Creating workout experiences will be the main theme of this year's Retention Convention, which will be held as an online event on 9 December 2021.

During the half-day event, five sessions will offer insights on how operators can craft online and offline customer experiences from a workout perspective and create exercise adherence, build loyalty and aid retention.

The event is organised by retention expert, Dr Paul Bedford.

“You only have to look at the investment big brands like Apple and Peloton have put into their experience to realise that if bricks and mortar facilities don’t ramp up their actual exercise experience the disparity will be so big it will be disappointing," Bedford said.

"These companies design everything around entertainment, compared to most fitness instructors who are fixated on heart rate, resistance and the number of reps.

“Some boutique brands have already nailed this, and whilst many operators have copied the facilities so they ‘look’ like a boutique, they haven’t evolved the workout experience, so they don’t ‘feel’ like a boutique. It’s time to look at what we can do to provide memorable workout experiences in the gym."

Bedford will open the event and set the scene by outlining the differences between experience and memory, detailing what operators and fitness professionals can do to design experiences that leave a lasting positive impression and encourage members to come back for more.

Speakers at the event include Adam Zeitsiff, former CEO of Gold’s Gym and current president of online fitness class platform, Intelivideo; Samantha Cullum and Vicky Mahony, founders of growth consultancy Upstartr; PT and video producer, Richard Playfair; and Barry and Shay Kostabi, co-founders of Fitness Career Mastery.

For more information on the event, visit www.retentionguru.com/register2021