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Software: In-club Tech
What’s happening in the world of health club management software? We get the inside view from some of the best-known tech companies in the sector
Hugo Braam,
Co-founder and CEO,
Virtuagym
About Virtuagym
Founded in 2008, the company offers an all-in-one solution for health club operators from membership management, billing, POS and scheduling to things such as consumer fitness and nutrition apps.
Virtuagym just did a deal with Fitness on Demand to make FoD’s workouts available via the Virtuagym platform.
What’s trends are driving you?
We believe the future of fitness is all about being able to get digital support throughout the member journey.
As such, we’ve developed Virtuagym Touch, an in-gym touch interface for members throughout the club, which supports them in getting real-time exercise instructions and inspiration and can also work as a 3D virtual trainer.
In addition, it improves the member experience and boosts retention.
What are you doing that’s special?
Virtuagym allows health clubs to leverage
the potential of consumer fitness app technology within their facilities.
Our platform, comprising a web portal, connected mobile apps and integrated hardware, represents a comprehensive solution. We offer workout tracking, nutrition coaching and engaging experiences members are willing to pay for.
What else is new?
Consumers want frictionless experiences. We’re also working on what I consider to be the ultimate goal of strength training: connected fitness using low power sensors and mobile technology.
It will allow members to tap a machine with their phone in order to automatically track and visualise their repetitions and weight use.
There’ll be no need to purchase expensive new connected machines, as it will work on any existing kit which has a weight stack, and installation will be fast and simple, with no power required.
On top of that, we’re heavily investing in areas such as data analytics and machine learning, so we can use our data to develop predictive models to deliver tailored automated coaching experiences and also to do churn prediction.
Rémi Nodet,
CEO,
Exerp
About Exerp
With 1,300 clients globally, who in turn have four million members, Exerp specialises in member management software for fitness and leisure.
The Exerp Platform aims to enable businesses to reduce costs and improve the way they interact with members.
What’s different about your tech?
We adapt our system to clients’ needs and processes, rather than expecting them to adapt to ours, leading to a wide range of functionality for large and medium-sized companies and a scalable solution for those hoping to grow.
We know fitness clubs can be complex operations, so we designed a system that can be configured to meet most needs.
What new features do you have?
Exerp can now fully integrate with Technogym’s Mywellness Cloud and by joining forces with Technogym – which is a majority stakeholder in Exerp – we can provide the best of training and business management all in one solution.
This means the gym only needs one system for the entire member journey.
What’s the key to making club management software easy to use?
Personalisation: our user experience advocate regularly visits operators and gyms to understand their needs better.
By being there on the ground and seeing how users interact with our software, we can develop improvements that target the challenges they face.
Sometimes, our observations lead to big developments, like our new staff app which allows trainers to schedule classes via their mobiles, cutting down on phone calls, receptionist time and other resources.
What trends are you observing?
At Exerp, we believe gym operators can use their data to create better member journeys, smoother health club operations and leaner business models.
It’s exciting to see the countless ways data can be used to improve the overall experience of members, staff and operators to the benefit of all.
David Harris,
MD,
Xn Leisure
About Xn Leisure
Xn Leisure is a software management solutions provider offering a full suite of management software. It covers the fitness, sports and leisure, foodservice, salons, attractions, event management and hotels and resorts markets and more.
Tell us about your business
At Xn, we focus on our customers, their customers and their needs, making services accessible and easy to use online, via mobile and on-site, creating a self-service offering, end to end.
We also engage with our customers face to face, not just via a web conference or a phone.
What’s your most recent software development?
The Leisure Hub is an online self-service solution designed to enhance the customer experience online. It enables seamless integration with third-party systems and is a one-stop solution rather than being via multiple applications.
We think it’s simple to use and it’s been designed to enable autonomy and control for both operators and their customers.
How would you describe the climate of the health club market and where is it heading?
It’s exciting and these are busy times in the industry, with great new tech being developed that allows thing such as self-service by customers, reduces costs, and measures and tracks everything from an operational and business point of view.
Business is brisk as clubs and organisations strive to keep ahead of the game and their own competitors.
What are you currently working on?
Projects include access control and attendance recording via facial recognition, online ticketing solutions and analytics via Xn’s Insight Business Intelligence tools and Data Hub. We provide solutions and data to achieve outcomes and ensure our customers’ businesses grow using KPIs.
Paul Duncalf,
Managing Director,
SportSoft
About SportSoft
SportSoft offers software to operators in the sport, health and fitness and leisure industry for handling things such as access control, swipe card printing, membership administration, point of sale, bookings, course management, direct debit and fingerprint recognition.
What’s your most recent release?
Our online registration system is user-definable and highly flexible and so applicable to many different types of sports and fitness centres.
It can be time-consuming when customers are required to provide information to comply with insurance requirements, but significant time saving can be achieved simply by handing out tablets to customers on arrival – a system we’ve now introduced.
Is your software user-friendly?
As we move the responsibility of data capture over to the customer, the system has to allow anyone to be able to deal with the system at first glance, generating the need to simplify the user interface. Currently, this presents quite a difficult task considering the number of different internet-ready devices in use, however, development systems are improving and so are the customers!
What trends are you seeing?
In 10 years’ time, smart phone apps and kiosks will be the only interface a customer needs. They’ll be able to upgrade and downgrade their membership and book classes and receptionists will decrease in favour of instructors and teachers. The exciting part for the business is the saving in staff costs this presents. Customers will be able to manage their requirements quickly and cheaply.
What’s next for SportSoft?
We’re developing a multi-platform, multi-lingual, multi-currency version of our leisure management system.
Our current system requires a hefty infrastructure and we want to reduce costs to ourselves and our clients, enabling us to move into overseas markets.
Tech News
Mindbody partners with Strava Gym & Studio network
Business management software company Mindbody Online has partnered with Strava, the social network for athletes, to connect users with more than five million different classes and workouts.
Through Strava’s Gym and Studio Sync program, athletes can track and quantify more types of workouts on Strava alongside their runs, rides and swims.
The partnership allows Strava athletes to share their participation in any of the 5.2 million fitness classes and wellness services offered daily via Mindbody’s apps and websites.
Giving athletes opportunities to discover new classes through friends’ activities turns the Strava feed into a recommendation engine for workouts and fitness classes in any location.
Legend’s innovation leads to growth
2018 has been a productive year for Legend. On the back of its biggest investment in R&D to date, it has so far welcomed an additional 27 new customers and a total of 124 new sites installed year to date. New contract wins span a variety of sectors including education, public sector local authorities and trusts as well as private sector health clubs and budget gyms.
New customers include Bottisham Village College, Celtic Leisure, Clifton College, Cambrian Aquatics, Greenhouse, the Holbrook club, Midlothian Council, University College London (UCL), Ocean fitness, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Urban Fitness, Western Baths, and Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness.
Legend is also pleased to announce further international expansion following the recent Go Live of the 13 sites of the YMCA in Auckland, New Zealand. Added to this are Canadian customers the City of Halifax, the University of Waterloo and YMCA Ottawa. All in all another significant year for the business.
