Q Are we promoting the right messages to encourage more people to be physically active?

Frank Gueguen
In France and Switzerland, around 20–25 per cent of people join facilities to lose weight; 75 per cent join to improve their general health. We’re trying to appeal to a very broad range of motivations and needs. As a result, we’re not focused on the short-term goal – selling the weight-loss dream – but instead focus our marketing on the benefits of physical and mental wellbeing. I believe this is the right approach.

Q Functional training – the future or just a fad?

Kevin Yates
Facilities we build today will be serving communities for generations to come. Instead of churning out the same old formula such as traditional sports halls, we need to consider what will motivate the next generation to be more physically active than us. Alliance Leisure is doing some good work in this area, designing skate parks, high ropes courses and climbing facilities that appeal to the motivations of the younger generations.

The introduction of CrossFit and concepts like HIIT all help to offer a more diverse range of activities. They won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s important that we continue to question the traditional offering.

Q What do you consider to be the biggest opportunity for our sector going forward?

Frank Gueguen
Working more closely with doctors and government so that fitness appears on their agenda. This will help the sector reach a much wider audience. The sector also has an opportunity to promote the wider benefits of exercise beyond the physical. This will also help engage a bigger audience.