David Stalker, CEO of the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) has revealed details of a new joint venture with Sport England which aims to secure a digital legacy for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Writing in
the April issue of Health Club Management, Stalker said the partnership would engage consumers to become more physically active and as a result grow membership numbers at sports and health clubs.
The strategy will be based around a new themed website - to be launched in the run up to the Games - offering consumers that have been inspired by the Olympics an easy way of accessing sport in their area.
Describing the scheme, Stalker said: "We live in a digital age in which consumers are used to buying online, and in which we expect instantaneous outcomes at a click of a button.
"It's no real surprise that over the last three years there has been a 400 per cent increase in online searching for places to find, book and play sport and physical activity. But with no platform to fulfil this consumer desire, we are currently missing out on a prime opportunity to get more people active."
Stalker added that the new service will provide an easy to use, searchable consumer interface by location or activity.
The service has been designed so that people wanting to find an activity close to where they live can do so by keying in a postcode or region.
The website will upload a list of activities, their availability and who to contact to make the booking.
Alternatively, if someone is inspired to try a new activity, they can search for the activity itself and the website will display the locations at which they can participate.
Stalker said: "The key to the success of the digital legacy project is having accurate information to present to the consumer: details of where the opportunities to be active actually are, with the offering presented in a way that is easily received and understood.
"Currently this 'front end' information is fragmented at best and inaccessible at worst."
Sport England and the FIA have worked with a number of specialists in creating the new service, including The Leisure Database Company; opensource technology firm Haulmont; and marketing services provider McCann Worldgroup.
To read the full article on the plans, written by David Stalker,
click here for the April issue of Health Club Management.
