Bryan O'Rourke

I've been predicting a tipping point for some time and I call it the Integerus: the point when more revenues and consumer interactions associated with health and fitness services are delivered via the cloud and technologies  as opposed to bricks and mortar based organizations. Don't think its happening ? Think again..... Internet retail sales will reach nearly 300 billion in the US by 2015. Increasingly purchases of goods and services will move to mobile platforms. Customers will become more accustomed to getting the things they need, including services, whenever and wherever they want them. Over 500 million health and fitness apps are going to be used globally by 2015. Now comes Jawbone's new UP device, another in a series of innovations that are leading to AT&T and Best Buy being as important a competitor in the health and fitness space as any existing health cl... (more)

The New Enterprise Requires A Progressive Technology Platform

Believe me, all industries and institutions, and in particular the health club, fitness and wellness business, are going through tremendous change, whether one wants to admit to it or not. History tells us that transformative times are met in two ways: as an exciting opportunity for advancement or as a threatening force to the status quo. What people think about change is usually aligned with how much they benefit from the way things are not the way they could be. When I say that the fitness, wellness and health club industry is wrestling with "Digital Darwinism" "the evolution ... (more)

Before Jumping Into Paid Social Media Advertising - Keep These Tips In Mind

Social Media Platforms Are Offering New Types Of Paid Advertisement Opportunities. Here Are Some Things Health Club Owners Should Keep In Mind Before Taking The Plunge. One of the biggest shifts in consumer behavior during the past decade is the increasing use of the Internet as a key part of decision making when people shop for goods and services. Health clubs are not immune from this trend and as a result, many marketers are evaluating and rethinking traditional advertising methods. The fact is that club members trust traditional advertising less and less. Therefore, marketing... (more)

Angel Banos - An Impressive Health Club Operator And Visionary

What an interesting time I had visiting the Los Angeles area this week. Richard Drugenberg, the head of sales and marketing for Gold's Franchisee Gym Management Services was really kind to show me a number of their health club operations. To say they were some of the most impressive Gold's Gyms I've ever seen would be an understatement. In addition to spending a lot of quality time with Rich discussing sales, marketing and technology (check out their new pt training concept Smart Fitness), I was able to sit and chat with the legend, Angel Banos, CEO of Gym Management Services. ... (more)

Has The US Health Club Industry Reached Maturity ? It Has & That's Not So Bad

  Nothing seems to get the rhetorical juices flowing more readily than a thoughtful discussion around this topic, "Where is the health club industry headed?". I've enjoyed debating this point with colleagues for a few years now, as the question of Health Club growth and or maturation always draws controversy and debate. This is most often the case when long-time participants or advocates of the extant Health Club Industry defend its future promise, which I understand and appreciate. However, as is often the case when emotions run high, logic can be hard to hold onto. You see I ... (more)