OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Smart timetabling She adds: “Wherever we can, we like to dedicate pools to just one activity at a time. This delivers the best experience, including setting the right mood through lighting and music. “But of course, we also want to maximise yield. It simply doesn’t work to only have five people in a pool, which is why we’re focused on creating programmes that appeal to as many groups as possible: parents and grandparents coming in with children for the inflatable sessions, for example, with everyone given a buoyancy aid to add to the sense of fun. “Maximising yield is also about smart timetabling. With the data we get from online booking, which we review each week, we can quickly learn and adapt to the usage patterns and demand within each community. We’re also careful
not to schedule the same activity at the same time across multiple centres within a contract, ensuring choice for the local community at all times. “Pools are a limited resource. With growing demand, we work hard to ensure fair and equal access so all groups of people have their needs met.” Maximising yield So, how is Everyone Active performing from a pool yield management perspective? “Averaged across the group, overall pool occupancy is 62 per cent, rising to 69 per cent for fun family swims,” says Cotton. “That’s 4 per cent higher than pre-pandemic, which might not sound much. However, when you consider that we have over 400,000 spaces in our pools each week, 4 per cent is significant.”
If we know who does what and when, we can quickly learn and adapt to local patterns of demand
A Splash Lagoon introduces sensory elements to engage children, including those with special needs
As an average across the group, we believe 70+ per cent overall pool occupancy is a realistic target
Tillman adds: “Notably, we have some centres with overall pool occupancy well over 80 per cent. However, we also have newer contracts that aren’t that high – yet. “We took on the London Aquatics Centre in March 2024, for example, with its two 50m pools and one 25m pool all in one building. That’s a colossal amount of water to fill, but we’re filling it very readily.” Cotton explains: “We’ve forged relationships with Aquatics GB and AP Race, who bring their performance athletes to the London Aquatics Centre. We’ve brought in swimming clubs, whose members are also a rich source of
swim teachers and lifeguards for Everyone Active. And we run very popular local community events: we’ve recently hosted a foster carers’ swim, a LGBTQ family swim and a swim for children with learning disabilities.” Tillman concludes: “Of course, pools are open all day – from first thing in the morning to last thing at night – and occupancy figures span that entire period. It isn’t like a fitness studio, where occupancy tends to be calculated for each specific class. However, as an average across the group, we believe 70+ per cent overall pool occupancy is a realistic target.”
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
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