Last year, we asked some of the industry’s leading technology providers where they saw the future of technology in health clubs (see HCM Oct 12, p57). Now it’s the turn of the operators to share their thoughts on this topic.

So what can we expect to see in health clubs come 2023? That’s a tough question of course – were you able to predict, 10 years ago, what the scenario would look like today? Did you expect to see low-cost clubs opening their doors in 2013 with over 5,000 memberships sold during a six-week presale? Did you imagine some clubs would be getting 100 per cent of their members to join online? Did you envisage your members competing with members from other countries, in real time, while exercising? Or did you imagine that a 140-character messaging system would become one of your most effective CRM tools?

Crystal balls are never the most accurate tools, but we do know the next 10 years will be an era of unprecedented connectivity. Successful operators understand that we are in the relationships business. As people’s connections grow wider and more intimate, so will the frequency of their connectedness – and as such, operators’ understanding of just what kinds of relationships are possible will be stretched and revolutionised as much as any piece of technology.

When it comes to adapting and implementing new technology in our gyms, the biggest challenge remains the need to understand – and effectively communicate – what these technological advances bring to our customers’ hearts and minds. It will be this humanisation of the benefits that helps the traditional gym evolve and get more people, more active, more often – both within and beyond its four walls.