The New Era Of Ideas - Is The Health Club Industry Ready ?

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Creativity, innovation, disruption; you know the buzz words. I and many others have written extensively on the topic; from the creative destruction of health and wellness to the latest innovations in fitness and health. Why ? I hear it from many well respected and highly touted professionals almost daily, "The Fitness and Health Club Industry have got to change." The purpose for writing on these subjects is to reassure my colleagues that yes things are going to change and its going to be sooner than later.

That notion was reinforced this Sunday morning, as I paged through the latest content streams for the week ahead, I saw something that reinforced the views of one of my favorite business leaders CK Prahalad and indirectly bolstered my thinking that the new era of ideas is going to take hold very soon in the health club and fitness industry. What did I see ?

A new company called Tile ; (video is below), is launching a matchbook sized Bluetooth device that aims to ignite a community movement around keeping track of items in life. They used Crowdfunding with the Selfstarter platform and raised over $1.8 Million . The device is really cool and it was started by two guys. That's it. Something was created that could not have been possible only a few years ago. The idea was funded by thousands of strangers via the Internet. Amazing. Yes, the new era of ideas is here and to the extent two people can figure out how to track stuff in the manner that Tile does, well there are going to be many equally cool ways to do things in the health club and fitness space that no one has consider or was possible just a few years ago.

What this means for the health club and fitness industry is that just like Tile, groups of open minded people armed with new business tactics like crowdfunding and an understanding of technology are going to be able to deliver new products and services that are revolutionary. I meet entrepreneurs like them all of the time. They will create entirely new possibilities and usher in a new era for health clubs and fitness . In the era of new ideas, the past means less and less and that means a whole new era of opportunities lies ahead. Who you know and what you did before will not matter in a world of ideas where the freshest and brightest approaches will be able to get to market faster and with less objection than ever before.

CK Prahald noted the two key barriers to innovation: not accepting that things have REALLY changed and anchoring yourself in the logic of the past instead of embracing the new. When one sees a solution like Tile, it only goes to prove the point that true innovation in the health club and fitness industry will come from a similar place. Is the industry ready ? I think it is because it doesn't have a choice.

Tell me, Bryan O'Rourke, what you think about the new era of ideas. Is the Health Club and Fitness Industry ready for all of this potential ? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He works for Fitmarc, which delivers Les Mills programs to over 700 facilities in the US and heads up the firms Integerus and Fitsomo. He advises successful global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank and is CEO of the Fitness Industry Technology Council (To join FIT-C visit www.fit-c.org ). Recently Bryan was named to the ACE industry advisory panel.  To learn more contact Bryan here today.

The Line Between The Physical And Digital Worlds Continues To Blur

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Four years ago I began writing about how the physical and digital worlds are merging . Little did I know I'd be wearing a pair of Google Glass so soon. This has profound implications for the delivery of fitness, wellness and health in general. Consistent with the law of accelerating returns, technology that is enabling this blur continues to roll out at an exponential pace and its becoming quite fascinating. The implications and possibilities are only going to be limited by our imaginations.

Enter MYO, a new control devices that enables the movement of your hand and arm to control displays, devices, whatever. The video is worth a look believe me, and thanks go to my son Shawn for sharing.

This is only the beginning of what is to come and its why I share this recent Ted Talk below by researcher and engineer  Jinha Lee. The border between our physical world and the digital information surrounding us has been getting thinner and thinner and Jinha Lee wants to dissolve it altogether. In his short, gasp-inducing talk, he shares ideas that include a pen that penetrates into a screen to draw 3D models and a computer desktop prototype that lets you reach through the screen to manipulate digital objects.The future isn't coming, its already here. Please share with me your ideas and what you think about these technologies. I'd love to hear from you - Bryan O'Rourke.

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He works for Fitmarc, which delivers Les Mills programs to over 700 facilities in the US. He advises successful global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank and serves as CEO of the Fitness Industry Technology Council. To join FIT-C visit www.fit-c.org . To learn more contact Bryan here today .

Trends Transforming The Health Club Industry #IHRSA2013

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Macro trends are reinventing the health club industry. This is the subject of my presentation at IHRSA2013 this year. Its always exciting to attend and present at IHRSA. I am so very honored and thankful to the professionals with IHRSA for giving me the chance to contribute.

When I say that the health club industry is being transformed, what I mean is that the same trends which have impacted retail, restaurants, transportation, hospitality and others are having very similar impacts on the club business. First, demographics are shifting; aging boomers and rising millennials are combining to impact consumer tastes and needs. Second, technology is creating the ability to perform services and deliver goods in ways that were unavailable only a few years ago. Third, the world is shrinking and global ism is creating a new realm of competition and opportunity. The convergence of these forces is reshaping our businesses and will for years to come.

What is the end result ? Who knows exactly, but during my talk on Thursday March 21st from 1:30 - 3:00 I'll share what I see the future as being. Hopefully you can attend. If you can't I'll be sharing the content here and via my slideshare account.

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He works for Fitmarc, which delivers Les Mills programs to over 700 facilities in the US. He advises successful global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank and serves as CEO of the Fitness Industry Technology Council. To learn more contact Bryan here today .

 

NEWISM An Important Trend For 2013 and Beyond - GET THE FREE REPORT

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What's new ? That is what consumers want to know. In the report: (GET YOUR FREE COPY: 6 Forces Making NEWISM Relevant )  I share some thoughts on the NEWISM trend.

Brands like Fresh Fitness, Orange Theory, and Les Mills , among others, are all tapping into this trend in many ways in order to increase the relevance of their brands . Why ? What is new is FRESH and something to be EXCITED about. New technologies, changing consumers and innovation are all contributing to NEWISM. Its the secret sauce that some people really love.

What is causing this trend to be relevant ? 6 Drivers:

1. Creative Destruction;

2. The World Is Going Faster;

3. People Are Experience Cramming;

4. Consumers Are Into Status Streaming;

5. A New Class Of Trysumers Has Emerged; and

6. To Have Is To (H)OLD: STUFF isnt what it used to be.

Not all consumers or brands will be impacted by this trend but the surge in the Micro-Gym Market, Mobile Applications and High Intensity Training, in addition to other examples, are all emerging in connection with the NEWISM trend.

Check out the presentation below. You can get a copy for FREE: its embedded in this post.  Please share the content via your social networks if you like it. More importantly PLEASE tell me what YOU think about the NEWISM trend and its 6 drivers. Thank you for your interest !

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, and shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He advises several successful global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank and serves as CEO of the Fitness Industry Technology Council. To learn more contact Bryan here today .

 

 

An Important 2012 Trend | Point, Know & Buy

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Point, Know & Buy 2012 - An Important Fitness Industry Trend
View more presentations from Bryan ORourke

In January of 2012, with the help of trendwatching's research, I released a FREE report, 12 Interesting Trends Health Club and Fitness Leaders and Brands Should Keep Their Eyes On . Today, I'm sharing a follow on 20 page report titled, Point, Know & Buy 2012, An Important Trend Health Club And Fitness Industry Trend. This report addresses how Smartphone technology, applications and changing consumers are converging to impact how brands interact and how commerce can be conducted in a new world of possibilities. Point, Know and Buy is one of the 12 trends I shared in my prior report. Here is an excerpt:

Health clubs & fitness brands are not immune from these trends. Some will have the vision to seize the opportunities provided while others will ignore them at their own peril. The possibilities are only limited by one’s imagination, and there are no clear cut answers.

In addition to great examples of emerging technologies the report also includes several videos of those technologies. You'll think some of it is science fiction, and its not. The Point, Know and Buy trend is a tremendous sea change that leaders need to pay close attention to. I'm working with several brands and startups who are targeting this opportunity with new applications and potential business models. It is very interesting and exciting. Many thanks to my colleague and friend Michael Scott Scudder for his quote in the introduction of the report. He continues to help me learn and understand the business and industry and I am grateful for that.

So tell me Bryan O'Rourke, what can you imagine will emerge in the health club and fitness industry to respond to the Point, Know and Buy trend ? I'd love to hear your thoughts about the overview and videos.

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, and shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He consults with global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank is Chair of the Medical Fitness Association’s Education Committee, is President of the Fitness Industry Technology Council and a partner in Fitmarc, Integerus, Fitsomo and the Flywheel Group. To learn more contact Bryan here today .