Denbighshire Leisure is creating a range of new and unforgettable member experiences. MD, Jamie Groves, explains how a partnership with Technogym and Alliance Leisure has led to the creation of a raft of new offerings

Following Wales’ lockdown, Denbighshire Leisure will reopen Club Nova, its beachfront leisure location, with an impressive new gym set up, including the new Technogym Excite Live cardio range.

Nova, located in Prestatyn, has undergone a major regeneration and now offers local residents and visitors a new leisure complex with a pool, dance studio, function suite, restaurants, Costa coffee shop, and “Club Nova” gym.

Denbighshire Leisure has always been innovative in its approach. As Wales headed into a long lockdown, the team considered how they could create a unique offer for members to come back to.

Creating a high-end refurb
“We knew people would want something different after being in lockdown for so long,” said Jamie Groves, MD of Denbighshire Leisure, “Club Nova has an exclusive club atmosphere and our choice of fitness equipment had to underpin this premium customer experience”.

“Prestatyn is a varied locality, and Club Nova is a big space,” explains Groves. “Our membership runs from juniors to those aged 90+. The Excite Live range helps us give everyone a memorable experience with so much added value, whatever their training background or goal.”

Strong Partnerships
Denbighshire Leisure has always been innovative in its approach, with an established relationship with Technogym. The partnership has developed leisure sites together for over 15 years, and when Denbighshire Leisure appointed Alliance Leisure in 2017 to manage the UK Leisure Framework, Technogym was named on its procurement portal as a recommended supplier.
“Technogym understands our business and matches us on values, innovation, and philosophy,” says Groves. “They’re a partner, not just an equipment supplier.

At Club Nova, Technogym was involved from the start, helping us develop our offer, create the design, and decide on a range of products that would service our market and increase returns.”

Cutting-edge equipment
Every stage of the customer experience is crucial at Club Nova, from equipment and class programming, to fitness professional training, and the ability to upsell the offer.

“Equipment connects our customer journey, and we have Technogym equipment in all seven of our leisure centres,” says Groves, “For Club Nova, we were sure the Technogym portfolio would deliver”.

With the remit of creating a premium fitness experience, Groves and his team chose a full range of equipment, including Excite Live, Selection 900, Skill Line, and the Mywellness app.

“Excite Live is truly cutting-edge,” he explains. “We’ve always been early adopters, and the product allows us to fully utilise Technogym’s astounding functionality and software, adding immense value to our customer experience.

“Technogym produces advanced equipment with a reduced footprint, which helps us make better use of space in the gym.”

Keeping customers connected
Whilst members have been unable to access the sites, Groves and his team have made use of Mywellness digital platform to keep people engaged and active.

Denbighshire Leisure now uses Mywellness as a single point of contact for member events, news, training plans, online workouts, and extra content. Mywellness is integrated with front-of-house to track member trends and helps manage touchpoints to see where interventions are needed.

Denbighshire Leisure has continued to invest in facilities and digital solutions during the Pandemic as they believe in their offering and want to grow in the future, seeing digital being woven into the long-term strategy.

“Mywellness has definitely helped with retention during lockdown,” says Groves. “We’re ahead of the curve, retaining 75 per cent of members. It’s been beneficial to have a hybrid offer and members will have more confidence in the digital side of things when they come back to the gym.”

Immersive virtual group cycle
The theme of raising the bar continues at two of Denbighshire’s other sites, Rhyl and X20 St Asaph, where the new Technogym Group Cycle format has been installed.

“This area is a cycling centre of excellence, so it made sense to focus on this,” explains Groves. “Plenty of places offer indoor cycling but we wanted to do more: Technogym Group Cycle is a fully-connected experience with a virtual option to maximise the cycling experience.”

Denbighshire Leisure has also created two dedicated group cycle spaces at Rhyl and X20 St Asaph Leisure Centres, with an immersive experience created by lighting, sound and AV as part of the group cycle experience.

“Adding the two new group cycle studios offers a boutique membership which has helped us increase our class programme during lockdown,” says Groves.

“Group cycle is a fantastic option for groups, cycling clubs, or families, as it allows us to provide virtual classes and exclusive sessions without an instructor.”

Strengthening the future
Groves is confident about the future, saying: “Our customers will come back to a quality offer and we decided to invest in equipment, environment, staff training and the entire customer experience, because we believe there will be a big uptake in fitness after lockdown.

“Technogym is invaluable in helping us shape a quality experience, with a strong sense of connection and added value. When customers come back, they’ll want to enjoy fitness. We’re confident we have what’s needed to offer that to every member.”

More: www.technogym.com