CES – also known as the Consumer Electronics Show – is an internationally renowned electronics and technology trade show in Las Vegas, US, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world every January. The big boys of consumer electronics – Panasonic, Samsung and Apple among them – all line up to flaunt their new gizmos and shiny screens. But this year, the talk of the town was unsurprisingly wearables.

Wearables are nothing new – pedometers and heart rate monitors have been around for nearly 20 years – but the evolving technology is still a huge growth area, with three-quarters of online consumers saying they’re likely to purchase health and fitness technology in the next 12 months (CES research).

Based on 2015 sales data, basic bands – which consist primarily of fitness trackers like the Fitbit – currently lead the way. Sales of these wearable devices exceeded 37 million units during 2015 (Canalys and IDC data), with Fitbit comfortably in the lead with 21 million units.

However, CES/ Consumer Technology Association research suggests that smartwatches will become the purchase of choice going forward; according to Canalys, Apple sold over 12 million Apple Watches during 2015, far exceeding the seven million estimate from November 2015. As the gadgets we already carry on us – watches and phones – become ever more intuitive, additional trackers are likely to become less necessary.

Data and insight are already proving powerful in the hands of today’s consumers, but the question has to be: how are those at the forefront of fitness delivery embracing these innovations? The purchase of the technology – and the influence it subsequently exerts – is generally happening away from gyms and fitness clubs. How can operators best integrate this technology into their everyday operations, finding a way to link with the popular apps and wearables to create something meaningful for the customer and avoid becoming defunct as a business model?

We look at the steps some UK operators are beginning to take…