VISION 2026 AND BEYOND
GLEN THURGOOD • CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, LEISURE DB
Global Ecosystem: The Future of Continuous Intelligence
M y career has always been rooted in practical results, evolving from coaching in professional sports, to owning my own gyms, to developing health
at scale”. Leisure DB is building the data ecosystem to match this operational reality. By expanding our footprint internationally, we aim to harmonise market intelligence globally, empowering operators, investors and suppliers to understand change earlier and respond faster. This shift requires a change in mindset across the board. As I wrote in my recent chapter for the book Beyond Reps, “We must stop positioning fitness as recreation, and start positioning it as regeneration.” To achieve this regeneration at scale, we need actionable, accurate data that tracks our progress and proves our impact to the wider world. “By sharing our collective knowledge and leveraging advanced continuous data platforms, we can elevate the health and fitness industry on a global scale” Our vision is clear. We are providing the strategic foundation for the future of our sector. Building on the incredible foundation laid by our founder David Minton across his 46 years in the sector, and celebrating the 20th anniversary of this State of the UK Fitness Industry report, Heidi Blackburn, the team and I are taking his vision forward. Using data analysts and industry experienced professionals, we have built the finest leisure data analytics team working hand-in-hand to give the best and most valuable insight and interpretation of the data available. The future is bright, interconnected and full of opportunity. By sharing our collective knowledge and leveraging advanced continuous data platforms, we can elevate the health and fitness industry on a global scale. As David Turner reminds us, “The more we share , the wiser we will get!”.
technology. Joining Leisure DB as Chief Strategy Officer fourteen months ago was driven by a clear purpose to help our sector realise its true global potential. I am not a researcher by trade, but I know how crucial intelligent, actionable information is to operators on the ground. We stand at a pivotal moment. The era of standalone kit and bolt-on tech is over. Today, our sector is transforming into a fully integrated global ecosystem. At Leisure DB, we champion the power of insight to drive progress. Looking towards the rest of 2026 and our ambitious international expansion, our focus is firmly on global alignment. To support this, we are developing a revolutionary technology platform designed to deliver continuous intelligence, replacing outdated periodic reporting. We are combining operator validated data, analyst expertise and AI supported intelligence gathering to create a continuously updated view of the market. This will provide the foundation for everyone to make better, faster decisions. The industry demands sophisticated insights because the consumer demands more from operators. As Dean Kowarski notes in his interview (p106), “Consumers expect a far broader, more flexible wellness proposition that integrates social connection and community”. To deliver this, operators need real time intelligence that reflects true behaviour. Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer captures this transition perfectly (p50), stating that the future of fitness lies in “fully integrated ecosystems that connect equipment, data and intelligence to deliver measurable outcomes
11
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2026
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online