Clubindustry

Several club CEOs milled about in and around the IHRSA show last week, and whether it was for a minute or an hour, I was fortunate enough to talk to a few of them. more…

The commission-based sales model may be a thing of the past. That may be difficult for you to accept, since the majority of fitness facility operators have set up their clubs based on the idea that monetary rewards will motivate your sales people to motivate prospects to join your club. more…

I didn’t spot any green beer or “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” pins, but there was definitely a party going on St. Patrick’s Day night at the San Francisco Marriott. more…

I’ve been hearing—and writing—about the Salvation Army Kroc Corps Community Centers since I joined Club Industry about six months ago. It was only a few days ago, though, that I had the chance to visit one. more…

Just some random happenings at the IHRSA show:

The “famous:” Besides seeing Bill Pearl and Lou Ferrigno (separately, not together), I also ran into a former Kansas City Royals baseball player, Greg Pryor (former third baseman and utility player). more…

Last week, Stuart Goldman, our managing editor, headed to New York for the “Pulitzer Prize” of the business press industry, the Jesse H. Neal Awards, sponsored by American Business Media. He was a finalist for his profile of our 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Curt Beusman. more…

If a national television show approached you to use your club, would you say yes? Paul and Leanne Neville did.

The owners of East Islip Health & Fitness Center in Long Island, NY, were approached last year by producers of the ABC TV show “What Would You Do?” about using their facility to tape some gym-related scenarios. more…

If you’re headed to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) trade show in San Francisco next week, stop by the exhibition hall’s bookstore to pick up a copy of “Legends of Fitness,” written by Club Industry advisory board member and president of Club Industry Consulting (no relation to the magazine) Stephen Tharrett, along with co-authors Frank O’Rourke and James A. Peterson. In addition to being a great read, the royalties generated by the book’s sales go to Augie’s Quest, the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s initiative to fund research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), which was named for industry icon Augie Nieto, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2005. more…

Star Trac owner Michael Bruno celebrated a birthday and a new house on Saturday. He didn’t expect to usher in a new president of Star Trac, too. more…

There’s a new word that combines golf and recreation. It’s called “golfreation.”

Thanks to Jamba Juice and the family of Jack LaLanne, the inaugural Jack LaLanne Celebrity “Golfreation” Event will be held Thursday at Pacific Grove Golf Links overlooking the Monterey Bay in California. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) and the First Tee Central Coast, funding physical education and activity programs in California’s schools. more…