This month Ramsgate Sports Centre is set to receive a grand makeover. Building work is due to commence on 21 May 2012 and by the summer of 2013 residents and visitors to Thanet  will have access to a brand new swimming pool thanks to a partnership between Thanet LeisureForce Ltd, ourselves and Thanet District Council.

The six lane, 25m main swimming pool and 8mx13m learner pool will primarily cater for recreational use and swimming lessons, but the pool will also accommodate squad training sessions.

In addition, the leisure centre will be treated to a top quality, affordable day spa which is due to open its doors in June 2013. The first of its kind in the local area, the public spa will comprise of four luxury beauty treatment rooms, an array of heat experiences and a spa pool. A spinning studio, toning table salon and food and beverage service area will also take pride of place at the newly upgraded Ramsgate Sports Centre.

Steve Davis, Managing Director, at Thanet LeisureForce Ltd says: “We are all too aware of the Government’s demands on local authorities to make considerable budget cuts. Our focus is now on regenerating our leisure offering to provide the very best facilities and experience for the residents and visitors to Thanet whilst providing efficiencies for the Council. The decision was taken to replace the ageing and costly Ramsgate Swimming Pool and combine a new wet facility with the dry site at Ramsgate Sports Centre”.

“Our aim is to encourage people of all ages to participate in an active and healthy lifestyle. By summer 2013 the community will have a leisure centre to be proud of, boasting facilities far and beyond the quality of traditional local authority leisure provision at no additional cost to the Council.”

Cabinet member for Community Services, Councillor Iris Johnston added “Our successful partnership with Thanet Leisureforce continues to provide the Council with a cost effective route for the delivery of the leisure and hospitality services in Thanet and we are pleased our continued support has enabled this much needed investment to proceed.

Improving the Health and Wellbeing of our local community remains a high priority for the Council and this modernising of our public facilities is vital if we are to succeed in achieving the necessary increased participation in recreational activities”

Tom Fairey, Business Development Manager, at Alliance Leisure says: “Having successfully partnered with Thanet LeisureForce in 2009 to develop new fitness facilities and ancillary works at Hartsdown Leisure Centre in neighbouring Margate, we are proud to continue our work with the Trust at the Ramsgate Sports Centre. Through creative design the leisure centre will boast modern facilities to engage and inspire its local community.”

It’s widely observed that habits learnt by young children are likely to stay with them as they grow into adulthood.

Alliance Leisure encourages its clients to design their fitness facilities to cater for children as well as adults. Not only does this promote physical activity at a younger age but it allows families to spend more time together and reap the many benefits that exercise provides.  Family groups can also generate additional membership sales.

Many teenage children can find a gym environment fun and stimulating if it is equipped with the right products.  It can also offer an alternative to traditional school games and competitive sport.  Alliance has created a number of fitness facilities providing equipment that is both suitable for adults and children.  The equipment is engaging and appealing to children through interactive technology and also rewarding through the feedback and results it offers.

Where space is limited (gym size between 25 – 50 stations) Alliance has installed equipment that is suitable for a variety of user groups:

Strength equipment features the ROC-IT™ line from HOIST, which focuses on multi-joint movements to effectively and safely spread the exercise compression forces across more than one isolated joint.  Using ROX™ technology, the user becomes an integral part of the      exercise by continuously adjusting their position with the movement of the exercise arm.

Cardiovascular equipment comprises treadmills and cross trainers and also cycle equipment in the form of Expresso bikes. These are great pieces of equipment which engage the customer’s mind in a game / race whilst exercising.  Typically centres can look to attract an additional 23% in junior DD membership.

In more spacious gyms Alliance has successfully created an ‘interactive’ zone which compliments the rest of the gym equipment but allows families, groups of children, 50+ groups to work out together. Typically these zones are made up of a range of strength equipment (Roc it / Easyline / Circuit line); Expresso’s; Concept II’s; Batak; Dumbbells.  A recent install has seen over 100 11 – 16 year olds purchase a monthly membership via direct debit based on this concept.

Alliance has also introduced extreme sporting arenas to leisure centres, for example the Evolution Extreme Centre at Deeside Leisure Centre.  It features a large skate part and a range of thrilling ramps and jumps for BMX riders, skateboarders, in-line skaters and scooters.  The facility has proved to be very popular with the often hard to reach market of young teens who enjoy adventurous and challenging forms of exercise.

Exercising together encourages family interaction and bonding, as well as promoting good health. Studies have shown that couples / parents & children who work out together tend to be happier and have better communication.  When you make fitness a fun part of children’s everyday lives, they’ll be more likely to exercise as adults.

So you’ve just placed a £500 advert in your local newspaper promoting a free months membership if you join your direct debit scheme.  You get 5 enquiries and just the 1 sale (£300).  How successful has your campaign been?

Looking at enquiries and direct sales is only part of the process when evaluating the success of your campaigns.  Here are some other methods to evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising activity.

Sales and Walk-Ins ‘Source of Enquiry’

Asking your new and enquiring customers ‘how did you hear about us?’ is still the most common form of monitoring which marketing activity is working.  However, this can be flawed as customers often say word-of-mouth or passing by, despite seeing other advertising for the facility.  Staff need to be trained to probe further and identify any specific marketing messages that the customers may have seen.  If there is a lot of marketing activities taking place in a particular month then setup a separate ‘how did you hear about us’ sheet and attach to all application forms to specifically monitor these activities.

Facebook  Insights

Monitoring your Insights pages allows you to see how effective your posts and communication with your followers are.  Do your followers increase when you post an interesting question or start a debate?  Are people sharing your posts? What time of day do your posts achieve the best reach and engagement?  Use this information to decide which posts works and at what time of day.

Google Analytics

Your website should be key to any of your marketing activities and annual strategy.  Warning! It can be confusing as Analytics uses hundreds of metrics to assess your website performance.  We’d recommend choosing a select few and regularly comparing the results: Visits, Time on site, Bounce rate, Traffic sources and Search terms.

Other websites such as alexa.com and klout.com are useful tools to monitor the effectiveness of your social media reach or website ranking.  Analysing monthly how your sites are performing tells you if your marketing messages are being effective or if you need to change your strategy.

Data Capture

When running press adverts or leaflet distribution always include some data capture activity.  This may be a prize draw to win a months free membership or a simple competition.  As well as generating leads it creates a more interesting and interactive advert.  Remember to consider your audience and how they may prefer to enter: text-back, coupon, phone entry, Facebook referral or web enquiry.

Inbound Phone Number Control

To efficiently monitor telephone enquiries you need to have some management tool giving you access to the number of calls made, answered, length of call and time of call.  This is available at a small charge by BT or other communication companies.  Why not try using a unique hotline number to make the telephone number more memorable, such as 0845 111 999.  03xx numbers are now available to not-for-profit, charity or government organisations.

Shortened url codes

Instead of using full length url codes such as www.facebook.com/#!/h78uik653df/allianceleisure/ try using shortened url codes available freely through website such as bit.ly and ow.ly (http://bit.ly/wMSTDk).  These tools also allow you to track the number of clicks each of your urls receives.

QR Codes

The jury may still be out on the effectiveness of QR codes but to include a small 3D barcode on your literature giving direct access to your website, facebook page or online joining portal is well worth the space on your adverts.  Combined with shortened url codes these can easily be tracked.

Email Tracking

Using email software such as Reach lets you distribute e-shots or e-newsletters to thousands of your contacts quickly and cheaply, but then more importantly allows you to look at how recipients are interacting with these communications.  Why follow up on all these emails when only a small percentage will have been interested in the message?

So consider all of the above when evaluating your campaigns and marketing activity.  Not every campaign has to generate direct sales to be successful but many of the tools above will measure the awareness created and give confidence in that form of advertising next time round.

 “Isn’t this something that came and went in the eighties?”

 Far from it. Toning facilities are flourishing in the UK, and around the world, as people are now living longer than ever before with more awareness of the need to exercise to maintain their health and fitness. The 50+ age group is the largest growing market in the world – what leisure provision is there for this community in your local area?

Alliance Leisure have opened four ‘Feel Good Factories’ in the last year, with a further five planned this year, all in partnership with local authorities or leisure trusts who understand the importance of a Toning facility within their leisure offering.

Where did it come from?

‘Power assisted exercise’ actually originated back in the 1930’s when it was developed to help Polio sufferers maintain muscle mass lost through lack of activity. Exercisers also saw results in improved muscle tone, strength, better circulation and agility. Toning Tables hit the headlines in the 1980’s when users reported amazing results in weight and inch loss spawning something of an exercise phenomenon! The failure of Toning facilities in the 80’s was caused by the inappropriate settings in which it found itself, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, with unqualified staff offering little valid guidance. Now, having taken it’s rightful place in the setting of local leisure centres, the modern day Toning suite is thriving bolstered by fully qualified staff and  equipment that has developed even further incorporating Pilates techniques and modern technology..

It has been called “stress free exercise” as it provides a far more relaxing workout than the high impact, heavy sweating gym environment! It also provides physical relaxation to the user by re-training the postural muscles, relieving stress on the joints and muscles.

What is a Toning Suite?

Typically a room between 350 sq/ft – 1,000 sq/ft equipped with 6 – 12 ‘Toning Tables’ (beds). Workout sessions are a time effective 30 minutes. Users do not require any special clothes and do not have to wear shoes for 6 of the machines (so carpet is ideal for comfort).

There is no queuing for equipment as users book a time slot to suit them. As the exercise circuit is pre-defined, they simply turn up and start on the first machine then move to the next. A member of staff is always on hand to offer assistance.

Who is it for?

Typically targeted at the 50+ female market, particularly de-conditioned or beginners to exercise. Males of the same age group and ability also benefit as well as rehabilitation patients.

What are benefits?

To the user, potential physical benefits include improved general fitness, toning, postural strength and better circulation. The exercises are inclusive for everybody. They are suitable for those needing a solution for a range of different needs and conditions such as mobility, obesity, high blood pressure, back pain, joint problems or replacements, Stroke, MS, ME, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s, Cerebral Palsy, Fybromyalgia, Arthritis and many more. Emotionally, the facility offers an inviting place for people to make friends and enjoy a sense of community.

For the operator, the commercial benefits can see a space previously under-utilised (eg. a squash court, an old crèche, old bar area etc.) transform into a profitable revenue stream. A well run facility can generate in the region of £60,000  income per annum. A Toning facility also provides a great solution for social inclusion providing exercise for everyone in the community irrespective or age, condition or ability. The environment is uniquely unintimidating compared to standard gyms. With their Feel Good Factory facilities, Alliance Leisure have found that over 90% of the members who joined were new customers to the leisure centre altogether, with 60% paying an upfront fee for the year.

Our next regional workshop has been announced for the 28th March in Coventry: Master Communication. For more details click here… http://on.fb.me/AsMVqB

Alliance are hosting a number of regional training events across the UK in 2012. See below for more details or call us on 01278 444944 for further details.

Preston School, Somerset, is set to unveil a new, state of the art leisure centre later this year, as building work begins in February on the £800,000 project directed by strategic partner Alliance Leisure.

Four partners have come together to boost the leisure provision in South Somerset; Alliance Leisure, Preston School, a Business and Enterprise Academy, 1610 Leisure Trust and South Somerset District Council.  Preston School is a popular co-educational secondary school in Yeovil, with just under 1,000 pupils.

The new centre on the school site, due to open in September 2012, will have a health and fitness suite, new reception area and multi-purpose dance studio, plus a full refurbishment of the existing sports hall and new changing rooms.

The facilities will provide engaging opportunities for young people and the wider community to get active and play a part in fulfilling the legacy of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, to increase sports participation locally inSomerset.

Julia Goddard, Business Development Manager of Alliance Leisure, explains: “We are proud to be part of this exciting project, which is a great example of how local authorities can maximise income opportunities through lateral vision, partnership working and intelligent use of existing space.

“Through creative design the leisure centre will boast modern facilities to engage and inspire its local community to lead active and healthy lifestyles.”

The new state of the art facilities are being welcomed by the Principal of Preston School, Tony Bloxham:

“As a community we are delighted with these exciting developments to our sports facilities. Sport, recreation and leisure are essential elements of life. These new facilities present us with a superb opportunity to develop a love of sport and healthy, active lifestyles in our students from an early age. I am very happy to be working with 1610 Leisure Trust, South Somerset District Council and Alliance Leisure in making this project a reality.”

The leisure centre will offer more health and fitness classes and sports development courses, as well as encouraging local community groups and sports clubs to make use of the new improved facilities. There are plans to extend the opening hours for evenings and weekends, the site will be managed by 1610 Leisure Trust.

Here are some quick tips to get you prepared for the start of the year…

Targets

Are your team aware of the targets for 2012? And specifically January and February?  How many leads and showrounds do you need to achieve your sales target?  Have your discussed your cancellation target with the fitness team and group fitness instructors?  All duty managers should talk to the staff on their shift about the targets and their role in achieving them.

Staff Communication

How have you briefed your team on what is happening in the New Year?  Do they know what activity is planned?  Have they been shown the targets?

Team Meeting – On-shift Talks – Emails – Memos – Handover Diary – SMS – Staff Noticeboard – Wageslips – Day Book – Promotional File Update

Staff Training

Are all staff trained to deal with incoming phone calls and conduct professional showrounds?  Every member of your team should have the basic skills required to tour new prospects round your building (meet & greet, build rapport, ask questions, show benefits, price present, ask to join).  Brief your reception team on the pecking order showing who is available and at what times.

Plan ahead – have you got your next 3 months training plan agreed?  Regular Foundation sales workshops will keep your team focused on the basics whilst more advanced modules will progress your team.

Data Capture

A quick reminder to staff to collate all customers’ email addresses and mobile phone numbers is critical.  The new year is your biggest influx of new customers and this opportunity shouldn’t be missed.  Why not highlight the specific data capture sections on your application form, or create “Go Green” flyers which specifically collate the required info.  And then don’t forget to plan some sales activity on your planner using this information.

Referrals

Another huge opportunity at this time of the year is referrals and how your drive this activity.  Do you offer new members the opportunity give their friends a free trial?  Is there an incentive for current members to refer their friends (a prize draw, free month, discount at local restaurant)?

Sales Planner / Lead Generation

The danger in January is expecting all your leads just to walk through the door.  Outreach activity in the new year should have better response rates as there are more people thinking of fitness and joining gyms.  Your sales planner should have the usual ‘done-deals’ planned in as well as specific activity occurring in January – swimming lesson enrolments, courses renewals, local events, PR success stories.

Centre displays

Why wait until April to have a spring clean?  Now is the time to ensure all your literature around the building is up-to-date.  Look at your noticeboards from a customer’s perspective.  Is the information eye-catching?  Is their information overload?  Are there call-to-actions? – “Ask at reception” “Text XXX to book your place”

Website Update

Have your updated your website with new prices, opening times, offers, news stories…?  Is your ‘Contact Us’ easy to find?

Have a great 2012!