NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Nearly a full year into the pandemic there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel. And while nobody wants to relive the last 12 months - especially fitness club owners - the collective struggle inspired operators to think differently and take action.
As closures swept the nation, Village Health Clubs & Spas, a premier healthy lifestyle club with 4 locations in Arizona, immediately prioritized the physical and mental health of their community. Our immediate thought was, "How do we help our members stay safe and connected, and establish new fitness routines?" said Carol Nalevanko, President at DMB Sports Clubs. "During a time when staying healthy and strong is most critical, and we are more isolated than ever, we cannot shut them out."
Like many clubs, Village began offering group fitness classes on platforms like IGTV and Facebook Live at the onset of the pandemic. The free platforms worked but it was an interim solution; social media and office tools like Zoom were not designed for membership driven activities and at-home exercise. Village needed a strong virtual partner and they found it in FORTË.
FORTË is a turnkey, white label solution that provides all the hardware and software club operators need to seamlessly produce live and on-demand fitness classes. From cameras and lighting to POS integrations and music, one of the more difficult elements to solve for in a digital environment, FORTË's proprietary technology removes production complexities for gym owners so they can focus on what they do best.
You may be asking yourself why clubs would invest time and money into creating content. From free content on Youtube to Peloton, Apple and influencers digital fitness content is abundant. The answer is simple: trust. "Our members love and trust their instructors and our brand. They have also developed great friendships here," said Meredith DeAngelis, Village Health Club's Chief Marketing Officer who also happens to teach cycling. "Creating content is not the hard part. The technology is hard. Mirroring the in-person experience for members exercising at home is hard. Maintaining our brand equity and stickiness at home is hard." FORTË helps clubs deliver interactive, social, and data-driven fitness experiences in real-time, and archives content online for 24/7 on-demand access.
In a post-pandemic world fear is the new competition. For clubs like Village FORTË not only helps to remove that barrier but it gives them new ways to connect with members who visit the club. "All members need and want guidance, but not all take classes, says DeAngelis. "With FORTË we can also create content for members in the club who tend to exercise alone. Our goal is to meet and support members wherever they are. Our partnership with FORTË helps us do that."
ABOUT VILLAGE
Village Health Clubs & Spas are premier healthy lifestyle clubs in Arizona. With four Valley locations, the Village Clubs has been providing the community a place to get fit, rejuvenate and be social for over 30 years. Each club has over 82,000 square feet, offering members weight training, cardio, court sports, swimming and so much more. All four locations have full-service spa/salon, café and Kids Club. To support the communities they serve, Village Clubs has annual fundraising to support local charities.
ABOUT FORTË
FORTË is a female founded and led technology company. Launched by Lauren Foundos in 2015, FORTË's while label streaming platform helps boutique fitness studios, big box gyms and health clubs create premium live and on-demand fitness experiences for members. The FORTË solution is proprietary, turn-key and all inclusive. The company provides hardware and software, and facilitates the entire installation process. By removing complexities associated with production FORTË's fully-automated streaming solution allows fitness operators to focus on what they do best - create world-class content and deliver it to members wherever they are. For more information, please visit http://www.goforte.fit or contact the company at [email protected].
Media Contact
Laurenn Cutshaw, FORTË, +1 (516) 376-3519, [email protected]
SOURCE FORTË
Share this article