Fitness fetish
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-07-18 09:41

There are about 20 high-end fitness clubs in Beijing all boasting floor areas - over 3,000 square metres - and advanced fitness equipment made by companies such as Hammer Strength and Star Trac.

But having the best equipment is not enough.

"They all look like each other. Expensive and colourful," says Greg Hurst, director of Fitness Australia. "Anyone with money can buy equipment the same as yours."

Hurst says "investing in people" is the key to running a successful health club in the long run.

"You must get good people on your bus and make sure the right people are in the right seats," Hurst says.

Hurst, past president of the Federation for International Sport, Aerobics and Fitness, made the remarks at the 2005 Fitness China Beijing exhibition at the beginning of July. The exhibition was organized by CSI and GAS.

But having "the right people" in China is a challenge to club owners.

"Recruitment of qualified staff and franchisees is a growing challenge for us," Jin says.

"We still do not have enough people who want to find this job as a career. Some of them know this industry and want to be part of it for a while. But they don't know if they can be a personal trainer, a fitness consultant, or manage a health club for life.

"It's actually a good career. But because it is still unknown, most college students would not make us their first choice. We still have trouble finding the best people," Jin says.

That is the same problem faced by Frederick L. Wilkerson, vice-president of US-based Powerhouse Gym International.

Powerhouse entered China last year and has opened 15 clubs in the country.

"We plan to open 100 clubs in China by 2008," Wilkerson says. He says that to realize this ambitious target, it is not a question of financing.

"The question is to find the right staff to manage the clubs because we need 50 people for each club."

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