The Y launched the Envibe leisure management system across 14 of its aquatic, fitness and recreation facilities in July, with the convenience added by the portal leading to an increase in online group fitness and swimming lesson bookings while also making it easy for customers to update their contact, payment and other important details online, reducing administration for staff.

Developed by Jonas Leisure, the system helps facility managers handle all aspects of their business, from memberships and organisation of group fitness classes and swimming lessons, payments, stock management and customer communications.

Contact 1300 858 840, E: customercare@envibe.com.au, www.envibe.com.au

XV Capital makes Board appointment to drive global sports tech expansion Leading sports advisory and investment firm, XV Capital, founded by former Australian Rugby Union captain Stirling Mortlock and business partner James Godfrey, has expanded its Board and made key executive appointments to accelerate its growth in the multi-billion dollar global sports tech industry.

Operating at the intersection of innovation, sport and investment, XV Capital has welcomed John James, Managing Director of USA-based Vanguard Institutional Investor Group; Angus Wilson, Senior Managing Director of UK-based FTI Consulting Limited and Mark Cameron, Chief Executive of Digital Transformation management consultancy Alyve as Directors.

54 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

ACTI’FUN by Proludic secures award for design excellence Play equipment manufacturer Proludic has been named a winner in the Product Design category at the Good Design Awards for its ACTI’FUN solution that make fitness more fun and inclusive.

An innovative design helps people overcome many of the barriers that stop them from taking part in regular fitness activities.

ACTI’FUN includes three ranges - ACTI’Ninja, ACTI’Street and ACTI’Fit - each of which combine play and sport to trigger people’s interest and motivation to get active. Central to the design of all three is their appeal to all body types, with mixed ability, intergenerational, and inclusive engagement built in.

Announced in September, the Good Design Awards Jury noted ACTI’FUN’s “design’s focus on ‘playful fitness’ is commendable, with its potential for positive community engagement clear and thorough. We believe the project will effectively challenge contemporary barriers to physical activity and inspire movement in all nuanced ways.”

Contact 1300 800 181, E: info@proludic.com.au, www.proludic.com.au

Palmerston netball and tennis players to benefit from new California Sport Surface California Sport Surface’s Rebound Ace Synpave system has been installed by the Aertex Group at netball and tennis courts in Palmerston (located 21km south of Darwin).

The Rebound Ace Synpave system has four layers of materials that go above the original surface and provide slip resistance and are nonglare. The surface also has a cool top system that has a 20 to 30% higher solar reflective rating to help the courts retain less heat and reduce surface temperatures.

Around 1000 participants from the Palmerston Netball Association and Tennis Palmerston will benefit from the fully refurbished playing surfaces with the completion of a $450,000 upgrade to the club’s facilities.

Contact California Sports Surfaces on 1800 786 617, E: info-aus@cssurfaces.com, www.californiasportssurfaces.com

Subscriptions Subscribe to this magazine for just $99 (in Aus/NZ) for 12 months/six issues.

To subscribe go to subscribe.ausleisure.com.au

Products

EMS franchise SpeedFit enters NDIS space Looking to help people with hearing and visual impairments get more active, Perth-based electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) franchise SpeedFit has become a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider.

Operating 31 locations across the nation, with 12 outside Western Australia, multi-site deals signed recently in NSW are expected to lift the total number to 40 studios by the end of 2024.

In addition, the company has appointed Julie Lin as its new Head of Growth to help expand the brand across Australia and New Zealand with the goal to reach 180-plus locations.

Contact 1300 121 313, E: franchise@speedfit.com.au, www.speedfit.com.au

GymMaster software streamlines all aspects of fitness club management Designed to ease membership management, administrative task management, automated marketing, retention, scheduling and billing for gyms and fitness clubs, GymMaster software is being introduced in a growing number of facilities.

A cloud-based member management system designed for gyms, fitness studios and clubs of all sizes, GymMaster includes gym access controls, point of sale, online bookings and automated marketing - streamlining everything from door access to bookings, billing, memberships, sign ups and a range of other tasks.

The access control feature allows users to access the facilities 24/7 using their access keys, manage time restrictions on memberships and maintain a visit log. It also helps in identifying member usage patterns and staffing of gym employees while allowing users to communicate with members via automated SMS, email and push notifications.

Contact GymMaster on 1800 849 001 (Australia), 03 668 5727 or +1 415 915 0375 (international), E: sales@gymmaster.com, www.gymmaster.com

KOJO to develop and deliver NBL24 season campaign KOJO, a market leader in fan first sport experiences, is partnering with the National Basketball League (NBL) to develop and deliver a brand platform and marketing campaign for the 2023/24 season following a competitive tender.

The appointment marks KOJO’s first entry into the rights holder space for brand and marketing services, building on long term partnerships in Sports Presentation with rights holders across many codes.

Contact 02 9195 5900, www.kojo.com.au

Active World introduces new fitness planner with personalised swim planner Active World has announced the launch of its new fitness planner, Active Fit, which features an individualised swim planning function.

Melbourne-based Active World advise “Active Fit is set to redefine how fitness enthusiasts approach their wellness journeys, making it easier and more personalised than ever to achieve their strength, cardio and in-pool goals”.

Plan creation and management can be automated or delivered through centres’ personal trainers.

Delivering what it says is an “all-in-one fitness solution, Active World explain “Active Fit isn’t just another fitness planner - it’s a comprehensive, adaptable and user-friendly tool designed to cater to your unique needs and preferences.

“With the inclusion of individualised swim planning, we are taking a giant leap toward making fitness planning more inclusive, engaging, and effective.”

Active World is built in Australia for Australian facility requirements. They are dedicated to revolutionising the Leisure and Fitness industry by providing an innovative all-inone cloud-based solution that delivers operational efficiencies while empowering individuals through simple self-management to achieve their health and wellness goals.

Contact hello@activeworld.com.au, www.activeworld.com.au

Merlin Entertainments and Sea Life Trust partner with ‘Yoto’ audio platform A global collaboration between Merlin Entertainments, marine conservation charity Sea Life Trust and children’s audio platform ‘Yoto’ has seen the launch of a new audio adventure card for Yoto players - ‘BrainBots: Sea Defenders’.

Yoto are the award-winning company behind the critically acclaimed screen-free audio players for children, Yoto Player and Yoto Mini.

The collaboration allows children to bring home the wonder and education of their aquatic experiences at Merlin’s SEA LIFE aquariums and the Sea Life Trust’s Sanctuaries through a brand-new card in the BrainBots series, called “BrainBots: Sea Defenders”. Each Yoto card represents an individual story allowing children to self-select and insert into their Yoto Player, allowing them to listen to a story in an inspirational and ageappropriate way.

Visit www.uk.yotoplay.com for more information.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 55

Premier Fitness Supply launches wholesale gym equipment partner program Premier Fitness Supply, a leading provider of custom gym fit-outs and highquality commercial gym equipment, has advised of the upcoming launch of its Showroom Partner Program in Australia.

Designed to empower gym owners and fitness businesses by giving access to premium commercial gym equipment at wholesale prices, along with the opportunity to earn commissions through referrals, the Program is described as “a game-changer for gym owners and fitness entrepreneurs looking to elevate their facilities to new heights”.

With access to exclusive wholesale pricing, partners can transform their gyms into ‘functioning showrooms’, showcasing top-of-the-line equipment that will captivate customers and set their businesses apart from the competition.

Contact 1800 491 558, E: info@premierfitnesssupply.com.au

NT Shade spotlight the benefits of softfall rubber for playgrounds Darwin-based NT Shade - locally owned and operated by Chris and Michelle Batenburg - design, source and instal not only shade cloths but premium surface options to meet an array of facility requirements.

Among their offerings is softfall rubber which NT Shade note as being mandatory and advise “the Australian Standards for Playground Equipment state that an impact absorbing surface is required under all playground equipment over 60cm high.”

At the completion of all softfall rubber jobs, NT Shade issue clients with a Certificate of Compliance that ensures the rubber surface is compliant with the Australian Standards.

Contact 08 8947 3787, E: michelle@ntshade.com.au/ chris@ntshade.com.au, www.ntshade.com.au

Plans revealed for next-generation stationary FlowSurf wave technology FlowRider, one of the world’s leading players in surf wave technology, has entered into a licensing agreement with Hydrostadium - a subsidiary of French energy conglomerate, EDF - with the agreement surrounding Hydrostadium’s patented “river wave” technology.

The agreement covers all three versions of Hydrostadium’s existing technology including Wavestadium, Wavedock, and Wavestream and will see both companies leverage their collective engineering prowess to continually advance the surf experience and system performance.

Moving forward under the terms of the agreement, all products will be branded ‘FlowSurf’.

Following on from this agreement, FlowRider is set to announce four new FlowSurf projects coming across North America and the Middle East. These entertainment venues will showcase FlowSurf’s state-of-the- art technology as anchors to their masterplans.

Contact +1 619 241 2517, www.flowrider.com/flowsurf/

Quayclean renews aquatic and recreation facility agreements Quayclean Australia, Australia’s leading cleaning, hygiene and waste management services company, has underlined its position in the aquatic and recreation facilities sector after renewing agreements with the City of Glen Eira in Melbourne and Blacktown City Council and Bayside Council in Sydney.

With workers engaged under a full employed model, Quayclean has been reappointed by Blacktown City Council for a further three years to service the Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre in Emerton, the Blacktown Leisure Centre in Stanhope, and the Blacktown Tennis Centre in Stanhope.

Bayside Council has extended Quayclean’s agreement at Bexley Aquatic Centre for three more years.

Quayclean will also continue to service Victoria’s Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) and the Caulfield Recreation Centre for another three-year term.

The company has partnered with GESAC since the Centre was constructed in 2012.

Contact 1300 897 117, E: info@quayclean.com.au, www.quayclean.com.au 56 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158

FITBENCH launches re-engineered and re-designed Next Generation FITBENCH ONE Incorporating valuable customer feedback, FITBENCH has released Next Generation FITBENCH ONE, a versatile fitness bench for health clubs, boutique studios, and vertical market facilities that sets new standards in innovation and design.

The newly released re-engineered and re-designed bench boasts improved features along with the brand’s commitment to exceptional quality and performance.

Next Generation FITBENCH ONE retains all the features of its predecessors while integrating new innovations that set it apart from anything on the market.

Life Fitness Australia is the distributor of FITBENCH in Australia – contact 1800 689 622.

Life Fitness New Zealand is the distributor of FITBENCH in New Zealand – contact 07 849 3364.

Send your product news to leisure@ausleisure.com.au

Wexer partners with the MELT Method to expand its repertoire of wellness solutions With more members looking for health and wellness content, Wexer has secured the MELT Method as one of its newest content providers.

The MELT Method® is a breakthrough self-care practice that restores the supportiveness of the body’s connective tissue system called fascia to eliminate chronic pain, improve performance, and decrease the accumulated stress caused by repetitive postures and movements of everyday living.

The MELT Method® uses soft rollers and balls, blending mindful meditation and breathwork techniques to help boost the body’s natural healing mechanisms with self-myofascial restorative techniques that simulate hands-on therapeutic treatments.

Contact +1 917 300 0673, E: content.partnership@wexer.com, www.wexer.com

Moshtix unveils new ticket resale platform Ticketing platform Moshtix is to enter the ticketing resale space with the launch of Moshtix Resale.

The first ticketing company in Australia to offer secure resale tools for Splendour in the Grass more than 10 years ago, Moshtix Resale is described by Managing Director Harley Evans as “a solution whereby a fan who can’t attend an event for any reason can put their ticket up for resale and share a secure link provided by Moshtix with a friend or colleague.

“If they buy the ticket, a new ticket is issued, making customer support and communications, such as pre-event notifications, with the new ticket-holder much more seamless.”

Created independently of Moshtix owner Ticketmaster’s own fan-to-fan ticket exchange, the creation of Moshtix Resale is based on the company’s view that that the best scenario for a fan wanting to buy and sell their ticket is via the primary ticket agent, reducing confusion, building confidence to pre-buy, and making it possible to service and support the fan and ticket throughout its lifecycle.

Contact 1300 438 849, www.moshtix.com.au

Fitness On Demand launches new experience app for facilities to empower users Fitness On Demand has announced the launch of its nextgeneration, member experience app for clubs, fitness facilities and their members.

The app works seamlessly with Fitness On Demand’s livestreaming and on-demand content platform and creates fullyimmersive fitness experiences that help fitness operators retain users to build both their brands and bottom lines.

The new app features comprehensive fitness, wellness, meditation and nutrition content and advice for all users as well as instant access to on-demand and streaming classes and special events.

With Fitness On Demand being a leading curator of premium fitness content, the app library includes more than 1,000 high-engagement, empowering workouts and specialty classes from the world’s leading instructors plus curated content of emerging fitness trends and from boutique brands.

Features include personalised coaching, tailor made programs, real-time fitness progress tracking. Users can also easily connect to social channels to share their progress and data across their channels with friends or other members.

Contact 07 3123 5948, E: info@fitnessondemand247.com, www.fodvirtual.com

Products

Christchurch City Council introduces Perfect Gym platform to manage class bookings and sport memberships Christchurch City Council has introduced a new, improved way for booking classes and managing memberships across its recreation and sport centres.

Linked to its new website, the PerfectGym-powered system enables customers to: -Access timetables and book group fitness classes on the go -Book a personal programme with fitness instructors -Pay for casual group fitness classes, sign up for a membership, purchase multi-visit passes, and view and change direct debit details -Make Swimsmart bookings online -Track their child’s progress in Swimsmart and see the skills they’re learning Explaining the introduction of the new system, Perfect Gym Solutions Country Manager, Matt Inglis notes “this is a perfect example of the type of digital transformation that we can deliver for local government authorities.

“The Council had a legacy on-premises and identified the need for a website to deliver a lot of information as well as undertaking a rebrand.”

Contact 1300 088 922, E: info@perfectgym.com.au, www.perfectgym.com.au

Zena Sport’s protective equipment for women attracts investment from Breakthrough Victoria Geelong-based sports tech company Zena Sport has developed the world’s most advanced breast and rib protection vest for women and girls who play contact sport such as football, AFL and rugby.

Zena Sport was established in 2018 by Donna Johnson and her partner former AFL team captain Brad Johnson, having seen the need for inclusive protective gear for women and girls who play contact sport.

Backed by $148,000 from the Victorian Government’s Breakthrough Victoria initiative, Zena Sport’s innovative Z1 chest protection vest offers an added layer of injury prevention for women and girls who play contact sport.

Designed in collaboration with Deakin University, the vest absorbs the initial impact of a blow and distributes the energy over a larger area to reduce the likelihood of injury. According to research undertaken by Zena, breast injury is an issue that lacks awareness despite the high instance of contact-induced injury among female athletes.

Visit www.zenasport.com.au for more information.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 158 57

Advertisers Index

Lynxight explain role of AI systems in detecting shallow water blackouts

Advertiser

Page No.

AMPSEA Conference

5

APT/HG Turf/Polytan

29

AUSTSWIM

7

Axess

25

Belgravia Group

45

FIT Summit

41

Fluidra

19

HIB Insurance

13

International Quadratics

39

Lynxight

30 & 31

Maxwood Technology

35

Myrtha Pools

39

National Sports Convention

58

Otium Planning Group

11

ParkEquip

19

Perfect Gym

2&3

Quayclean

25

Swimplex Aquatics

23

Technogym

43

Tim Batt Water Solutions

60

Viva Leisure

17

VMA Leadership Institute

27

Assisted lifeguard technology company Lynxight has shared its advice and experience on the vital role of AI systems in ensuring safety during water-based activities.

Shallow water blackouts (SWB), or hypoxic blackouts, have turned many days of aquatic fun into tragedy, posing a threat even to those frolicking in shallow depths.

They occur under four conditions related to oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the body prior to breathholding. These conditions are low CO2, low O2, normal levels of both, or low levels of both during competitive situations.

Innovating in this space for aquatic facilities, AI-based drowning prevention system Lynxight uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies to monitor swimmers in real-time, alerting lifeguards and other pool safety personnel about potential threats before they become incidents.

By incorporating Lynxight into pool safety protocols, facilities can significantly decrease the occurrences of shallow water blackouts.

In the United Kingdom, Lynxight is working with the Royal Life Saving Society and GLL, the country’s largest public swimming pool operator, in introducing its innovative and affordable new solution for pool risk management.

During a successful six-month trial by GLL, they were able to adapt, test and refine the system to meet the stringent needs of UK pool operators.

Enhanced metrics generated also helped to optimise swimming pool operations, including real-time insights into pool usage, swimmer numbers, and detailed data for each lane or pool area.

The positive results and feedback from the trial have generated immense interest, with GLL planning to instal the Lynxight system in a number of their swimming pools.

Lynxight has also appointed Daniel Mulvey as General Manager for its Australian and New Zealand operations.

Contact 0408 057 626, E: dan@lynxight.com, www.lynxight.com

Playscape Creations spotlight their new playground installation for south west Brisbane Leaders in recreational innovation, Playscape Creations, have spotlighted one of their latest playground installations for Covella Heartland Central Park situated in Greenbank, south west Brisbane.

Designed by Saunders Havill Group, the Covella Heartland Central Park offers 6,500 sqm of open green space, catering to residents of all ages. The park boasts a variety of exciting amenities, including a playground with a challenging climbing tower, slides, a toddler system for junior park goers and swings, as well as a pump track, half basketball court, and an area for casual games.

Created to host a range of fun-filled local events and carefree activities like fitness sessions, bocce, lawn games and yoga, Covella Heartland Central Park is the centrepiece of a community that values connection.

The playground’s central tower has been designed to offer elevated points of outlook across the whole estate, allowing children to take a bird’s eye view of the surroundings alongside the physical challenge of climbing to the top. Paying homage to the Covella aesthetic, the colours of the tower have been customised to feature the prominent blue and salmon of the Covella branding, making it iconic in every setting.

With multi-level pop outs, slides at two levels, interactive play panels and so many different climbing and active play opportunities, the central Tower gives a new and exciting play experience for children.

Contact 1300 669 074, www.playscapecreations.com.au/

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