The Club Insider Archives: March 2010
The 2010 IHRSA Awards
By: Justin Cates
Justin CatesEach year, during the annual IHRSA Conference and Trade Show, well-deserved awards are given to individuals and companies exhibiting qualities that are the best our industry, as well as communities, have to offer. This year was no different, and our industry should be proud of those selected to receive these awards.
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The "Insider Speaks"
Killing the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesIn my opinion, if IHRSA continues to ignore the problem I'm about to describe, the IHRSA Trade Show will die and with it, IHRSA. What I am writing about here has been going on for many years at IHRSA, but this year, it was particularly bad, so I concluded that at this point, during this recession, that I owed it to the IHRSA Club Owners and IHRSA Associate Members to expose this problem once and for all.
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Avoid "Commoditizing" Your Club's Product and Service Offerings
By: Dr. Edward Slover
Dr. Edward SloverA commodity is something that is relatively easily traded, can be physically delivered and can be sold or resold. Within the health and fitness industry, commodities exist in the form of memberships, physical facilities, amenities and other product and service offerings. Each of your competitors possess similar commodities, and they are vying for your market share.
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Fifteen Steps to Paradise
Step 7 - Market Well To Sell Easier
By: Will Phillips
Will Phillipsmong everything you have learned about managing and marketing, 98% is based on research in about 177 of the largest public companies in the world: Disney, Ritz Carlton, SAS, Hewlett Packard and so forth. These are the companies that hire the consultants who write the books. These are the companies that pay the business school professors to do the research.
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We Are Bad At Retention
By: Thomas Plummer
Thomas PlummerWe are bad at retention in this industry because we have never had to be good to survive. Ever since the advent of modern fitness in the 1950s, we have been totally focused on only one thing: the acquisition of new members.
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Programming Tip of the Month
A Club Within Your Club
By: Sandy Coffman
Sandy CoffmanSpring is here! Ya-a-a-a-a-y!!! Take advantage of this upbeat season and give a little upbeat to your spring programming menu. This is the perfect opportunity to get WALKING CLUBS and RUNNING CLUBS started.
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Music Tariffs in Australia and Canada Likely to Expand to the United States and Other Countries
Music downloads have lead to massive losses in revenue for the music industry. This has forced record companies and musicians to seek secondary sources of income. One of their solutions has been to push for the introduction of new fees (tariffs) on industries that use and play music.
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The Medical Fitness Association Announces Second Annual Medical Fitness Institute
RICHMOND, VA - The Medical Fitness Association (MFA) has announced the second annual Medical Fitness Institute. The event will take place June 9-12, 2010, at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
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ABC Financial Product to Offer Online Enrollment
MYiCLUBonline Saves Health Club Owners Time and Money
LITTLE ROCK, AR - ABC Financial, the nation's largest provider of billing services, club management software and membership marketing solutions to the health and fitness club industry, announces their new software product, MYiCLUBonline. The product, which features an online membership enrollment function, was unveiled at this year's IHRSA Convention and Trade Show in San Diego.
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24 Hour Fitness Commemorates Historic El Cajon Club With Special Ceremony
SAN RAMON, CA - 24 Hour Fitness, the largest privately-owned U.S. fitness chain, yesterday celebrated the company's 30-year history in the San Diego market with a special plaque presentation honoring Ron Thompson, the first El Cajon Club Manager and Family Fitness Founder, Ray Wilson. The El Cajon club, originally branded Family Fitness, was one of the first of more than 400, 24 Hour Fitness clubs in the nation.
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Norm's Notes for March 2010
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Publisher and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in! IHRSA 2010 in San Diego! Mmm... Mmm... Mmm! What an amazingly wonderful group you IHRSA people are!
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