Andy Janes and Jamie Whisken explain the vision behind R1SE Bournemouth, and why Technogym was their choice of partner in delivering their unique fusion boutique

When three business partners combined forces to bring a fresh and exciting boutique fitness experience to the seaside town of Bournemouth, they knew their choice of equipment would be central to delivering the customer experience.

Janes and Whisken have decades of experience in the fitness industry, as PTs, sports coaches, and facility managers. The third partner, Ty Temel brings a different dimension with his background as a nightclub owner. This combination of experiences has created a stunning boutique club with wow-factor aesthetics, high-end AV, and exciting programming.

“We all have backgrounds in different industries, and this has helped us create a massively memorable experience,” says Janes. “R1SE shows how effective the synergy of fitness and nightlife can be – we wanted to bring that out of London and down to the south coast.”

“The R1SE boutique fitness concept also gives people a sense of being part of something really special,” says Whisken. “We feel it should be a mix of training, music, atmosphere and having a good time with like-minded people.”

Experiential brand
The team had a clear vision of their brand aesthetic, and knew their choice of equipment would need to combine high functionality and ease of use so R1SE customers could hit their performance goals.

“Technogym understood exactly what we wanted to achieve,” says Janes. “The team was on board with our vision right from the start, and we knew they would be much more than an equipment partner.”

Janes and Whisken were familiar with Technogym from their background as coaches and facility managers, but were surprised by how much more there was to discover about the functionality and innovation behind the products.

“Technogym matches everything about us as a brand,” explains Jamie. “It’s all about quality, aesthetics, and next-level experience. We very quickly made the decision to use them for our gym floor and studio class concepts.”

Unique class concepts
R1SE was built around three customer offerings: a beach-style health and wellbeing café, the gym floor area, and a studio for HIIT and yoga classes.

The R1SE gym is zoned into weights, functional training and recovery areas and a cardio zone with innovations by Technogym creating a premium experience.

The R1SE Arena studio offers a variety of HIIT-style classes and a unique twist on yoga, all in an immersive setting that puts people in the zone.

One of R1SE’s key class offerings combines cardio and weights for a fun and intense conditioning workout using Technogym Skillrun and the Technogym Bench.

“Both these pieces of equipment are perfect for what we wanted to achieve,” says Jamie. “Skillrun is easy to use in a class environment, but offers so much functionality. People can make it as simple or as advanced as they want, which is key to creating a really personal class challenge.”

Using a combination of Skillrun and Technogym Bench, the team have brought their class concept to life.

“In creating a premium offer, we needed to choose the right bench,” says Andy. “Technogym Bench was chosen for these reasons: it’s easy to use but provides infinite training opportunities and it’s the best-looking bench on the market by far, while being also compact, which is important to our aesthetic.”

Getting the message out
The team developed R1SE during lockdown, which meant getting word out about the new facility through social media and local outreach.

With the support and guidance of Technogym in developing marketing assets and a social media strategy, the team have created a buzz around the new facility.

Classes have already started on Bournemouth beach, giving locals a chance to meet the R1SE instructors and experience the R1SE team atmosphere.

“We need to create interest around the brand before opening,” explains Janes, “but we also want to build trust and connection with people from the start. Our goal is to become a place that’s known for great support around healthy lifestyle and fitness.”

With no existing boutique fitness brands operating in the area, the team is keen to establish R1SE as an attractive and motivating place for people to come for workouts, events and also for some healthy me-time in pursuit of wellbeing.

The R1SE Hangout café will offer mouth-watering healthy food and a beachy laid-back vibe which complements the urban feel of the gym and studio.

“People want to feel part of something that positively affects their lifestyle,” says Jamie. “That’s why we’ve focused on every aspect of healthy living, from training to food and relaxation.”

The future of R1SE
R1SE Bournemouth is proof of concept for this ambitious team who have their sights set on developing a group of boutique facilities throughout the south and south west of England.

“The past year has changed people’s priorities and brought certain things to the fore,” says Andy. “People want memorable experiences with great people, they thrive on social contact. We’re proud of creating a really fresh fitness brand that gives customers that amazing experience with high-quality equipment, instructors, and programming.

“Technogym has shared our excitement from day one and we look forward to working with them as R1SE grows.”

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