To improve retention rates, the first step is to identify members who may be at risk of bolting. The most obvious sign is someone who has stopped paying dues, but a second obvious sign is someone whose usage rate has dropped....More
From navigating the maze of manufacturers to negotiating price and financing options, purchasing cardio equipment for a health club is a complex process. Fortunately, industry experts are sharing some time-tested advice on how to secure the ultimate cardio equipment deal....More
The Virginia Supreme Court has delayed until January its ruling in the case of a proposed YMCA that has been challenged by for-profit club operators....More
The Club Industry conference and trade show’s move from McCormick Place in Chicago to the Las Vegas Convention Center was the topic of much conversation during the Oct. 10-12 show. Concluding its 27th year, the show’s change in location helped attract more West Coast attendees along with its Midwest and East Coast audience. Next year, the show will return to McCormick Place in Chicago, Oct. 23-25....More
The village of Vernon Hills, IL, and its park district reached an agreement on Tuesday with the Central Lake YMCA to purchase the financially strapped fitness facility just days before the Y was set to close....More
The YMCA of Middle Tennessee has purchased 57 pink treadmills manufactured by Cybex International, Medway, MA, which says the purchase is a record for the company....More
The 20,000-square-foot Twin Pike Family YMCA in Louisiana, MO, kicks off its final fundraising efforts of a two-phase facility expansion with a challenge grant to raise $1.2 million in the next year....More
The Wilderness Trace YMCA in Harrodsburg, KY, received a $500,000 grant to help kick off fundraising efforts on a $1.2 million renovation to be completed in early 2014....More
Health clubs are much more than businesses. They instill lifestyle changes in their members that reach far beyond working out. However, part of serving a community is not just about helping people improve their health and fitness. Club operators often reach beyond their walls through philanthropic efforts....More
A membership meeting held Thursday night at the Moorer branch of the YMCA of South Alabama to elect the organization's board resulted in the passing of the Metro Board nominees by more than 80 percent of voting members....More
In response to a lawsuit between its members and regional YMCA board, The YMCA of South Alabama plans to hold elections this week for a new board. After the board has been reconstituted, the controversial strategic plan that led to the member lawsuit would be subject to a vote in order to move forward....More
Renovations have begun on the Lebanon Valley Family YMCA in Lebanon, PA, despite the organization having raised just $850,000 of the $3 million needed for the project....More
The Metro Board of the YMCA of South Alabama began developing smaller “healthy living center” models for three of its five branches but hit a snag when members of the Moorer YMCA filed a lawsuit....More
The grand opening of Bonita Springs (FL) YMCA almost a year after its controversial closing drew more than 1,000 people and resulted in 300 membership units sold....More
After the McKinley Family YMCA in Champaign County (IL) relocated to its newly built facility in southwest Champaign in February, The McKinley Fitness Center took its place....More
The Bonita Springs YMCA reopened Saturday, almost a year after its controversial closing. The YMCA of the Palms, Naples, FL, which managed the branch, closed the facility due to financial hardship in May 2011....More
The YMCA of Greater New Orleans is planning a dedication ceremony on May 16 after the completion of a state-funded $2.4 million first phase of development of a fitness center that is being converted from a former naval base in the Federal City complex in Algiers, LA....More
The Harlem YMCA in New York received the American Dreamer Award for excellence in serving Harlem's growing immigrant communities through innovative programs and services from the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs....More
A proposal for a $30 million one-story, 56,000-square-foot Jewish Community Center and Jewish Academy in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, is scheduled to go before the city council on May 3,The Palm Beach Post reported....More