There are not many places in London you can have drinks in a 1950's Airstream Caravan but we found one! The Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch has its very own! With live music every night and a great menu check it out www.theblueskitchen.com.
David on BBC Radio 5: Waking up to Money
An early start for David this morning, as he was being interviewed by the BBC Radio 5 Live team on the fitness industry in their early morning Wake up to Money session.
Click on the link above to listen to the interview.
Le Grand Depart, Leeds
Saturday 9.10am the publicity caravan departs from outside the Town Hall with 180 floats and vehicles that will give out an estimated 16 million items over the next three week! At 10am the teams sign on and at 11.10, 198 riders from 22 teams will start the first 190km of stage one of the Tour de France. The riders are due in Harrogate around 16.20.
More like rock bands the teams are mobbed where ever they go.
Yorkshire Grand Depart
Congratulations to Leeds on getting all businesses, shops and local statues in the mood for Saturday's grand depart. Thanks also to the Tour Makers who are everywhere to give advice and directions. #TDFceremony
Le Grand Depart
A pop concert feel in Leeds tonight where the crowds are gathering at the Arena to meet the teams! The biggest cheer of the night for Mark Cavendish.
The Tour de France leaves Leeds on Sat with the third stage finishing in London on Monday.
TLDC @ ukactive Flame Conference and Ball of Fire
An early start (and late finish!) for the TLDC team to get to Telford for the ukactive Flame Conference and Ball of Fire today.
Personal highlights from the speakers during the day were the entertaining and enlightening talks from Magnus Lindkvist, the world renowned Futurologist, Sebastien Foucan the founder of Freerunning, Alastair Humphreys, Adventurer and Will Greenwood, ex England Rugby player.
With the talks finished it was then time for the fun filled black tie Ball of Fire and the Flame Awards which the TLDC team thoroughly enjoyed....
200 not out!
200 years after Thomas Lord carried his own turf from his second ground Lord's celebrates today. The first match to be played at Lords was between MCC and Hertfodshire and they are playing again in the sunshine. Lots of black red and gold diagonal stripes walked through these gates today!
2014 State of the UK Swimming Industry Report Published Today
The 2014 State of the UK Swimming Industry Report, published by The Leisure Database Company today, reveals the UK swimming industry has experienced another year of slight decline over the twelve month period to the end of March 2014, with a decrease of 0.3% in the number of swimming sites.
Commenting, David Minton, Director of The Leisure Database Company said: “Despite a slight decline in overall swimming pool numbers over the last 12 months, 2014 will be an exciting year for swimming. New technology is changing the way we think about daily events and activities. Some sports like running and cycling were early adopters and although swimming was not, it will catch up in 2014 with a load of new products for in and out of the pool”.
To see the full press release click here.
To order click here.
Disruptive Sports Technology
A seminar as part of the Sports Business Seminar Series tonight at 6pm Lankester Theatre (University College London) Medawar Building, Malet Place WC1.
White Water Fun
Our Olympic C2 canoeists show off their skill at the fabulous Lee Valley Park White Water centre today. A great sporting legacy with booking for schools, corporate and public running above previous year.
If Fitness Is The Battleground
Then the Reebok/LesMills GFX 2014 at Ally Pally is the training ground! Thousands take part in Grit, CXWORKs, and my favourite RPM.
The Aquatic Centre In the Sun
Great view today of the Olympic Aquatics Centre in the sun. Now managed by GLL and open to the public, if you want to cool off today and go for a swim, check out the live timetables on Speedo Fit.
Progress On The Olympic Stadium
From the top of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit you can see progress on the stadium which will open March 2015.
2014 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report Published Today
The 2014 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report reveals that the UK health and fitness industry has more clubs, more members and a greater market value than ever before. For the first time ever, member numbers have exceeded 8 million, market value is over £4 billion and the penetration rate is at an all time high of 13.2%.
The 2014 report highlights that the industry has experienced another year of growth over the twelve month period to the end of March 2014, with increases of 3.9% in value, 1.5% in the number of fitness facilities and a 4.5% rise in the number of members.
Commenting on the figures, David Minton, Director of The Leisure Database Company said: “On the face of it these are another set of great figures for the industry but the devil, as usual, is in the detail. The figures, while all going in the right direction, are at the same time pedestrian and failing to have the desired impact on the health of the nation. The industry has become an idle industry and is looking to ‘best practice’ and ‘common sense’ to solve a current, insoluble problem. Although we’re coming out of the malaise which started in 2008, the industry is now ripe for disruption”.
To see the full press release click here.
To order click here.
Sibec 14 - David's Industry Overview - Perchance to disrupt
Morphing is a special effect in films that changes (or morphs) one image into another through a seamless transition. Across the world, former fitness agencies are all morphing into something hopefully Active. Ireland and Europe are the latest two (formerly ILAM and EHFA) who are now Ireland Active and Europe Active and the Fitness Industry Association morphed last year into ukactive. Famous corporate morphs include one of the earliest, Brad’s Drink, created by a young pharmacist, Caleb Bradham in 1893, then in 1898 it was renamed Pepsi-Cola. In 1996 two guys in California called their new search business BackRub; two years later it morphed in to Google.
Did Sergey Brin and Larry Page have the foresight to rename their company with a single word (Google) that within eight years would become a daily call to action, an ‘active’ verb that describes phenomena and entered the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2006? The words Cola and Pepsi over the years and with billions spent on advertising have now become figures of speech. So will .... Active enter into daily conversation amongst the many over the next 8 to 116 years?
To see the full article click here.
TLDC Fitness Stats in the Metro
Latest fitness stats quoted by Patrick McAleenan in his article in the Metro newspaper titled:
It’s not me… it’s me, me and we. Do we really need an entourage of helpers?
Interesting article about what's happened to taking responsibility for our well-being rather than relying on an army of helpers to make us feel better. Wonder how many of you are guilty of relying on a personal assistant, personal trainer, chef, driver, butler, gardener, stylist, life coach or a therapist?!
Swimio-Motion In Stuff Magazine
Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, gave a shout out to AiT's beta SwimIO Motion App for Pebble in the article by @sophiecharaar in Stuff Magazine. It's a great article about Pebble's beginnings and future plans so check it out here.
You can find out more about SwimIO on our beta programme mini-site www.swimiomotion.com. If you have a Pebble and love swimming then get involved!
Fitness Industry turning into a Digital Hi-Tech Business
Check out TLDC's director David's article that has just been published in Health Club Management Handbook 2014. David chats about the latest fitness industry trends including a look at the tech fitness market (wearables and apps) and the ecent fitness statistics from both the private and public market. It leads us to wonder how many of us will be taking our fitness tracking devices into the gym this year and expecting everything to link and talk to each other seamlessly. Can the 2 co-exist separately, unlikely..
The Swimming Industry - Sink or Swim 2013
The 2013 State of the UK Swimming Industry Report reveals that 84.1% of the UK population lives within 2 miles of a public or privately owned swimming pool with some public access.
The 2013 report from independent leisure market analysts The Leisure Database Company concludes that there are 3,296 swimming sites containing 4,670 separate swimming pools in the UK.
The report highlights that the industry has experienced a slight decline with a decrease of 0.5% in the number of swimming sites. In the public sector, however, brand new leisure centres with modern swimming facilities are often built to replace multiple, older standalone swimming sites in the same area. Therefore, despite closing more than one site the quality of overall swimming provision in an area improves, a trend that is likely to continue with 44% of the public swimming stock built pre 1980.
Summary of Key Facts:
There are now 3,296 swimming sites containing 4,670 separate swimming pools in the UK.
29 new public and private swimming sites opened in the 12 month period ending 31st March 2013.
15% of all swimming pools are located in the South East region.
Public pay and play swim fees have increased by 3% over the last 12 months.
31 sports centres in the UK contain an Olympic sized indoor pool (50m) in the UK.
Commenting on the figures, David Minton, Director of The Leisure Database Company said: “With swimming being the most popular sport in the UK, this report is invaluable in providing key intelligence about our swimming pool facilities to ensure the future growth of the market meets the high participation levels we are experiencing”.
Fitness Industry Improves Growth at a Price 2013
The 2013 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report reveals that the UK health and fitness industry has grown its total market value by 1.5% to £3.92 billion over the twelve month period to the end of March 2013.
The 2013 report highlights that the industry has experienced improved growth in the last twelve months with increases of 1.5% in value, 2% in the number of fitness facilities and a 4.5% rise in the number of members, according to independent leisure market analysts The Leisure Database Company.
Now in the middle of a recessionary period, the fitness sector is still expanding despite the economic slowdown. Since 2009, the fitness industry has grown its total market value by 4%, the member base by 8.3% and the number of fitness facilities by 3.9%.
The growth in the industry has been driven by strong performance from both private and public fitness facilities but especially from the rapidly growing private low cost market. The private low cost sector saw significant growth across the three key performance indicators - number of clubs, member numbers and total market value. This rapidly expanding market now accounts for 6% of the total number of private clubs, 6% of the private market value and an impressive 14% of the private sector membership. However this growth comes at a price; as the low cost operators are having an impact on both average monthly membership fees and the yield per member across the industry.
Summary of Key Facts:
Total Market Value (public and private sectors combined) is estimated at £3.92 billion, up 1.5% on 2012.
12.6% of the UK population are now registered as members of a private health and fitness club or a publicly-owned fitness facility contrasting with 12.1% in the previous year.
Total industry membership base is the strongest growth indicator, up 4.5% to 7.9 million over the past 12 months.
167 new public and private fitness facilities opened in the 12 month period ending 31st March 2013, up from 163 in 2012, 149 in 2011 and 122 in 2010.
There are now 6,019 fitness facilities in the UK, up from 5,900 last year.
Commenting on the figures, David Minton, Director of The Leisure Database Company said: ‘’Despite another year of economic slowdown the fitness industry is continuing to stand strong with both private and public fitness sectors showing record numbers of members, fitness facilities and total market value with the UK penetration rate hitting an all time high of 12.6%”.