Successful Studio PlanningTuesday 20th April

Laura Robinson, Dance and Exercise Manager

Surrey Sports Park

Successful Studio Programming

• Maximise your timetable

• Building around your users

• Create a scorecard system

• Marketing

• Instructors

• Studios and Equipment

Surrey Sports Park

• 120 station fitness suite

• 50 metre swimming pool with traversable boom

• 3 indoor sports arenas

• 3 Dance and Exercise studios

• Spinning studio

• 12 metre climbing wall and bouldering facility

• 6 glass backed squash courts

• Starbucks

Group Fitness, Dance and Well-being• 3 main stake holder groups

Students and staff – University of SurreyPublic – Guildford and SurreyElite Sport - Worldwide

• 7000 memberships

• 9000 memberships in 3 years– 6000 students and staff– 3000 external

• 113 group fitness, dance and well-being classes and courses

• 60% public usage and 40% student/staff usage

What are the issues surrounding studio planning?• % Attendance• Space• Studio ‘dead’ time• Cover• Size of studios• Variety of programme• Equipment• Marketing• Competitors

Maximise Your Timetable

•The success of group fitness lies in the fact that 90% of all exercisers report that they would rather work in a group

•The average member visits 1.75 times a week

•The more choice they have, the harder it will be

•The programme needs to make an impact!

•Build your timetable around your users

•What do users want from a programme?•Lose weight•Tone up•Motivation•Social aspect

Programme Breakdown

Core Programme (70%-80%)•Pump

•Combat

•Aerobics

•Circuits

•Aqua

•Attack

•Spin

Speciality (10%-20%)•Dance•Step•Sports Specific•Mind and Body•Tai Chi

Service (0%-10%)•Technique Class

•Monthly Specials and events

Create a scorecard system• Calculate the total square metres/square feet taken up

by your studios

• Divide this number by 4 or 40 if using feet to calculate your maximum class capacity (MCC)

• How many classes are more than 75%?• How many classes are between 30% and 75%?• How many classes are less than 30%?

• Red• Amber• Green

Marketing

• How are you packaging your programme?• Names• Timetables• Quarterly Launches (Les Mills and Freestyle)

Instructors• People leave facilities but they don’t leave

friends• Good quality, qualified instructors are the key

to class retention• Communication• Financial and non-financial incentive schemes• Instructor ranking• Assessment• Cover lists

Studios and Equipment

• Develop the best studio you can afford• Creative decoration to create an ambience• Temperature and ventilation• Cleanliness• Mirrors

Break out groups

• What are my strongest classes?• What are the biggest challenges I face in my

facility?• Where is there room for improvement?• What could I do to increase class sizes?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME