Step by Step: Vendor Viewpoint
Nick Berry, co-owner of Fitness Consulting Group, talks about how to boost your club's bottom line through automated billing.

ADVERTISEMENT The New Year means lots of new members. Did you know that a large percentage will quit by this time next year? In 2007, resolve to give member retention & integration as much effort as your sales campaigns. And, with Retention Management, we do the work; you reap the rewards. Find out how we can help you make this a more successful New Year. Info@RetentionManagement.com or 800.951.8048 ext.1 www.RetentionManagement.com

Hot News

Seven Fitness Club Franchises Make Top Franchise List
IRVINE, CA -- Fitness club franchises remain a hot business opportunity if Entrepreneur magazine's annual Top 500 Franchise list is any indication. The list, which was released earlier this month and ranks franchises in a variety of industries, includes seven fitness club companies, many of which also made the fastest-growing franchise and the low-cost franchise lists. The overall list also includes five fitness program companies. Read the full story.

ADVERTISEMENT The Xvest (adjustable weight vest) voted as "The Best Fitness Product of the Year" by industry experts. It's no wonder why the Xvest is utilized by the NFL, NBA, MLB and the Summer and Winter Olympians. First responders and the military depend on it for staying in top condition. The Xvest can give your exercise and training the extra boost that it needs. Put it on for jogging, power-walking, or with any aerobic exercises. Your workout will be more productive and burn up to 70% more calories in the same amount of time. Until now, there have been no product on the market that allows you to condition aerobically while building lean muscle mass. www.thexvest.com

Club Hopping

Wellbridge CEO and COO Buy Company
DENVER -- Ed Williams, co-founder and CEO of Wellbridge Co., and Jay Kell, COO of the Denver-based company, purchased Wellbridge Co. in late December, according to a release from the company. Williams and Kell are principals in Fitness Ventures LLC, which also includes as a principal Central Sports Company of Japan, which operates 157 full service clubs primarily in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Williams co-founded the company in 1983. Today, the company owns and manages 20 athletic clubs and spas across the United States. Williams and Kell will continue in their day-to-day operations of the company.

IHRSA Members Report Increased Club Revenue and Improved Membership Retention
BOSTON -- Although some industry experts are forecasting increased competition and possible flat revenues for clubs this year, a recent survey reported an increase in revenues and a growth in membership for clubs in 2005. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) surveyed 193 member companies representing 1,000 clubs for the 2006 edition of the Profiles of Success report, which found that a typical IHRSA member club earned $2.5 million in 2005 revenues, a 5.9 percent increase from 2004. Read the full story.

TSI Opens 100th Club in New York
New York -- Town Sports International Holdings Inc. (TSI), an operator of clubs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, opened its 100th New York Sports Club in the metro New York area. Read the full story.

Arizona YMCAs Offer Free Memberships
PHOENIX -- The Valley of the Sun YMCA branches gave away $100,000 in free 30-day memberships in early January to encourage families to improve their health in 2007. The Ys expected to give away 3,000 memberships, which would have equated to almost $250,000 in services. The Ys gave the memberships to families who signed up at any of the Valley locations over a three-day period. Since last May, the Y branches have expanded their facilities with $75 million in renovations and upgrades.

ADVERTISEMENT Use Polar's Turnkey Cardio Coaching Program to: Sell more Heart Rate Monitors. Introduce new Personal Training Price Points. Increase Sales. Increase Results. Email jesse.harper@polarusa.com, call (800)841-8333 x 3104 or visit www.polarbodyage.com, to find out how.

School Days

National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day is Feb. 22
CORVALLIS, OR -- Because many New Year's resolutions to exercise regularly will be forgotten and forgone by early February, the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) is urging rec facility directors to give patrons a chance to reacquaint themselves with fitness and sports by celebrating National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day on Feb. 22. NIRSA sponsors the day to call national attention to the positive benefits that people of all ages enjoy when they participate in recreational sports, fitness activities and wellness programs. Read the full story and get tips on how to celebrate.

ADVERTISEMENT Attention Fitness Professionals We would like to send you a Complimentary Sample of our 90 day Fitness & Nutrition Journal at no charge to you. Tag Publishing produces quality Training Logs/Journals, used by Health Clubs, Personal Trainers, Nutrition Specialists, Physical Therapists. World Wide. And we customize the Front and Back covers for your facility. To SEE and HEAR this "NO CHARGE SAMPLE" offer, simply turn up the speakers on your computer, and click on this link. Listen for the voice.... Or call "Sonny" to order yours. 866-702-7227

Boot Camp

Pearl Harbor Run Draws 500
SAN DIEGO -- More than 500 Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) sailors and civilians participated in the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 5K Run/Walk in San Diego in early December on the waterfront. The event, organized by the NBSD Morale, Welfare and Recreation department, commemorated thousands who lost their lives during the 1941 Japanese attack. The festivities began with warm-up calisthenics and the national anthem, followed by the 3.1-mile run.

Industry Beat

Girl 'Tweens' Apt to Gain Weight Earlier Rather than Later
BALTIMORE -- Does your club offer fitness programming to girls ages 9 to 12 years old? You might consider targeting this age group based on recent research findings. The incidence of girls being overweight was greater at age 9 to 12 than it was in later adolescence, and girls who were overweight during childhood were 11 to 30 times more likely to be obese in young adulthood, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics. Read the full story.

ADVERTISEMENT Find the tools you need to advance the health, fitness, and physical performance of your clients. With the addition of over 100 new products, Power Systems 2007 Catalog for Fitness Professionals features a large selection of innovative, quality products. To request a FREE catalog, visit www.power-systems.com or call 800-321-6975.

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