If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them: Recreational Fitness Programs Competing With the Boutique Fitness Market, and How Technology Can Help

Recorded On: 03/05/2021

Since 2001, it has been well documented that campus recreation programs are challenged to 1) increase student participation, 2) identify new revenue sources and 3) recruit and retain new members such as faculty and staff (Franklin, 2001; Dyer, 2019). Additionally, the boutique fitness boom (e.g., yoga, Pilates, boxing, cycling, barre, bootcamp and H.I.I.T. studios) has produced additional market competition. These studios account for 40% of the market, an increase of 120% in 4-years, compared to a 20% growth in traditional fitness centers and recreational fitness programs (Olick, 2019). In this presentation, we will discuss how incorporating key elements made popular by the boutique fitness industry, such as ‘experiential fitness' and wearable technologies, will reinvigorate campus recreation programs through student participation and adherence and revenue generation.

Learning Objective(s)

1. Learn how integration of wearable fitness devices and other elements made popular by the boutique fitness industry stand to enhance user experience, retention, and adherence in recreation fitness programs.

2. Attendees will learn best practices to assess and implement integration of these elements into their respective campus rec fitness programs.

Core Competencies:

Business Management

Programmiing

CEUs: 0.5 NIRSA CEUs

Brittany Baldwin

Assistant Director, Fitness Programs and Wellness

Florida International University

Brittany Baldwin has a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and a Master's degree in Recreation Administration. She has over eight years experience working as a fitness professional in sectors such as University Fitness and Recreation, Work site fitness, and corporate fitness and wellness consulting. Specifically, Brittany has worked in a Fitness leadership capacity at educational institutions such as Creighton University, The College at Brockport, and she currently works as the Assistant Director of Fitness at Florida International University. Brittany is a published co-author in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research as well as NIRSA’s RSJ Journal. She is also a published fitness columnist and contributor for the Omaha World Herald Newspaper and FIU News. Brittany most recently served as a co-presenter at the 2020 NISRA Region II conference, and the Sport Entertainment and Ventures Tomorrow (SEVT) conference in November 2019.