Australian Fitness Industry Report 2015

The Ultimate Guide to the

Australian

Fitness Industry 2015 Member Insights

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Foreword Engagement, experience and integration are the key words that seem to stand out when we are looking at some of the top trends in the health and fitness industry for 2015 and beyond.

• People will continue to seek out services that are tailored and personalised to suit their individual needs and they will look for variety in their experience.

• Digital engagement will continue to escalate with online lifestyle coaching complementing the physical experience along with the use of activity tracking devices to record activity and measure progress. This will lead to more sharing of data and information which will be of interest to many different parties, including fitness and health professionals.

•aSmall group training will continue to be popular as many people want a fitness experience mixed with a social or community experience.

• Strength training will continue to grow in popularity, especially amongst women who are starting to become more aware of the health benefits of this type of activity.

• Training that equips people to improve their everyday functional ability will also be attractive, especially for those who are new to exercise or have been relatively inactive for a period of time.

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• Integration of health and fitness services will continue to grow in importance for a range of reasons. Many people are now seeking services that help them to improve their mental and physical wellbeing and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Services such as yoga, relaxation and pilates will continue to complement this trend. • Medical referrals to appropriate exercise and lifestyle management programs will become more common as population health issues continue to create a strain on the health system. • Private health organisations will continue to focus on prevention of chronic disease and will encourage more people to be active and adopt a healthier lifestyle, often in partnership with the health and fitness industry.

The main challenges for the fitness industry are to keep pace with changing consumer trends and to consistently deliver professional, client-centred, safe and effective services so that the client experience is always positive, they get results, see improvements in their physical and mental wellbeing and remain engaged for the long-term.

Lauretta Stace Chief Executive Officer Fitness Australia

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THE RESPONDENTS A total of 10,432 people based in Australia responded to the survey. This was made up of 68.5% females and 31.5% males.

The respondents were represented across most age groups but particularly in the 20 to 50 year age range. 12.9% were aged 26 to 30, 12.5% were aged 41 to 45, 11.5% were 31 to 35, 11.2% were 21 to 25, 10.5% were 36 to 40, and 10.5% were 46 to 50. A further 10.3% were between 51 and 55, 7.1% 56 to 60, 4.6% were aged 61 to 65, while 4.2% were 65 and over, and 4.6% were aged 20 years or under.

The majority of the respondents were from NSW (50.8%), followed by VIC (20.1%), QLD (11.0%), WA (6.7%), SA (6.1%), ACT (3.3%), TAS (1.4%) and the NT (0.6%).

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NON-MEMBERS Of the 12.0% who were not currently members with a fitness club, the main reason they left was due to lack of time from work commitments (18.8%). An additional 13.6% stopped because they relocated, while 12.4% ceased their membership due to a change in financial circumstance. 11.6% left because of family commitments, 8.8% changed exercise/activity, 8.7% left because the club couldn’t meet expectations, 6.8% couldn’t commit, 5.7% thought the customer service was very poor, 4.2% stopped because membership fees increased, 4.1% didn’t achieve their goals, 3.4% left after a bad experience and 2.9% wanted to join a 24-hour facility. 2.5% left due to pregnancy, while 1.9% didn’t like the music, 1.4% thought the club was dirty and another 1.4% were tired of equipment not working.

Other reasons included:

• Poor or no personal training available • Purchased own equipment to train at home • Illness, medical condition or injury • The club closed • Demotivated and became bored • The club became too busy • The club went from franchise to privately owned • Class timetable changed and became unsuitable • No childcare facilities

Most former members held a membership for more than 12 months (40.5%), with 20.9% having stayed for 10 to 12 months, 15.9% for 3 or fewer months, 13.6% for 4 to 6 months and 9.1% for 7 to 9 months.

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The key factors that could persuade these Aussies to rejoin were: Rejoin on a no contract membership Rejoin with a no joining fee offer Rejoin at the same rate as you left Rejoin and receive free personal training sessions A friend joins with you If the club opened 24/7 A change to services provided at the club A change in facilities at the club A change of the management at the club

24.6% 14.5% 13.6% 11.2% 9.2% 6.7% 5.2% 3.6% 3.3%

Other influences for rejoining the same club included:

• Lower prices • Club opens in a more convenient location • Improvement in personal injury • More suitable classes for people aged over 50 • Club opening hours longer over the weekend • If had more available time • An improvement in personal finances • If the club re-opened • Childcare facilities were offered

One person said they would rejoin if there were no enforced direct debits and another said they would join if facilities for people with a disability were improved.

24.4% indicated they would not rejoin the same fitness club again. However, when asked if they would join A fitness club again, 49.7% said they would. 39.2% stated they were unsure, while 11.1% believed they would not rejoin another fitness club again.

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CURRENT MEMBERS

92.8% of survey respondents have been a member of a fitness club within the last 24 months and 88.0% indicated they were currently a member. The majority of these people belonged to a franchise club (40.4%), although 23.8% belonged to a privately owned club, and 14.0% were members of a privately owned club with more than one site. Other respondents were members of a council owned and managed facility (5.2%), a university club (3.4%), a council owned but not managed facility (2.4%), or a licensed club/RSL/Catholic Club (1.9%).

Other facility types included CrossFit centres, non-profit facilities, YMCAs and military facilties.

The main reason they joined was location (31.3%). Additional reasons for joining included value for money (14.0%), to do a different type of exercise (9.0%), because it was cheaper (7.0%), there were more or better classes on offer (6.4%), good customer service (4.9%), they were looking for a 24-hour facility (4.6%), the facility offered a no-contract membership (4.7%), up-to-date equipment (4%) and no joining fees (2.1%). Other reasons included:

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• Friends or family were already a member • Personal wellbeing • Health reasons • Doctor referral • Small quiet gym • Female only • Sense of community • Quick workouts offered • Different designated program every morning • Exercise programs for the elderly • Personal training included in membership • For personal training or a specific trainer • Sport specific • Childcare facilities and activities • Onsite swimming pool, spa and aqua aerobic classes • Low-key, non-confronting environment • Won a prize/free membership/a gift • Specific classes offered (e.g., Zumba, Les Mills programs, yoga) • Holistic approach • Bored with other gym • Special deal through workplace/corporate rate • Breakfast supplied at gym • Classes specific for disabled members offered • Good group exercise instructors • Wanted a CrossFit gym • Purchased through a Groupon/Livingsocial deal • Virtual classes offered so can do group exercise when convenient

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24.8% of current gym members in Australia belong to a 24-hour facility.

More than half of respondents had been with their club for over 12 months (56.6%), 24.7% were relatively new members (6 months or less), and 18.7% had been a member for 7 to 12 months.

Current satisfaction levels were interesting, with 38.7% citing they were very satisfied with their current fitness club and 23.4% indicating they were somewhat satisfied. 12.2% believed their club is okay, while 25.8% need some TLC as they indicated they felt somewhat unsatisfied (8.2%) or very unsatisfied (17.6%) with their membership.

The following key factors were identified as having the biggest impact on long-term commitment: Location Value for money Professional staff (polite, approachable, on-hand) Overall atmosphere Personal motivation Engaging staff (making conversation, not just greeting) Overall cleanliness Variety of Group Fitness classes No change in membership fees Achieving goals Smooth entry and exit The latest equipment and technology Open for 24 hours Classes starting on time Competition

53.3% 45.5% 37.6% 36.9% 31.2% 29.9% 28.1% 27.6% 26.1% 22.8% 16.9% 16.6% 13.2% 9.7% 1.7%

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Additional influences included:

• Limited number of members to prevent overcrowding • Accessible parking • Social opportunities • Provision of an onsite swimming pool/sauna/spa • Childcare • Women-only facilities • ‘Free to bring a friend on weekends’ offer • Quality personal trainers and group exercise instructors • Recognition for long-term members • Availability of CrossFit programming and space • Having group fitness classes at times that suit • Specialised machines/equipment • Variety of equipment and availability during peak times • Making gym visits more fun • Playing original music as opposed to cover music

As expected, 60.6% of respondents find that staff interaction during each visit is important.

Members believe the club should invest in the following areas: More group fitness classes Bigger facility Better equipment Communication to members Staff training Cleaner facility More staff Member bookings on their website

25.7% 20.9% 20.1% 4.2% 4.1% 3.8% 3.6% 1.4%

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Additional ideas for spending included:

• Longer opening hours • More locations • Better equipment maintenance • More free weights/barbells in the weights room • Childcare • Upgrading change rooms/showers • Addition of pool/spa facilities/hydro pool • Better heating in existing pool • Adequate parking • Fitness classes for seniors • More 30-minute classes • Onsite café selling healthy meals • Better technology (i.e., music stations on equipment, free Wi-Fi) • More restorative style group fitness classes (e.g., yoga, Pilates) • A decrease in membership fees/discount for member loyalty • More space, including more sitting and lounging areas • Air-conditioning/extractor fans • More mirrors on the walls • The addition of water fountains • Supplement store • Martial arts classes • Fitness clothing for sale • An altitude fitness training room

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PERSONAL TRAINERS More than half the respondents (54.5%) said they have not or currently do not use a personal trainer. Of the 45.5% who have previously used or currently use a personal trainer, the majority (31.4%) did so for 3 months or less. Impressively, 13.8% have used a personal trainer for longer than 24 months, while 12.7% have been doing so for more than 12 months.

3 months or less 4 to 6 months Over 24 months More than 12 months One visit 10 to 12 months 7 to 9 months

31.4% 16.0% 13.8% 12.7% 12.2% 8.0% 5.8%

Most people indicated the reason they chose to use a personal trainer was to get better results (47.1%), for extra motivation (33.6%), to get advice on exercise (30.3%), or to create an exercise program (24.6%). 23.5% used personal training because it was included in their membership package, 9.8% because it was always something that they wanted to try, and 5.7% joined as a group personal training session. Only 3.8% of the respondents reasoned that it was because a friend was using one, and a mere 0.3% says that it was because everyone else was using one. Other reasons included:

• It was part of the study requirement to become a personal trainer • For assistance with rehabilitation or a medical condition • To help achieve a specific health or fitness goal • In preparation for an event (e.g., sport or competition) • Taking up a special offer/gift/prize • To train during pregnancy • To lose weight and/or get nutritional advice • Boxing training/wanted to learn kickboxing • To get fit before going overseas

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Although 29.3% of respondents continued to use a personal trainer, 39.7% have stopped due to expense. 13.1% stopped after learning the correct exercise technique, 7.2% no longer needed the extra motivation, 6.7% achieved their fitness goals, 6.2% moved away, 4.3% found another fitness activity, 3.9% didn’t like the personal trainer’s style and 3.6% stopped because they didn’t get the results they wanted. A further 2.3% found their personal trainer annoying and 1.1% found an alternate trainer. Others reasons included:

• Became injured (not from training) • Illness • Difficultly committing around work hours and family commitments • Pregnancy • Became a student • Became a PT • Started CrossFit • Trainer moved away • Stopped going to the gym • Found a training partner instead • Personal trainer was too inexperienced or unprofessional • Had a bad experience

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In terms of choosing a personal trainer 33.3% of the respondents said that it was by referral. 25.4% selected based on availability and 20.3% said it was based on the trainer’s experience. 17.6% made the decision because the PT spoke to them, 11.7% were persuaded by their qualifications and 4% selected their trainer because they looked good. Additional reasons included:

• Recommendations • The trainer is a family or personal friend, or a relative • No choice, assigned by the gym • Price • The location of the trainer • The trainer’s personality • Wanted a female trainer • Had a connection and felt comfortable • Special advertised deal

Interestingly, one respondent ceased training with their PT after reading an article about them in a newspaper!

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FITNESS GADGETS Although the usage of fitness gadgets has become very popular, 36.1% of respondents prefer to work out without using any tech equipment. Of those who do enjoy technology with their workout, some of the popular devices used include an iPod or similar music device, GPS watch with virtual partner, heart rate monitors/GPS watches, Zeit Boxer and Fitbit Flex/Jawbone devices.

With regards to choosing a ‘dream fitness gadget’, 11.4% of respondents identified sporty headphones, 11% a fitness tracker app, 10.5% a digital body composition analyser, and 8.7% a wrist/arm band with motion sensor. A further 16.1% would like to use all the aforementioned items.

In terms of tech ‘accessories’ such as fitness trackers, social media, apps or music downloads, 45.1% of respondents said they don’t use any. 33.5% said they find listening to music (downloaded onto their smartphone) motivates them during a workout. A further 26.3% of people use apps to track runs, log calories and find healthy recipes, 13.5% use social media to keep up with diet and fitness blogs and 8.5% use devices that transmit their stats to their smartphone.

Other tech driven devices or methods to stay fit included:

• Listening to podcasts or audio books • Internet-based workouts • Taking notes on an iPhone to record training data • Watch CrossFit videos on YouTube • Exercise DVDs • Get inspiration from Pinterest • Instagram • Various sports watches/GPS/heart rate monitors/pedometers

Although the use of apps is quite a popular way to track health and fitness progress, 67.4% of Australian survey respondents didn’t use them. 27.4% of those who did opted for free apps, while 5.1% chose paid apps.

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COMMUNICATION Members prefer the following methods of communication from their club: Email Emailed newsletter SMS In person Online social media Club notice board Phone call Standard mail Posted newsletter

43.1% 20.8% 10.4% 8.1% 8.0% 4.3% 1.5% 1.4% 0.9%

In terms of how often a club should use email to communicate, 72.5% of members thought that once a month was acceptable, while 15.4% said once every two weeks, 10.4% said once a week, and 1.1% believed twice a week was sufficient. 0.6% of members believed three times a week was acceptable.

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Members said that communicating via SMS was an acceptable form of communication for certain circumstances, such as: To notify me when a payment fails To notify me of special promotions To remind me of a booking To notify me if membership prices increase To confirm a booking To remind me to renew my membership To remind me to come to the gym To notify me a payment is about to be processed To notify me when a payment is received

35.8% 31.4% 30.9% 30.4% 26.2% 25.5% 17.3% 9.2% 5.8%

Interestingly, 12.3% of members said they believe communicating via SMS is unacceptable under any circumstances.

Other circumstances where communication via SMS was considered acceptable included:

• For birthday wishes • Class cancellations or changes • Emergency information (e.g., gym closure, hours have changed) • New programs available • Special social events • Advise how many days since last visit • In response to written feedback to the club • Change in PT schedule • Motivational messages or nutritional tips • When kids activities are scheduled • Member access concerns such as parking restrictions • Public holiday hours • Free offers

One respondent suggested they should receive a congratulatory SMS saying how well they were doing at the gym.

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SOCIAL MEDIA When it comes to social media, the most popular channels used by members are: Facebook YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest Twitter Your own website Your own blog Flickr

79.5% 30.2% 26.4% 21.0% 12.9% 11.3% 4.6% 2.4% 1.0%

Tumblr, whatsapp, WeChat, Reddit and Snap Chat were also used; however, a large portion of people indicated they did not use any social media at all and had no intention to do so in the future.

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The Ultimate Guide to the

Australian

Fitness Industry 2015

Club Insights

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THE RESPONDENTS This year we had 829 Australian respondents to the Fitness Industry Club Survey. Of these, 43.2% were based in NSW, 21.7% were in VIC, 14.3% were from QLD, 8.8% were from WA, 6.3% were from SA, 2.9% were in ACT, 1.6% were based in TAS and the remaining 1.2% were from the NT. The majority of responses came from the business owners (38.1%). In addition, 17.9% were the centre/ fitness managers (sole responsibility) and 13.4% were fitness managers/coordinators (line managers). 10.6% were personal trainers, 9.0% held administration/ customer service/reception roles, 7.8% were fitness instructors and 3.1% were sales staff.

The clubs that responded were mostly privately owned single clubs (28.8%). There were also franchise clubs (16.0%), privately owned multi-site clubs (14.5%), council run facilities (12.2%) and PT/CrossFit studios/ clubs (11.9%). 7.0% of respondents were council owned contract-managed clubs, 4.9% were licensed/workers/ RSL/community type clubs, and 4.7% of respondents were university clubs.

This year, 14.7% of respondents indicated their facility was open 24 hours a day.

Impressively, 21.0% of respondents come from a club that has been operating for more than 20 years. 14.7% were 3 to 5 years old, 14.1% were 7 to 10 years old and 9.4% had been operating for 10 to 15 years. 9.1% are 15 to 20 years in, while 8.8% are 2 to 3 years old. 7.8% have been operating for 5 to 7 years. Interestingly, 15% of total respondents have been operating for less than 2 years, and 7.8% are in their first year of operation.

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FACILITIES The following table indicates the percentage of Australian respondents that offered these popular facilities and services: Free weights Cardio machines Stretch area Fixed resistance machines Personal Training area Group fitness studio no.1 Spin/cycle studio Boxing area Crèche Outdoor training area Cafe Lap pool Recreational programs Group fitness studio no. 2 Sauna Teaching pool Members lounge CrossFit area Spa Pilates studio Steam Vibration training

91.5% 83.4% 80.3% 77.4% 61.1% 58.3% 52.0% 47.3% 39.2% 37.3% 27.6% 25.7% 25.1% 23.2% 23.2% 22.6% 19.7% 18.5% 17.2% 15.4% 14.4% 6.3%

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Other facilities commonly provided by clubs included:

• Martial arts • Sports or multi-purpose sports area/courts/stadium • Mobile services • Gymnastics • Massage

Of the 83.4% of respondents offer cardio machines, 97.3% of them provide bikes, 94.6% offer treadmills, 95.6% provide rowers, 92.5% have crosstrainers, 87.1% have steppers and 72.9% have grinders.

The number of cardio machines provided by each club varied.

The majority of clubs, provided the following machines in these quantities: Cardio machine Treadmills Bikes Steppers Cross trainers Rowers Grinders

Number of machines offered by majority of clubs 10 8 2 2 2 1

Other cardio machines offered by clubs included:

• Striders • Arc trainers

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Membership 31.6% of total respondents indicated the size of their membership. Of those: Number of members 100 or less 101 to 500 501 to 1,000 1,001 to 1,500 1,501 to 2,000 2,000 to 9,999

Respondents 22.1% 28.2% 13.0% 12.6% 6.5 % 17.6%

In terms of changes to membership, 47.3% of respondents reported growth, 31.0% reported a decline and 21.8% experienced no change.

With regard to membership growth in the past 12 months, 18.3% of total respondents experienced significant expansion of more than 10%, while 29% of total respondents reported a slight growth of up to 10%. Of the clubs that experienced a decline in membership, 23.7% reported a slight reduction of up to 10%, while 7.3% saw a significant decline of more than 10%.

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When it comes to membership retention rates, the majority of respondents report rates higher than 50%, with 18.2% even reporting a rate of 91 to 100%. Unfortunately for 8.7% of respondents, retention was reported to be 10% or less. The full results were as follows: Retention Rate 0 - 5% 6% to 10% 11% to 15% 16% to 20% 21% to 25% 26% to 30% 31% to 35% 36% to 40% 41% to 45% 46% to 50% 51% to 55% 56% to 60% 61% to 65% 66% to 70% 71% to 75% 76% to 80% 81% to 85% 86% to 90% 91% to 95% 96% to 100%

Respondents 4.6% 4.1% 2.3% 1.4% 0.9% 0.0% 0.5% 2.3% 3.7% 5.9% 6.8% 4.1% 5.0% 5.0% 5.9% 11.0% 7.3% 11.0% 13.2% 5.0%

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In terms of minimum term contracts, the majority of clubs operate with a 12-month term (31.3%), or no minimum term at all (24.8%). Interestingly, 12.2% require a 1-month minimum term, 11.5% operate with a 3-month contract, 9.5% have a variable minimum term contract and 7.3% enforce a 6-month minimum term contract. The full results were as follows: Minimum Term 0 1 month 2 month 3 months 6 months 12 months 18 months 24 months 36 months Variable

Respondents 24.8% 12.2% 3.1% 11.5% 7.3% 31.3% 0.0% 0.4% 0.0% 9.5%

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Industry Issues

The most concerning issues being faced by clubs in the Australian fitness industry were:

• Competition (21.7%) • Membership retention (20.4%) • Membership sales (17.8%) • Marketing (9.6%) • Finding good staff (7.0%) • Motivating staff (3.9%) • An effective software system (3.5%) • Communicating with social media (3.0%) • Obtaining finance (3.0%) • Government legislation (3.0%) • Staff retention (2.6%) • Managing staff (2.2%)

Other issues that Australian clubs identified as being of concern included:

• Rising expenses • Pricing issues • The impact of 24-hour facilities on the industry • Keeping up with new equipment and technologies

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The following table illustrates the most significant growth areas for the Australian industry, according to clubs: 24-hour clubs Growing seniors market Clubs offering memberships under $10 a week Online membership sign ups Adult obesity Child obesity Personal training Outdoor personal training Online bookings for classes Recognised staff qualifications Boxing / fight clubs Ladies only clubs Swim school Point of sale items

50.4% 37.4% 35.7% 32.6% 30.0% 22.6% 21.7% 18.7% 16.5% 9.6% 8.7% 7.4% 5.7% 3.0%

Other issues of concern include CrossFit and small group training.

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STAFF REMUNERATION In Australia, it appears that most clubs pay Centre/Fitness Mangers with sole responsibility either between $51,000 and $55,000 per annum (12.6%) or over $100,000 (12.6%).

The majority of Australian clubs pay their Fitness Managers/Coordinators (line managers) between $56,000 and $60,000 per annum (21.3%). Senior Fitness Trainers are most commonly paid $41,000 to $50,000 per annum (27.5%), which is the same rate that the majority of Australian based Fitness Trainers were paid (29.9%). Most clubs are also paying Receptionists between $41,000 to $50,000 per annum (28.3%) and Membership Sales Consultants the same pay bracket (34.5%).

In terms of hourly rates, the most common hourly rates paid were as follows: Centre / Fitness Manager (sole responsibility) Fitness Manager / Coordinator (line manager) Senior Fitness Trainer Fitness Trainer Receptionist Membership Sales Consultant

$25 per hour (22.2%) $25 per hour (20.6%) $25 per hour (13.9%) $25 per hour (18.9%) $22 per hour (20.5%) $20 per hour (11.1%) or $25 per hour (11.1%) or $30 per hour (11.1%)

The majority of group exercise instructors in Australia appear to earn either $50 or $40 per class, or $50 or $40 per hour. This has been a consistent figure compared to previous surveys.

The highest per class rate noted went to yoga instructors at $96 to $100 per class. The highest per hour rate noted went to yoga and Pilates instructors, both paid at $80 per hour.

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PERSONAL TRAINERS In Australia, there’s a relatively even mix in terms of how personal trainers are engaged with clubs: 42.2% are employed by clubs, 31.6% are contractors and 26.2% are a mix of both.

Payment agreements are most often a percentage of income (45.0%), space rental (23.8%) and a mix of both (31.1%).

Respondents indicated that personality (71.5%), qualifications (71.0%) and experience (70.0%) are the most important qualities when choosing a PT for the club. Referral (28.0%), availability (28.0%) and their appearance (12.6%) were considered less important. Other methods included selection by the owner and via a formal trainee/mentor program.

Most clubs believe that their members use PTs to provide extra motivation (38.2%), focus on their fitness (33.8%), or to focus on weight loss (21.13%).

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COMMUNICATION When they want to reach their members, email (27.6%) remains the most preferred communication method by clubs. 22.2% prefer communicating in-person, 14.3% prefer online social media, 12.8% opt for SMS and 10.8% prefer to email a newsletter. Unsurprisingly, standard mail/post is the least preferred method of communication among Australian based clubs. A combination, or multi-channel methods were also used by some clubs.

Not surprisingly, the way that clubs communicate with their members is reflective of the methods they believe their members want them to use. For example, the majority of Australian based clubs indicated that email (36.5%) and in person (18.7%) are their members’ most preferred methods. And this is in-line with how they actually do communicate with their members.

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MARKETING Australian based clubs report their most successful marketing strategies over the past 12 months were:

1. Their own website 2. TV 3. Referral campaign

Other successful strategies included billboard/ outdoor advertising, radio and social media sites.

Word of mouth, direct mail, corporate speaking and Google maps listing were also mentioned by clubs as being successful marketing campaigns.

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SOCIAL MEDIA 94.1% of Australian clubs say the most useful social media tool is a website. Interestingly, 7.4% of respondents do not currently use a website.

91.6% of Australian based clubs consider Facebook a useful (28.6%) or very useful (28.1%) or extremely useful (35.0%) tool.

In terms of social media strategies that are not currently being used:

• 88.7% of Australian based clubs do not use Flickr • 71.9% do not use LinkedIn • 70.4% do not currently use Twitter • 61.1% do not use YouTube

Clubs also made mention of Instagram as being a useful tool.

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SOFTWARE Some of the features that Australian clubs like most about their current software included:

• Ease of use • Ability to integrate with other systems • Reporting capabilities • Online booking functionality • Self manage functionality

Respondents indicated that the main weaknesses in their software are most typically if the system lacks the above-mentioned features; but in addition, other complaints included:

• The annual cost • Poor support • Slow speed • Poor email management capabilities • Limited CRM capabilities • Lack of functionality compared to what they want the system to be able to do

The features clubs would like to see in their software, which they currently do not, included:

• Ability to take bookings for group fitness classes • Ability to link to trainers, so they can see bookings via their smartphones • Ability to overlap the member’s appointment diary with staff rosters • Ability for members to load money onto their membership so they can make in-club purchases • Creation of an entire paperless system that is fully integrated • Integration with door access • Ability to accept online memberships/sign ups

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TECHNOLOGY When it comes to technology, Aussie clubs would like to learn more about:

• Blogging • Social media • Online/digital marketing • Virtual group fitness • MyZone • Entry systems • Cloud technology • App creation • Bulk emailing • Online bookings • Group heart rate screens • Online memberships • Online bookings • Wearable biometrics • Wellness key/system

When it comes to class bookings, the majority of clubs in Australia want this to occur online via a smartphone app (34.3%), via the club’s website (29.4%) or in person at the club (22.4%). 8.4% preferred phone bookings, while 5.6% preferred bookings to occur via Facebook.

In terms of swim school bookings, most clubs prefer this to happen online via their website (38.1%), in person at the club (28.6%), via a smartphone app (19.0%) or over the phone (13.1%). Only 1.2% would like to accept these bookings via Facebook.

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INVESTMENT PLANS In the 2013/14 financial year, Aussie clubs intended to invest in the following areas: Attend an industry conference – local Weight equipment Website Cardio equipment Staff training – sales Staff training – customer service Computer / IT equipment Staff training – management Club management software Audio equipment Attend an industry conference – overseas

54.6% 52.4% 48.6% 42.2% 39.5% 35.7% 34.1% 26.5% 25.9% 23.8% 6.5%

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