#Filex2017 Insights From Mr Retention Paul Brown
Each and every health and fitness industry event around the world has something special to offer and they all bring tremendous value to their attendees, however FILEX remains my favourite on the calendar for bringing all aspects of our industry together and allowing us to evolve and grow in all areas of our business, technical and personal development while also being entertained and inspired by extraordinary feats of human achievement and wonder at the rapid pace of technical advancements and practical offerings of our suppliers and mentors.
FILEX 2017 was by all accounts one of the best yet, made extra special by the 30 year anniversary being celebrated by the Australian Fitness Network and especially those of us (veterans) who have been there since the very beginning. I felt a true sense of nostalgia as we tripped down memory lane mixed with an equal measure of embarrassment as we recounted what we got up to back in the day…and in what outfits.
Take-away #1 – Do not be put off if you have heard the presenter before, because the professionals always have new experiences and ideas to share
This year I was privileged to attend it all, from the Business Summit kicked off by the ever-wise Bill McBride with his poignant lessons on Strategy, to the entertaining Closing Keynote with the hilarity of Derek Barton as he urged us to “tell our story”, then the final session with insightful guidance on Leadership by Luke Carlson. Then I could shed the suit and tie, don my workout attire and get sweaty with the likes of Canada’s incomparable Maureen (Mo) Hagan. I am honoured to count each of these industry greats as close friends and have shared the stage with them many times around the world and as such I would like to note how impressed I was that all our internationals really brought their A game. It was clear that each worked very hard to share new, relevant and practical content.
Take-away #2 – There has been a real changing of the guard in the Australasian Fitness Industry in recent years and I see that as a very positive and exciting development with many new welcomed faces in the audiences at FILEX2017
I urge these newcomers be vocal, share your thoughts and challenges us speakers with your questions. Just as new members to a gym may at first lack the confidence to ask questions or speak up, it seemed FILEX 2017 and especially larger sessions like the Business Summit was markedly “quieter” with a more reserved audience and few questions. I look forward to 2018 being marked by a greater contribution at the audience level with Our speakers will thank you for your questions and experiences and everyone will get more out of it.
Take-away #3. People make the greatest difference in establishing brand loyalty and retaining clients for profitable membership growth
The most over-used word of FILEX2017 was “conversation”, but there were indeed many meaningful conversations both in and out of sessions with a lot of them were centred around a noticeable push-back from the reliance on technology and a return to an awareness that it is our people that make the greatest difference in brand loyalty and member experience.
While we as an industry continue to embrace highly useful tools, with honourable mentions to MYZONE and FitBit for example, it was heartening to see a recognition that the industry has perhaps scaled back staffing levels too much and there needs to be a returned emphasis on building relationships and deliberate hospitality, all music to my ears of course.
Active Management Note
Thanks to Paul Brown who is world authority on fitness business retention. Paul has spoken at almost every International fitness conference. His program Face to Face is a leading edge retention program that will have a profound impact in any sized fitness business. He is also a mad keen fisherman, AFL player and a family man! You can check out more by going to http://face2faceretention.com.
Justin is the Managing Director of Active Management, which he began January 2004. He offers coaching to businesses worldwide in everything from start up and design to marketing and sales systems. Justin also facilitates four Australian and New Zealand ‘fitness industry roundtables’ events, which allows him to see a huge cross section of business models.