Tech revolution

Prama from Pavigym is helping operator 1610 reach all corners of the local community

The town of Chard, which nestles in a corner of rural Somerset in the UK, seems an unlikely setting for technological innovation – but a quiet revolution is nevertheless taking place in the town’s new health and fitness centre, 1610 Chard, which is home to the UK’s largest Prama studio.

1610 invested £500,000 in making the centre – which opened in March of this year – the most up-to-date sports and fitness facility in Somerset. At the heart of the operation is the Prama studio, an immersive environment with interactive flooring and walls, plus full mood lighting, to create a new fitness experience for the local community.

Prama is now driving the group exercise programming at the centre, with classes hitting 94 per cent weekly occupancy, and membership sales exceeding targets within the first two months of opening.

A tailored approach
The same has proved to be true at another 1610 centre – the King Alfred Sports Centre in Highbridge – where a Prama studio opened in 2015 as part of a £450,000 refurbishment, following severe flood damage in 2014.

Membership grew by 32 per cent in the first four months after re-opening, with Prama playing a leading role in both this and the revitalisation of the centre.

1610 CEO Tim Nightingale says: “Customers demand choice, quality, interactivity and innovation. People want to work out in environments that entertain them, and where they can socialise but still achieve their long-term goals.

“1610 has radically reviewed its operational model for the coming year, with the driver for staff being personalisation of core business operations. Prama will be a key tool in that approach, because it can be tailored to an individual’s needs to help every customer achieve their own health and fitness goals.”

Diverse user groups
1610 manages 19 leisure centres in the south-west of England, including on shared school sites; the Prama installation at the King Alfred Sports Centre was the first time the equipment has been installed on a school site anywhere in the world.

King Alfred pupils were also the first school children in the UK to try out the new Prama training technology. It has been a catalyst for many who are unsure about structured sport to engage in fitness and sign up for gym membership.

1610 has also launched a Prama Kids programme for younger children, which has been adapted for activity and storytelling. The programme appeals to both able-bodied and disabled children thanks to the sensory and musical nature of the product.

The versatility of Prama has allowed 1610 to also use the studio with other groups, such as corporate clients and GP referral clients.

Meanwhile the success of Prama taster sessions with local football and rugby teams has also led to a new, bespoke Prama Performance service, which is expected to launch this summer.

It looks certain that the Prama technological revolution is set to continue in Somerset for some time to come.

"People want to work out in environments that entertain them, and where they can socialise but still achieve their long-term goals" – Tim Nightingale
Pictured:Tim Nightingale_

www.pavigym.com

The Prama studio in Chard has interactive walls and floors

Dressed in black

Village Gym Watford’s refurbishment has seen it introduce the new
Diamond Black Artis range from Technogym – the first UK club to do so

In July, following a £1.5m investment, Village Gym Watford completed a full refurbishment of its gym facilities.

To support a growing membership base, the gym floor was expanded by 20 per cent to extend all areas, including cardio, strength and functional.

Village Gym Watford was the first UK site to install the new Diamond Black Artis range from Technogym. “We invested in the new range to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, creating a truly premium experience for our members and guests,” explains Anthony Heskins, general manager at Village Watford.

“The Black Artis equipment features the latest Unity digital platform, giving our members a fully personalised experience. The equipment not only looks extremely sleek, but also ties in nicely with the Village brand colours of black and green, bringing the overall visuals of the club together really well. Feedback from members in the first month has been great.”

Integrated systems
The investment also included Technogym’s mywellness cloud, which further enhances the user experience.

For Village, mywellness cloud presents a great opportunity to engage with members on a deeper level – and with over 400 mywellness accounts created so far, it has already proved to be a fantastic tool for the Watford fitness team.

“The fitness team know which members are on the gym floor, so the trainers can approach people knowing who they are and what activities they do, both in and outside the gym,” says Heskins. “This also provides opportunities to boost PT revenue, by helping the fitness team engage with members.”

As part of a commitment to helping members understand their health metrics, Village has also invested in a Tanita professional body composition monitor, which integrates with the mywellness system.

“We find Tanita’s integration with mywellness really effective,” says Heskins. “For members with injuries, we’re able to use Tanita to determine any muscle imbalances. For goal-orientated members, such as those looking to lose weight, we can provide a programme based on their personal results. Using Tanita on a regular basis helps them understand their progress and the impact of looking at overall body composition.”

“Technogym recognises that our members live digital lives, and ensures fitness and wellbeing are a part of this,” says Tony Orme, marketing director, health & fitness for Village Hotel Club.

Versatile training
Village’s investment also included three Technogym Skillmills. “This has been a great new toy for the gym and our members have been really excited to try it out,” says Heskins.

“Skillmill has been positioned alongside our functional space, allowing us to offer our members something quite different from our competitors. It allows members to train in many different ways – such as a sled push, sprints and agility training – on just one piece of equipment. It’s hugely versatile.”

"Technogym recognises that our members live digital lives, and ensures fitness and wellbeing are a part of this" – Tony Orme
Pictured:Tony Orme

www.technogym.com

Village Gym Watford is the first UK site to offer Black Artis

The Unity digital platform can be highly personalised