Are you the crème de la crème?

There is only a week left to get a 10% early-bird discount on entry to the FIA & Matrix Flame Awards 2012. Have you entered yet?

Established in the 90’s and receiving more and more entries year on year, the longevity and desire to win a Flame award is plain to see. But what is it that makes these the hottest awards in our industry?

Delivered by the FIA for over 15 years, the Fitness, Leadership And Management Excellence (Flame) awards are our crème de la crème industry awards that recognise excellence and best practice within the health and fitness sector.

The strict Flame award criteria and in-depth three stage Flame assessment process offers clubs and centres a rigorous independent business assessment to help benchmark their facility and honour the people who make such a profound contribution to their communities and organisation.

The assessment process may be tough going but this gives the Flame awards their credibility and therefore any club or facility who succeeds in getting a Flame award knows that they are delivering the best quality service in their category.

The 2012 FIA and Matrix Flame process encompasses; stage one qualifying information through an online entry form and participation in a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, stage two, the formal assessment through an onsite visit by an independent auditor, Leisure-net Solutions in partnership with Right Directions and stage three a customer satisfaction survey. The winners are announced in front of a large audience of over 800 industry peers at the prestigious Ball of Fire at the Flame Conference in the summer.

You may have seen that earlier this year the Health Club Awards, run by HCM and the National Fitness Awards, run by Workout magazine were launched. These are consumer awards voted by members, which are valid in their own right but do not follow the in-depth and diverse Flame award assessment process. 

To enter or to find out more about Flame, visit www.fia.org.uk

Together we can build an Olympic health legacy

I am still on a high following the great success of the FIA & IMSPA Industry Summit: Winning in 2012 and Beyond, which was held at the Congress Centre in central London this week.

Over 350 delegates from 241 organisations came to discuss, debate and network with their industry peers, and I am happy to say that the venue was buzzing throughout, as we engaged on the subject of working together as an industry to create a health legacy post 2012 Games.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, we were lucky enough to be joined by a great selection of high-profile guest speakers from the worlds of sport, fitness, politics, medicine and economics.

Highlights of the day included the brilliant John Inverdale, who expertly hosted proceedings, an announcement from the Public Health Minister Anne Milton about the Government’s national ambition for physical activity, and a fascinating talk from the Chief Medical Officer for the Olympics and Paralympics  Dr Richard Budgett, who provided an insight into looking after our athletes as well as our nation’s health during and after the Games.

Also, for the first time at an FIA event we had a Tweet Wall, which was a tremendous hit. Over 200 Tweets were sent in the run up to and during the event with the hash tag #LegacyReady. I hope that you will continue to keep in touch with me and the FIA team using #FIA and #LegacyReady to tell us how you are preparing for 2012.

The theme of partnership was highlighted by all of the speakers, and I look forward to the FIA collaborating with new partners in both the public and private sectors in the New Year. The next twelve months really will be key for establishing priority status for our sector on the political agenda, and we must all work together to achieve this.

With 40 million adults in the UK still not taking part in just one 30 minute session of exercise each week, we really do have our work cut out; but I am game for the challenge, and I hope that you are to.

The feedback on the Summit from those who attended has been extremely positive, and we look forward to welcoming this year’s delegates and plenty of new ones as well to our next Summit and other key events in 2012.

Be part of the health legacy – join us at the Industry Summit

Did you know that ever since the modern Olympics started in 1896 there has never been a health legacy? Maybe not so surprising during the 1800’s/ early 1900s but nothing within my lifetime? Nothing from Beijing, Athens, Barcelona or Sydney? I find this most surprising, but also am itching to change it - to change history and make the UK the first country to host the Games to be health legacy ready. 

This is why, in partnership with IMSPA, we are running the Industry Summit “Winning in 2012 and Beyond”, which will showcase how, by working together, the UK health and fitness sector will do what has never been attempted in the past and create an active nation post Games. And, although I don’t like to name drop, with the list of high profile speakers already attending, the summit is an opportunity you cannot afford to miss.

Ok, so I lied…surely the odd name drop can’t hurt, so to name a few, guest speakers include;

Rt. Hon. Anne Milton MP - Public Health Minister
Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP - Shadow Olympics Minister
Richard Lewis - Chair of Sport England
Miles Templeman - Chair of the Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity
Dr. Richard Budgett OBE, Chief Medical Officer for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Not to mention that the event will be hosted by TV and radio sports broadcaster John Inverdale - you must have seen him on the telly while enjoying a rugby match or two. 

In summary, everyone who is serious about their own 2012 strategy and a sustainable health legacy for the nation should attend. So I look forward to seeing you on the 29th November at the London Congress Centre to tap into the knowledge and expertise of our speakers and drive the health of the nation. So what are you waiting for - book today

FIA at LIW 2011

This year’s LIW was abuzz with activity and camped at the heart of hall 19 was the FIA team.

At times, the was a sanctuary of calm for members to meet, and at times members and non-members were clambering over each other to reach us… or was that the bar at the drinks reception? Whatever your reason for coming over it was great to see so many familiar faces and some new ones interested in becoming FIA members!

As hinted in my last blog, I opened the show, (although it may have been stolen by Wenlock and Mandeville) with the launch of ‘Our Greatest Team' - the Industry's new Olympic & Paralympic Initiative.

I truly believe that since this is the only time, in our lifetime, that the Olympics and Paralympics will visit our shores, the impact on our country, our economy and our industry will be phenomenal. ‘Our Greatest Team’ has the potential to be the landmark industry initiative which will propel us into the hearts and minds of every consumer’s health and wellbeing consciousness. So what are you waiting for…pre-register now to be part of the movement.

Of course the Games are not the only exciting event happening next year – launched at LIW, the 2012 FIA & Matrix Flame awards are now open and with some new categories thrown into the mix, we look forward to even more, and an even better level of entries. 

Across the three days, the LIW seminar programme and range of Q&A sessions provided thought provoking discussions. CMO John Searle continued to ‘infect’ us with the benefits of physical activity in the prevention and management of diseases and it was great to hear that the industry is really benefiting from our Code of Practice with examples from across the sector.

We hope your time with us at LIW answered your questions and you can now go away, enthused to get more people, more active, more often throughout the autumn. Remember we are never more than a click or phone call away so visit us online or contact the team.

Get Set Go for LIW 2011

- David Stalker -

Tuesday – Thursday next week sees the return of the biggest annual event in our sector – Leisure Industry Week 2011. Based at the NEC, LIW is a fantastic opportunity to catch up with new ideas, suppliers and the wit and wisdom from those in the know… myself included!

This year, my keynote speech will focus on a major industry opportunity…clue: it might have something to do with the greatest sporting event in history. The other exciting news is the integration of Quest and our Code of Practice, as well as updates on industry wide initiatives such as Shift into Sport (a Workplace Activity programme), Data and Consumer Insights and the skills agenda.

This year’s seminar theme is "Exercise is Medicine Too!” and I’m pleased to welcome the industry's leading experts - including Prof. Alfonso Jimenez, Ben Jones and our very own CMO John Searle. The agenda: the role of physical activity as a routine part of the prevention and management of diseases.

The sequel to last year’s successful IOU seminars and, based on the feedback received, will be an even bigger and better programme for FIA IOU members. The wide ranging seminar programme, which reflects your interests/requests, will help you enhance your business offer.

Finally, the epicentre of the show must be the FIA Industry Lounge, staffed by our team trained to provide you with all the answers to everything related to physical activity, the 2012 Flame launch, Shift into Sports and best practice – if they don’t have the answer, then they’ll know the person who does. Tim Waller, from Right Direction will also be hand to answer any questions around Quest & the Code of Practise.

So please pop over and see us, in the centre of the Fitness Hall (Hall 19)…..and, pre-register to enjoy the FIA drinks reception with a glass of wine (or two) and a touch of jazz.

If you think ‘..there’s so much to do and see and not enough time to do it all…’ don’t worry, check out the new free smartphone app…. developed specifically to help you get the most out of your LIW.

For more info on all the FIA events visit our website, or ask the FIA team or myself

We‘re all looking forward to seeing you.

My plans to prove Exercise is Medicine at LIW

- John Searle -  

As anyone who has read my blog before will know that in my role as Chief Medical Officer I work to bridge the gap between the fitness sector and medical profession and ultimately establish exercise as part of the routine prevention and management of chronic disease.

I am pleased that we are making progress with both of these aims, however it is important that we take time out to remind our members and the wider physical activity sector of what every club can do in their own local community to work with the health service…………….and what better place to talk to the industry than LIW?

This is why I will be working with Prof. Alfonso Jimenez and Ben Jones to deliver the FIA’s “Exercise is Medicine” seminar! The seminar has not come about by chance rather we have carefully selected our topics and speakers based on what the sector needs to do in order to move forward. From when I first took the role as Chief Medical Officer and even when I first trained as an exercise professional it seemed clear that there were three areas (at least) where we needed to concentrate our efforts:

·         The role of exercise (and the fitness sector) in the prevention of disease

·         The delivery of exercise in the management of chronic disease

·         How to adapt our programmes & professionals to work with patients

Alfonso will kick the seminar off and will answer the first question with some in disputable evidence. Since the 19^th century we have known about how exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle  and this has been proven in a number of peer reviewed journals, however there is little on how the fitness sector is effective in delivery it. In short during the journey from the laboratory to the gym floor we seem to lose our evidence base and then struggle to convince commissioners of our ability to create long term physical activity change. Alfonso, will explain how the work of the newly created FIA Research Institute with the University of Greenwich is set up to change the evidence base, and how operators can get involved.

I will follow Alfonso (no easy task), and will discuss an issue I am very familiar with – the delivery of exercise in the management of chronic disease. For the last 10 years I have used a structured exercise programme to help manage my own Rheumatoid Arthritis, and I have also delivered exercise for my own patients with chronic disease, and most recently I have chaired a group with the medical community, the Joint Consultative Forum, attempting to develop National Standards for Exercise Referral.

This leads nicely into the final presentation to be delivered by Ben Jones. I first met Ben when he delivered my training to become a personal trainer many years ago, and he has been involved in writing training programmes to enable professionals to work with patients ever since. Ben is a founding member of the Joint Consultative Forum and will explain how professionals must change their communication, planning, and programmes when working patients. Patients expect a different service to the traditional gym user so we need to deliver one, and Ben will tell us how.

Lastly, we will all be on trial as Technogym will conduct a panel session and get things started with a few case studies showing what the fitness sector can do!

I hope to see you at 2pm on Tuesday 20^th, so we can review the progress made and more importantly plan for the future.

If you any questions regarding the details of the event please visit http://www.liw.co.uk/education

Winning In 2012 and Beyond

-David Stalker-

2012 is a year of challenge and opportunity. Many in East London have been wondering what the giant polo like structure is which is being built, along with a building with a funny uneven roof. I can now reveal to those people that Great Britain will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year. These odd looking buildings are the venues which athletes will be competing to get a metal disk. In seriousness, it is undoubtedly the greatest show on earth and should inspire the nation to be more active. This is the opportunity.

The challenge we face is when the impact of public spending cuts hits the country in real terms. As the consequences of obesity and other chronic conditions related to living unhealthy lifestyles continue to escalate, this will be felt across the health service and in public services across the country. The new coalition government has set about developing its ‘Big Society’ idea, with all aspects of society playing a role, whether it is businesses through the Responsibility Deal for Public Health or individuals being encouraged to volunteer in their local communities.

The theme of the FIA Industry Summit this year is ‘Winning in 2012 and Beyond’. Our enthusiastic industry wants to use the Games to inspire more people to be active, but this comes at a time when there are massive changes to public funding structures, which will not only affect those services, but will also affect people’s pockets. The Summit will hear from a number of speakers who will highlight the potential from the Olympic Games, provide political insight into legacy in the context of current government policy, and highlight how local communities can get involved in the Games.

The Games have long been identified as an opportunity for the sector to come together and deliver a big impact physical activity legacy. What can we do to realise this is the short term before, during, and after the Games? How can we manage this opportunity in the current climate?

On the 29^th November we will be welcoming speakers to address you including the Chief Medical Officer for the Olympic Games, Dr Richard Budgett OBE,  and the Public Health Minister, Anne Milton MP.  It has never been easier to book your place, email sammi@fia.org.uk .

Inspired to attend and see how you can light your Olympic torch? Interested in what the impact of new government policy will mean for you? 2012 will be an exciting time. Come join us in 2011 to find out more.

Dr. John Searle OBE, discusses the latest draft of the Professional and Operational Standards for Exercise Referral

-Dr. John Searle-

FIA Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the Joint Consultative Forum, Dr. John Searle OBE, discusses the latest draft of the Professional and Operational Standards for Exercise Referral, and what he is hoping to achieve through the consultation. 

The consultation on the Professional and Operational Standards for Exercise Referral has been live now for a couple of weeks, however we have been working on this for much, much longer. Those of you who regularly read this blog will know that work to establish the Joint Consultative Forum began almost two years ago!

In late 2009 we started negotiations with the Royal Colleges to establish a forum investigating an area of medical practice that does not often feature on the medical undergraduate curriculum, nor high on the priority list of GPs. However, we presented the evidence why establishing exercise in the prevention and management of chronic disease, and should be a priority for all GPs. After much negotiation the forum first met in the Summer of 2010 and less than a year later I am delighted that we are now seeking the views of the fitness sector and beyond on new Standards for Exercise Referral.

From the very first meeting of the Joint Consultative Forum, Exercise Referral has always been viewed as the logical first step for our work. From countless articles in peer reviewed journals we know that exercise is effective in the management of chronic disease, however we also know that NICE states that Exercise Referral Schemes are not effective and shouldn’t be commissioned unless for research purposes………….so this begs the question what is wrong with the delivery of exercise in the management of chronic disease.

I must say that I have witnessed countless examples of where exercise referral schemes improve the management of chronic conditions, a patient’s quality of life, and establish long term physical activity. However we need standards which assure commissioners of health services & treatment that all individuals within an exercise referral scheme are working to a common standard and I hope this is what the Professional and Operational Standards do!

The Professional and Operational Standards for Exercise Referral define the process, delivery and the evaluation of exercise referral services using current evidence so that auditable and comparable outcomes of services can be produced. We have not written the standards with tunnel vision ignoring what has come before, rather we have learnt from the lessons of 2001 National Quality Assurance Framework and the 2010 British Heart Foundation Exercise Referral Toolkit.

The standards set out the minimum requirements for:

•     Risk stratification of patients

•    The assessment and measurement of patients – how to measure physical activity, quality of life etc

•     Communication between patient, exercise referral instructors, and doctors

•     Sustaining long term physical activity through exit strategies

•     Record keeping, liability and medico-legal considerations

•     Reporting to commissioners

The standards will mark a change for many exercise referral scheme. However we are not expecting things to change overnight.  I have no doubt that in time the detail outlined in the standards will no doubt form the basis of what commissioners look for before signing off on any exercise referral schemes.

So the consultation is your first opportunity to shape the future of exercise referral and I hope you will all take it, to read the standards click here, and to tell us what you think about them click here.

And the winners are............. FIA & Matrix Flame Award Winners 2011

- David Stalker -

Following months of scrutiny from the judges, I was delighted to announce the Winners of the FIA & Matrix Flame Awards 2011 on Wednesday evening at the Ball of Fire in Telford, before an audience of over 800 people. I hope all that came enjoyed the evening.

The Awards celebrate excellence and honour those who make a profound contribution to the industry, both through their organisation and community.

Attracting a record number of submissions and with more awards up for grabs than ever before, this year’s entries were of a calibre that we should all be proud of. In some cases, the difference between winner and runner up was just a fraction of a percentage point. As well as endorsement of the industry’s representative, the award winners will now reap the rewards of what has become a great accolade. Well done to all the winners!

 

The winners were:

Club of the Year (Under 1000 Members)
WINNER: Breadsall Priory, a Marriott Hotel and Country Club

Club of the Year (1000-4000 Members)

WINNER: Chartham Park Golf & Country Club

Club of the Year (Over 4000 Members)

WINNER: Lichfield Golf & Country Club

Centre of the Year

WINNER: Rainbow Leisure Centre

Educational Club of the Year

WINNER: Ethos Sports Centre, Sport Imperial

Corporate Club of the Year

WINNER: Nuffield Health RBS Fitness & Wellbeing Centre

Health Club Operator of the Year

WINNER: LA Fitness

Leisure Centre Operator of the Year

WINNER: Everyone Active (formerly SLM)

Future of Flame

WINNER: Bob Halls

Spark of Innovation

WINNER: William Gregg VC Leisure Centre, DC Leisure

The Award Ceremony took place following our Annual Conference at the Telford International Centre around the theme of ‘Creating Connections’.

Great people, great event, great work. What a fantastic week! We should all be proud.

 

 

What’s all this about then…

-Carl Bennett -

With all these changes going on within the NHS and Local Government, at a speed never before seen, you could be forgiven if you feel as if you are in the slow lane. There have been so many announcements recently, and I have to say this, so many U turns, one could be feeling a little off the pace. With the changes in the NHS taking a warp speed approach how best can we keep up with what the changes might mean for you as an individual and you as a leisure sector professional?

There have been 2 key announcements in recent weeks. One relates to the Future Forum Report – here

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_127443  and the other is the Governments response to the FFR (available a little down the page linked above).

It seems as if the main points of the suggested NHS reforms are continuing and in some areas Consortia led health systems are already in shadow form and working with PCT colleagues to embed the changes proposed by Andrew Lansley ahead of the 2013 key time point.

With this in mind Carl will try and place these changes in context and he has already updated his presentation for FIA Flame to ensure you are provided with information about the changes and the possible opportunities and threats it provides you as the NHS reforms take grip.

If you are interested in becoming a physical activity provider to the NHS and hearing what a NHS Commissioner is looking for and what you need to demonstrate and be thinking about, Carl’s session might be the one for you.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”

Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.

Clickhere to book your place now!

Small group training building communities and profits

-  Steve Jack -

The burgeoning trend of working with small groups means that not only does results-based programming become cheaper for members, it also drives a higher yield from staff. 

One of the biggest advantages of small group training is the sense of community that develops between participants. These people feel part of a tribe and establish close relationships with other group members (something the industry has been trying to achieve for years).

At the Flame Conference I will be discussing in some depth how to make small group training work, but here are a few thoughts for now:

1. You need to consider the environment for group training - typically the gym floor doesn’t work that well

2. You also need the whole programme pre-choreographed; leaving it up to the instructors always leads to quality control issues and the breakdown of the programme’s integrity 

3. Small group programming must be targeted to specific outcomes 

4. Quality control and performance indicators should be built into systems

5. Continuation programmes must be developed or members simply fall off the back and have nowhere to go

6. Group members must receive a lot of extra support material so the programming is easily distinguishable from a class.

Small group training can be incredibly effective and highly profitable but only when you avoid the deadly mistakes that I will reveal in my seminar.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”

Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.

Clickhere to book your place now!

Holding out for a Hero

-  Kenny Harris -

We all have heroes. We all need heroes. And we can all BE heroes.

But what is a hero?

To me, a hero is someone to look up to; someone to inspire me – to jolt me out of my complacency. Someone to challenge me from thinking in the “same old, same old” ways.

I’ve learned something from each of my heroes. Each has given me a life lesson – no matter how unlikely the hero may be.

And if a hero is someone who inspires, who banishes complacency, who helps people learn life lessons, can’t we all be heroes?

Can’t YOU be a hero?

When someone puts themselves in your hands, they don’t want the “same old same old”, they want a hero.

They want someone who can help them achieve things they could never achieve on their own.

They want someone they can look up to; someone who can inspire them to go further, faster, higher.

Heroes don’t need to be playing for England (or Scotland, or anyone else). They don’t need to be famous. Let’s not confuse celebrity with heroism.

They just need to be truthful. And brave enough to do what they think is right. They could be in the news – but they could just as easily sitting in the office next to you. Or even sitting where you are.

Think about your colleagues, your staff and your clients. Do you inspire them to do extraordinary things? Do you challenge them to change the things they think they could achieve? Do you change the way they think? The way they feel? The way they act?

We can be challenged and inspired by the people around us. Every person can be a hero to someone.

If you can be that person, then you can be that hero.

Kenny Harris will be doing his highly entertaining seminar around heroes at the FIA Conference in Telford (July 13h). Don't miss it.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”

Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.

Click here to book your place now!

Band-Aids or Beliefs

             - Kris Tynan -

You’ll be familiar with the phrase, “if you pay peanuts you get monkeys” - which is a little unfair to the monkeys I have always thought.

There is some truth to this theory, but according to TED talker Simon Sinek (if you haven’t discovered Ted yet check out www.ted.cm) people don’t buy into what you do, they buy into what you believe, and money doesn’t come into it.

Does this have any relevance to the reason that we as an industry are often so bad at gym floor interaction?

Despite a collective nodding of heads when yet another piece of research produces a clear correlation between instructor interaction and improved retention, the situation seems to have got worse over the years.

Is this because talking to members is relegated to the too-hard basket?

Are we so concerned with short-term results (aka sales) that we haven’t got the vision to look ahead more than a year or two?

Or do we simply not have the confidence to commit the required resources to creating sustained cultural change in our gym floors?

Are we just looking for band-aids so we can say we ‘tick that box’ for this year at least, or does anyone out there genuinely believe that one way of improving the measly 12% market penetration we have right now is to look after the customers we already have?

I’ll be sharing a few interactive instructor insights with you at the conference in July.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”

Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.

Click here to book your place now!

Flame Finalists

- David Stalker -

I am delighted to announce that we now have our finalists confirmed for the FIA and Matrix Flame Awards and the competition is even hotter than ever!

With the Ball of Fire and Conference less than a month away, the team are busy booking industry colleagues onto the final few places. 

I have to say well done to everybody who submitted an award entry - there were some fantastic entries this year which demonstrate the level of work going on in

our industry.

With the two categories producing winners , ‘Outstanding’, which covers Future of Flame, Operators of the year and also Spark of Innovation Award (which discovers the newest and most innovative in the industry) and ‘Facility Management’ which recognises the best clubs and centres in the industry, the Ball of Fire is set to be a night to remember. For a full list of finalists see http://tinyurl.com/3nkn25z .

I look forward to revealing the results at the Ball of Fire (13^th July). If you haven’t already, book you place now!  http://www.fia.org.uk/diary_dates/events1/flame-2011.html ).

From Expert to Facilitator

- Fiona Cosgrove -

I recently attended a conference in Boston entitled Coaching in Leadership and Medicine.

The sessions intertwined theory from systems therapy, executive coaching, immunity to change models and ground breaking research in positivity.

The theme throughout was that a good coach needs to increase self-awareness in the client and help them to take responsibility for their own outcomes.

It matters not whether the objective is to increase productivity or decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, if the end result involves behavioural change (which becoming a regular exerciser does) then helping people to identify and eliminate psychological as well as physiological obstacles is essential.

The fitness industry is crying out for a new teaching model and if exercise professionals can just shift their mindset from being the expert to being the facilitator of change then wellness coaching may just be it.

Australian Fiona Cosgrove is a leading international wellness coach. She is presenting at the FIA Conference in Telford on Wednesday July 13th.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”
Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.
Click here to book your place now!

The Wellbeing Centre of the Future

- Tim Anstiss -

So, the Government has started to measure our happiness. They have come to the conclusion, reached earlier by many, that economic growth is one thing and the health and wellbeing of the citizens that voted them into power is another.

What makes politicians think they will be any better at improving citizen health and wellbeing than they have been at growing the economy? Well, there’s an emerging science of psychological wellbeing and human flourishing they find exciting and are seeking to apply.

So what do we know? That mental health is a positive thing, much more than the absence of mental illness. That mental health and wellbeing depends on the presence of key things: good relationships, feelings of mastery, competence and achievement, engagement in tasks and activities, the experience of positive emotions and a dose of meaning and purpose.

Over 60 years ago two doctors in South London developed the Pioneer Health Centre in Peckham; a true health centre, not a disease centre. They wanted to ‘create the right conditions for health to emerge’. It never made it into the NHS.

About 10 years ago I shared with a major high street chemist, my ideas for a modern wellbeing and wellness centre. They didn’t quite get it, and chose to sell vitamins and the like.

So, what will the wellbeing centre of the future look and feel like? How will it differ from the modern health and fitness centre? Come to the Flame Conference and find out.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”
Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.
Click here to book your place now!

How Agile is your business?

- Paul Sloane -

Many leaders of small firms focus on making their business work efficiently and on delivering high-quality customer service. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these objectives. They are both essential aims. However, if they lead to rigidity and the exclusion of variation then they can undermine the key advantage that small businesses have over large businesses - agility.

If you run a small business then your large competitors can outspend you. They have more resources than you do. But they cannot move as quickly as you can. The great thing about running a small business is that you can have a new idea today, try it tomorrow and see the customer reaction the next day. If it works you can reinforce and develop it. If it does not work then you can adapt it or drop it. You can introduce innovations in products, services, messages and methods more quickly and more easily than your larger competitors. Typically they have to go through layers of committees and approvals before they can bring a new concept to market.

So by all means focus on efficiency, customer service, operational excellence and so on. Make the current business model work better. But at the same time allocate some time, money and people to experiment, try some wacky ideas and quickly gauge customer reaction to them. You should try several new ideas every month. Many might flop but that does not matter. Some will have a small benefit and should be retained. But if you keep doing this then every so often you will hit a home run - a really great and novel idea that customers love. That then is your opportunity to really accelerate the growth of your business by seizing a new market opportunity.

Here are some ways to increase your agility:

1. Set a target for the number of new initiatives you want to try over the next 12 months
2. Ask your staff, your customers and your suppliers for ideas to improve your product or service
3. Run regular brainstorm meetings with specific objectives relating to innovation
4. Allocate a small budget for prototypes and experiments
5. Give people time and space to innovate - empower them to try new things.
6. Celebrate success, learn from failure, punish in action

Paul Sloane is presenting at the FIA Conference in Telford on July 13th. For more information on Paul's work visit www.destination-innovation.com

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”
Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.
Click here to book your place now!

If you don’t like change you’ll like irrelevance even less…

- Tim Webster -

Welcome to the Flame Conference Blog for 2011. Over the coming months you will hear from a number of conference speakers on a bunch of issues that currently face our industry and many others. Here’s your starter for ten:

Two or three years ago we were all salivating at the prospect of major government initiatives around activity and obesity and the impact that the Olympics would have on the nation’s desire to exercise.

Here’s a reality check: The Olympics will be great and the opportunities from the Responsibility Deal and the part we are playing in the governments physical activity initiatives are exciting, but we can’t rely on them alone to jump-start the industry. What will help to attract more than one in ten people in the UK is a significant rethink by operators around what it is that the consumer wants and how we can package it in a way that appeals to them.

Let’s look at this through the eyes of the customer:

• Make me feel important and I’ll love you forever.
• Get the results you promised me and I’ll recommend you to all my friends too.
• Connect with me online and I’ll think of you every day.
• Educate me about how to live healthily and you’ll hook me for life.
• Coach me and I’ll work my butt off for you (literally).
• Inspire me and I’ll do things that neither you nor I ever thought I was capable of.
• Entertain me and I might even enjoy working out one day.

But don’t sit on your complacent collective bottoms, palm me off with the same old stuff you’ve been doing for the last twenty years and expect me to pay you 50 quid a month for the privilege.

I want to get fit, I want to lose a little weight and I want to join your gyms. You have a great product that I would like to be a part of, but you need to understand that I’m in the driving seat now and I will exercise on my terms not yours.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”

Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.

Click here to book your place now!

New system, new venue, new theme

Where will you be on the 12th and 13th July?

You’ll be joining us at the 3rd Annual Flame Conference (13th July) and Golf Day (12th July) in Telford, of course. But have you booked yet?

As the countdown begins for this years Conference, the progressive leap forward from last year is already evident…

Determined to make the booking process a smoother experience for delegates, the FIA Events Team have produced an all singing, all dancing system, worthy of the industry event and reflecting the theme ‘Creating Connections – the key to our future’.

Launching last week, the first early bird bookings are already speeding their way through the system and declaring it to be a success.

So, we are officially hurtling towards the Flame Conference and I for one can not wait.

Book your place now at our generously discounted rate. It’s never been so easy to register.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Hayley Bevan, Events & Sponsorship Manager

For questions on the Conference:
E: Flame@fia.org.uk
T: 020 7420 8560
W: www.fia.org.uk

Gym for Heroes Endurance Challenge

I am delighted to report that we are supporting Gym for Heroes, as our charity of the year for the second year running.

This year’s challenge takes place between 9th to 22nd of July and involves either a 3 hour or 12 hour endurance challenge across 3 pieces of CV equipment or a swimming pool. Whilst having a great workout, individually or in groups of 3-4, at any gym or military facility, the challenge is the perfect way to support our heroes by reminding us of the physical and mental upheaval they endure.

So what does this mean to you and your members?

We, as an industry are showing our commitment by raising funds whilst also meeting our objectives of getting more people moving.

Last year’s challenge was a massive success, attracting 1000 participants and raising £100k in support of Help for Heroes. With your help I know we can make this year’s challenge even stronger. There are gym packs available to all (including, t-shirts, medal, balloons, posters, wrist bands and other collaterals), so promotional cost wouldn’t be a problem. All you have to do is take part!

To register your organisation, visit www.gymforheroes.co.uk. Packs will be delivered in April.
I’m off to get training….

Dave Stalker, Executive Director, FIA

The IHRSA Convention countdown…

With just over fourteen days to go until the 30^th IHRSA Convention, we are ‘preparation San Francisco’ here at the FIA.

The line-up of speakers and events promises to be one of the best yet.

Often viewed as a “bit of a jolly” to the States, we are determined that this years trip comprises a robust educational itinerary which builds skills and educates industry peers.

That’s why, for the first time this year, we’re providing a mentoring programme for operators to aid this. Key issues such as medical wellness and the female market, will be presented and debated, and brand new fitness trends will be demonstrated, such as Batuka (personally can’t wait to have a go at these new latin-inspired routines)!

There are some fantastic keynotes to look forward to also – Al Gore’s Chief speech-writer; Daniel Pink, will look at the science of motivation, best-selling author and business innovator; Tony Hsieh looks at delivering happiness and host of the “Amazing Race”; Phil Keoghan reflects on his “near death” experience and consequent life philosophy of making the most of every opportunity - sounds like a not-to-be-missed inspirational guy!

Outside of this full-on educational itinerary there’s plenty more to look forward to…

The trade show will be brimming with new products and previously unseen suppliers – can’t wait to have a ‘nose’ at what’s new in the industry!

The FIA will also be running some exciting networking events outside of the IHRSA schedule to provide a chance to kick back, catch up with industry peers and sample (quite literally) the culture of beautiful San Francisco…

All FIA members are invited to our “Welcome to San Francisco” Drinks Reception on Monday 14^th, where we will toast to jetlag and a packed week ahead…

On the Tuesday, before the Convention kicks off, we will be hosting a Wine Tasting Tour around California’s wine country – sampling some of the greats and enjoying lunch in the wine caves at Rutherford Hill. 

To find out more about any of these events and get booked on, just drop me an email or check out the FIA website.

Look forward to seeing you all at Heathrow for some early morning, bleary-eyed banter before the learning and fun begins!

Hayley Bevan, Events & Sponsorship Manager, FIA

Hayley@fia.org.uk

@HayleyBevan

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hayleybevan