In 2023, California Fitness and Yoga in Vietnam delivered an incredible BODYBALANCE 100 event in 2023, as well as an epic Fitness Festival in Ho Chi Minh City later in the year. These events are rapidly earning the brand an impressive reputation for creating awesome events that attract new and potential members and Instructors, whilst also helping to engage and retain current ones.
So, to inspire you to hold your own winning event, on whatever scale or budget you have available, we caught up with Luana Felix from the California Fitness team, to explore their BODYBALANCE 100 event and their proven recipe for event management success.
California Fitness and Yoga currently has 37 locations around Vietnam, with a total of 151 certified Instructors teaching. Around 126 BODYBALANCE classes are delivered each week country-wide, with an average attendance of 23 participants per class.
“BODYBALANCE is one of our most loved programs, and the one that connects our two key departments within California Fitness: group exercise and yoga. Members of all fitness levels find in BODYBALANCE, the comfort of having a class where they know they can get results. It also creates a bridge for members who already love yoga but who want to experience a different type of class - because BODYBALANCE delivers a wonderful set of songs that makes members dive deep in the essence of the program,” explains Luana.
“BODYBALANCE 100 was a milestone for Les Mills and, therefore, also a milestone for California Fitness; and for each milestone that we reach together as partners, we want to celebrate both the program itself, as well as the success that it brings to our members and Instructors.”
The BODYBALANCE 100 event
“Every California Fitness club across Vietnam that offers BODYBALANCE, held BODYBALANCE 100 classes at the same time and on the same date. The aim was to bring members together so they could experience the 100th Release of BODYBALANCE all at the same time. We felt this would make the event an unforgettable experience and an opportunity to connect with other members - it was all about bringing the BODYBALANCE community together.”
“We engaged 25 BODYBALANCE Instructors and the event ended up attracting a total of 754 members throughout the country.”
Secrets to success
Luana says the three most important things for creating successful member events are:
1. Organisation
We start to discuss the event at least two months in advance. This ensures that all managers are able to adjust the timetables and align with the expectations for and aims of the event.
2. Preparation
The event success begins with the preparation of our Instructors. Dedicated tuition and training ensures that everyone fully understands the new Release. This preparation is what leads us to delivering an almost flawless experience for members and achieving our desired outcomes.
3. Commitment
The commitment of Instructors is essential. They must feel genuinely motivated and enthusiastic as they create and set the environment and, therefore, the success of the event.
“Our BODYBALANCE 100 event was the second that we'd held using that same format,” explains Luana. “The previous one was for BODYCOMBAT®. And what we learned from the organisation of that event was that success requires promotion and engagement from our Instructors and managers in the weeks leading up to the event.”
“It is very important that everyone becomes super excited and eager to promote the event in the lead up, because members will reflect our levels of excitement. Therefore, we need to set the correct tone; we need to talk about it and promote the event both internally and externally; we must involve all departments and make sure that they, along with every single Instructor, fully understands the expectations for the event. This is the formula for ensuring we deliver the best possible experience to the participants.”
Return on investment
The BODYBALANCE 100 event required minimal investment as the classes were run at the clubs.
The return for this event (i.e., its measure of success) was not financially focused and, instead, was about having members from all over the country joining the BODYBALANCE community to experience the 100th Release at the very same time.
"The event created good visibility and supported our engagement on social media channels, through members sharing their photos and talking about the event all over social media. It is a simple strategy that creates a positive wave and increased social media traffic, while also raising interest in the program and club among non-members who feel curious about the experiences they can access at California Fitness.”
In terms of how this event has since impacted attendance at BODYBALANCE classes and/or member numbers, Luana says, “Attendance at classes on program launch days are always higher compared to normal days, as the majority of our members want to be among the first to experience new Releases. We definitely do see more members attending classes after we’ve held launch events, so for that reason alone, they are always worth doing.”
Ready to launch your Q4.23 Releases?
The Q4.23 Social Media & Events Guide provides you with all the info you need to create, promote and deliver your own launch event.
If you’re licensed for RPM, be sure to head to Marketing Studio to access the RPM 100 campaign assets to create a celebratory member event for the 100th Release of the world’s favourite indoor cycling program.
