How Bannatyne is driving growth through its studios and winning fans from the gym floor

Les Mills: Tell us about yourself, Oliver.

OC: My name's Oliver Cox and I'm Head of Fitness Programming at the Bannatyne Group. My role covers multiple streams, one of which is the provision of group exercise across our clubs.

LM: Where does group training fit in the Bannatyne offering?

OC: It's a massive part of our membership offering that, in many ways, sets us apart from competitors. We're always striving to maintain our key strengths in this area, but also looking to innovate. Making sure the classes we provide our members are contemporary and pushing boundaries is key to helping us stay ahead of the curve.

LM: How did you select the right club to launch CEREMONY?

OC: Our Dunfermline club is one of our biggest, with over 4,500 members, and has all the right ingredients for the concept to be successful. Having sufficient real estate in the club is key and they have an extra studio that enabled us to look at this program seriously and pilot it. Class occupancy across the current timetable is strong, so we had to implement a strategy that meant the studio could offer traditional programming like yoga, Pilates, and BODYPUMP™ before or after CEREMONY, without disruption to the timetable and club operations. Having the ability to change the studio to something that looks a bit different to the class previously, without disruption, is a big tick in the box.

And it’s not just the studio. It’s about bringing the staff on the journey, too. They’re our members’ most frequent touchpoints and have great insights on challenges or potential blockers. The Les Mills team were also on hand to support. There were plenty of site visits before launch, starting with scoping meetings to give our GFM the full rundown of the proposition, plus a training overview meeting with our AGM to ensure the program would land effectively. We also offered all teammates education on the new format prior to launch, so they were fully briefed on CEREMONY and able to educate members.

LM: What made you decide to offer members LES MILLS CEREMONY™?

OC: We’re constantly assessing all our offerings and thinking about creative ways to attract new faces into the group training studio. We’ve got a core offering which our members love, but to drive impact and attract those members who might be unsure about group training, we knew we needed something different.

We were keen to attract younger members to our classes, and ease pressure on the gym floor at peak times by offering the studio as an exciting alternative. CEREMONY was an opportunity to present all our members with something a bit more experiential that combines both strength and cardio. As group training goes, it feels very different. The set- up is unique, and it’s bringing something new to the functional circuit training format.

LM: How has CEREMONY landed?

OC: Two really special things have happened. Our existing group training participants are really enjoying the addition of this program alongside their usual activities, like Signature Les Mills workouts. And even more excitingly, we’re attracting entirely new audiences into the studio, with 25% of CEREMONY participants being completely new to group exercise. Occupancy is strong and CEREMONY has won over members who would have previously done functional training alone on the gym floor. The lure of a group training class that delivers functional strength in a thrilling environment has encouraged them to try something new, and that’s fantastic for us.

LM: How have you sought Instructors for CEREMONY?

OC: The program format has opened up a whole new talent base for us to tap into. It’s helped us win the hearts and minds of staff who fall into the category of more ‘classic’ trainers. Being able to offer a program that is coached off the beat allows them to become superstars in the studio, backed up with training where the kit assists with providing exceptional member experience but still allows the Instructor to be a performer. It takes a bit of the cognitive load off for the trainer and so with the support of Les Mills we’ve managed to get the whole team trained up pretty swiftly and delivering these sessions to great effect.

Commercially it’s a win for us as we can engage more of our employed fitness professionals to deliver group exercise and elevate the member experience. When we bring in freelancers to deliver a class of this nature, historically we’ve had to pay them a premium to deliver an experience because we know it's reflected in the class occupancy that we get. But we’re trying to make better use of our internal team and having a program like this is really helpful as it bridges the gap and makes group training more appealing for them. That’s another tick in the box!

LM: How have Instructors taken to the program?

OC: The only thing similar we’ve offered previously would be a bootcamp or circuit session that the Instructor had to design themselves. But everyone is busy and short of time, so having scientifically designed programming that’s been perfectly put together with music and timed intervals offers efficiency and consistent high quality. It doesn’t completely limit the creativity of the Instructor, but it takes the prep work off their plate. They’re loving how CEREMONY has freed them up to focus on their performance in the class, concentrating on building connection, motivation and nailing their coaching technique. They know these are the key building blocks to sharing a great experience for the members and fostering a strong community.