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A deadline for private-equity firm Forstmann Little to sell 24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA, is less than three months away.
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Although the majority of active Americans still did not spend money on sports and recreation in 2011, more active Americans plan to increase spending on fitness than decrease spending in 2012, according to the Physical Activity Council's (PAC) 2012 Participation Report. That spending includes gym memberships.
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Revenue at U.S. commercial health clubs reached $21.4 billion and memberships totaled 51.4 million in 2011, the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) reported in a survey released Monday. The revenue represented a 5 percent increase while membership numbers grew 2.4 percent from 2010.
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Town Sports International (TSI), New York, announced credit rating upgrades by financial services companies Standard & Poor's and Moody's.
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Pam Watts has been appointed as executive director of the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) National Center, Corvallis, OR, after serving the association for 12 years in high-ranking positions.
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Keynote speakers, panel sessions, award presentations and the Bash for Augie's Quest highlighted the 31st annual International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) show, held last month at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
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Recently, many fitness facilities have faced class-action lawsuits related to federal labor laws. Ed Tock shares three areas that seem to be of particular interest for plaintiffs' lawyers.
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The fitness business is about personal relationships, but when incidents occur, it is easy for injured parties to look to the deep pockets of faceless businesses for compensation, Editor-in-Chief Pamela Kufahl writes.
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Christa Plaza shares how to ensure aquatic success by keeping these factors in mind when designing the perfect pool at your facility.
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Leslie Nolen examines how Pinterest works and where it could fit into your wellness business marketing strategy.
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According to an interview with Equinox CEO Harvey Spevak, the New York-based company is not planning to go public.
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When I read the Physical Activity Council's report that more people were inactive in 2011 than in 2010, I was rather disappointed. Aren't we making any headway in getting people on their feet?
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Life Time Fitness, Chanhassen, MN, will hold a grand reopening as well as a grand opening in the next few days. The company will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and VIP celebration on Friday for its Life Time Fitness University club in Charlotte, NC. The club was formerly a Lifestyle Family Fitness club. On April 12, the company will hold a grand opening for its new club in Tulsa, OK. The Life Time Fitness South Tulsa club will officially open for members two days later.
In-Shape Health Clubs, Stockton, CA, held a grand opening last Friday for its newest club in Salinas, CA. The new club will complement the company's existing presence in the area as well as In-Shape's 52 clubs throughout California. "We are proud to be part of this exceptional community and look forward to a strong, long-lasting presence," In-Shape Executive Vice President Rob Farrens said in a statement.
24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA, received the Environment Optimization Excellence Award from AOTMP, an information services company, for outstanding performance in fixed and mobile telecom environment management. In 2008, 24 Hour Fitness migrated to a converged data and voice VOIP service while enlisting Ecova, an energy and sustainability management company, to help audit and prioritize lines. As a result, the company audited more than 5,000 lines and placed the information into a common system for ongoing tracking and maintenance, identified and disconnected more than 2,500 lines that were no longer needed and canceled erroneous carrier fees on more than 1,600 lines, resulting in more than $1.5 million in annual cost savings. Additionally, 24 Hour Fitness and Ecova captured more than $4.5 million in audit recovery savings.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has canceled all member contracts with SportsQuest and is issuing refunds from a surety bond, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. SportsQuest owner Steve Burton, who says he is still planning to reopen the fitness club, was not aware of the state's action when the newspaper contacted him but declined further comment. SportsQuest, Richmond, VA, has been experiencing difficulties that include missed rent payments, an eviction from its training facility and a lawsuit from the Virginia attorney general's office.
Miami Beach, FL-based elements announced a master development partner and brand expansion into Saudi Arabia. The agreement calls for five signature elements clubs that will be developed within the next three years, including a flagship site in the capital of Riyadh this summer. The company, which announced a multi-club expansion in Florida last year, is planning two more expansion announcements for Latin America later this year.
BalanceDiet, a chain of diet and wellness centers owned and operated by elements, Miami Beach, FL, appointed Felicia Sanders as senior vice president. Sanders brings more than 20 years of direct membership, wellness and fitness industry experience to BalanceDiet, having worked in operations and training management, franchise development, new business start-ups and direct sales. Before joining BalanceDiet, Sanders previously served as vice president of operations for Diversified Health and Fitness Franchise Corp. as well as director of training and development and pre-sale director for Lady of America Franchise Corp.
Summit Fitness, Lee's Summit, MO, was expected to close last Saturday and will be replaced by an Aspen Athletic Club, the Lee's Summit Journal reported last week. The 48,000-square-foot facility was celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Aspen Athletic Clubs, Omaha, NE, is opening other clubs in the Kansas City, MO, area, including one in Olathe, KS, according to the newspaper.
The first willPower Method Studio will open in Denver in January 2013. The studio teaches willPower and grace workouts, which combine barefoot, functional cardiovascular training with flexibility and endurance. Stacey Lei Krauss, the creator of the program, and her team will train consumers, as well as prepare instructors at the studio. The license-free program is available to other fitness facilities.
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Pick a Gym, a directory of more than 4,200 health clubs to help people compare and choose gyms, is now adding a new element to help people refer others to their gym. Share Your Fit, a social media referral marketing system, allows members to go online and tell friends about their facility and suggest that they join in. "The goal of Share Your Fit is for gym members to send out free passes to friends and family to generate referrals," says Aaron Grove, founder and COO of Pick a Gym. "We wanted it to be more than just sending out a free pass, so everything is tied back into Pick a Gym with the video tours and testimonials and information about the club. This way, the people who are receiving the passes can learn about the gym and decide if it is someplace they would like to try."
ABC Financial, Little Rock, AR, is now an affiliated member of Mid-Atlantic Club Management Association (MACMA), ABC Financial announced. MACMA is a professional networking group of health clubs throughout Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. MACMA, a regional affiliate of IHRSA, was created to respond to regional industry needs and promote industry interests.
Apple has selected the iTunes app Boot Camp Challenge as an App Essential, according to VicteliB, creators of the app and creators of fee-based group exercise programming. The app can be found under the Get in Shape Essentials banner. In the app, veteran U.S. Army trainer and certified personal trainer Lori Patterson guides users through a progressive 18-day program. Each day combines cardio, stretching and muscular endurance training into one workout. Every one of the more than 200 exercises includes video so users can double-check their form.
Octane Fitness LLC, Brooklyn Park, MN, has earned the Excellence in Design Award for its xRide seated elliptical for home use, the company announced. Teaming with Cesaroni Design Associates Inc., Glenview, IL, Octane Fitness won the 2011 Bronze Award in the Outdoor and Leisure Appliance category. Presented by appliance DESIGN magazine, the 24th annual Excellence in Design competition recognizes outstanding achievements in innovation, design and functionality across eight product categories. An independent panel of design experts not affiliated with the magazine evaluates four criteria: aesthetics, human factors, innovation and technical merits in selecting gold, silver and bronze awards.
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We appreciate readers' comments and discussions on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages and online stories. Take a look at what people in the fitness business community are saying and join the conversation.
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