Following a fantastic summer of sport in the UK, do you feel that large-scale sporting events really have the power to change the behaviour of the population?

Mark Botha:
I really hope so. The London Games saw female athletes from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei compete for the first time. While none of the athletes reached the podium, for them the real achievement was in the symbolism of their involvement in the Games. In the past, tradition and religious beliefs across the Middle East have prevented women from participating. This new inclusion suggests a cultural change, but only time will tell how significant this is.

Liz Holmes:
Our facility services the premium end of the market and so far, from a purely financial perspective, the Olympics have had no direct impact on our business. That said, we have noticed an attitude shift among our staff and members, who seem more willing to give up time to get involved with some of the fun added extras we organise. For example, post-Games, staff members and spa members have been much more willing to participate in our members’ charity fitness challenges than ever before. This helps to unite our staff team and enhance the member experience.

Martin Kay:
In these challenging economic times, it’s a good mix of capital and revenue legacy that local authorities really need. If volunteer numbers increase, they will need to be managed, coached and organised. This will require investment in both capability and skill development. Harnessing the opportunity will be the challenge. What we need is longer-term consistency in government policy to enable us to build strategies on the back of the legacy.

David Stalker:
While it’s too early to start talking about whether the Games have initiated mass behavioural change, we need to start viewing the legacy from a different perspective. Rather than keep asking what the legacy is delivering for us, we need to start asking what we can deliver on the back of the legacy.

Mark Lemmon:
Expecting large-scale sporting events to motivate a couch potato from the sofa into a pair of trainers is unrealistic. I remain to be convinced whether the Olympic Games will promote a long-term mass population movement towards more physical activity.

John Treharne:
It’s difficult to deny the positive short-term community impact of the Games, but it’s dangerous to assume the Olympics will result in a lasting increase in sporting participation. Following Wimbledon fortnight, the demand for tennis courts always rises, but this uplift is only ever temporary. Do people make a link between elite sporting performance and what they could personally achieve by regular visits to a gym? I’m not sure that they do.

If we want to attract more people into our facilities, do we need to change our model?

Liz Holmes:
Yes, we need to be more reactive to market demands. We’re finding, certainly at the premium end of the market, that people want to share their workout experiences with other like-minded people. They want to feel a part of a club. There may come a time when providing a space where people train in isolation no longer draws enough numbers to sustain business. As operators, we need to become more flexible and able to quickly react to consumer needs.

John Treharne:
I agree that the sector needs to pay more attention to the needs of the consumer if it’s to continue to grow market penetration. This may mean radical changes in the type of facilities and services we provide. At The Gym Group, our clubs offer round-the-clock access at an affordable price. As a result, we’re bringing new people into the sector: 40 per cent of our members have never belonged to a gym before. Innovation and bravery to try something new is what will be required to facilitate growth.

Mark Lemmon:
The middle market will be squeezed because there just isn’t enough differentiation in this space. Market penetration is stuck at 12 per cent and has been for some years. We cannot hope to positively influence this unless we think more creatively. We need to start pushing the right buttons when it comes to encouraging sedentary people to want to be physically active.

OLYMPIC EFFECT

Ahead of the SIBEC event, delegates were asked to complete an online survey which aimed to provide a snapshot of the perceived impact of the London 2012 Games on business.

* 34 per cent reported that the Games had made them personally more active
* 35 per cent achieve 5 x 30 mins of physical activity every week
* Only 20 per cent of facilities noticed an increase in volunteering after the Games
* 81 per cent of facilities were quieter than usual during the London 2012 Games
* 76 per cent said they felt large-scale spectator events would encourage more people to get active