Mike Bates is the owner of Refine Fitness Studio, located in Windsor, Ontario. Bates has worked in a variety of positions in the fitness industry, including sales, front desk, personal training, and management. He was recognized as one of the top sales managers at GoodLife Fitness in Canada and achieved one of the club chain’s highest retention levels. Bates is also a lecturer at the University of Windsor, teaching courses in sport management, human resource management, and strength and conditioning. He coordinates and teaches personal training and sports conditioning certification courses in Windsor and is a regular speaker at International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), canfitpro, and Club Industry. He was the managing director of Human Kinetics Canada from 1999 to 2007. Bates holds BHK and MBA degrees from the University of Windsor.

Michael Spezzano is a consultant in health, fitness, and healthy living program management and development, specializing in medical fitness programs and health care collaborations. Working with staff teams, he develops innovative and effective program solutions that respond to constituent needs and maintain organization health and vitality. Spezzano has extensive experience in developing and managing a broad range of adult and youth programming.

Prior to his consulting work, Spezzano had a 35-year career with the YMCA. As vice president of programs and membership at the YMCA of Greater New York, Spezzano managed delivery of health and fitness programs and membership services for the largest Y in the United States. He was responsible for [...] million in annual membership revenue and three annual marketing campaigns responsible for producing 20,000 new members a year. Prior to that, he was the national health and fitness director for the YMCA of the USA. In that position he provided national Y leadership in the field of health and fitness. His responsibilities included program design and development, certification training, resource development, and consultation to 2,600 YMCAs in the United States.

Spezzano has been featured in numerous national media outlets, including ABC TV online, New York Times, USA Today, Web MD, Newsweek online, Lifetime online, Men’s Health magazine, Weight Watchers magazine, Family Life magazine, and Wall Street Journal.

Guy Danhoff has been teaching at Missouri Baptist University (MBU) in St. Louis, Missouri, since 2008. He currently serves as coordinator of the graduate fitness management program within the health and sport sciences division. Danhoff teaches courses in that division (fitness management, sport and social media, and sport marketing) as well as courses within the MBU School of Business (strategic management, entrepreneurial marketing, current issues in marketing, and introduction to marketing for health care systems). Danhoff completed all of his course work in 2018 and is slated to complete his business administration doctoral degree program at Walden University before 2020. His doctoral research capstone project is titled “Social Media Marketing Strategies to Increase Revenue in the Health and Fitness Industry.” Danhoff also holds a master’s degree in exercise science as well as a bachelor’s degree in corporate fitness from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois (magna cum laude).

Prior to teaching in higher education, Danhoff spent 14 years in the fitness industry, with positions in sales, sales management, business development, and marketing. He was the director of fitness entertainment technology and operations for MYE Entertainment North America. He was recognized with the Top Producer of the Year award by multiple fitness equipment and fitness technology companies, including Fitness Warehouse, Tectrix, and Netpulse. He was later appointed by Precor to manage two national sales accounts: XSport Fitness and Power Wellness. Today, Danhoff consults with organizations—ranging from small businesses to large global brands—regarding their digital and social media marketing strategies and the use of data analytics to drive business intelligence and revenue generation. Since February 2018 Danhoff has served on the board of directors for the Missouri Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MOAHPERD), overseeing the direction of the organization’s digital marketing and communications.

Part I. Human Resources

Chapter 1. Recognizing the Importance of Leaders and Managers
Exploring Management and Leadership Theory
Acknowledging the Difference Between Managing and Leading
Struggling as a Manager: Pitfalls to Avoid
Succeeding as a Manager: A Strategy to Manage Talent

Chapter 2. Understanding Organizational Design
Growth and Management Positions
Roles and Responsibilities
Writing Job Descriptions
For-Profit Organizations
Not-For-Profit Community Facilities
Hospital-Based Fitness Centers
Corporate-Based Fitness Organizations

Chapter 3. Recruiting the Best Staff for Your Facility
Analyzing Staffing Needs
Utilizing Job Descriptions
Designing the Appropriate Recruiting Vehicle
Developing Interview Strategies
Selecting the Best Candidate for the Position

Chapter 4. Training and Developing Staff
Five Steps to Creating Internal Training Programs
Outside Resources for Training and Development
Assessment of Training Costs

Chapter 5. Managing Staff Performance
Role of the Manager in Staff Performance
Steps in Managing Performance
Employee Termination

Chapter 6. Developing a Compensation Program
Forms of Compensation
Compensation and Management
Compensation Program Basics
Performance-Based Pay

Part II. Member Recruitment, Retention, and Profitability

Chapter 7. Marketing Your Program
Developing Strategic Marketing Plans
Marketing Research
Identifying Target Markets
Defining Marketing Goals and Objectives
Planning the Company Brand and Program Brand
Social Media Marketing
Best Practices in Modern Marketing
Writing an Effective Marketing Plan
Evaluating Marketing Programs

Chapter 8. Increasing Membership Sales
Fostering a Partnership Between the Reception Desk and the Membership Staff
Telephone Best Practices
Maximizing the Face-to-Face Selling Process
Corporate and Group Membership Sales

Chapter 9. Focusing on Customer Service
Recognizing the Importance of Customer Service and Loyalty
Identifying Your Customer
Understanding What the Customer Wants
Training Staff for Exceptional Customer Service
Dealing With Difficult Customers
Customer Service Best Practices
Monitoring the Effects of Customer Service

Chapter 10. Retaining Members Through Program Management
Membership Retention
Establishing the Purpose of Programming
Diversification of Activities
Progression of Programs
Promotion of Programs
Reliability of the Schedule
Accountability for Growth and Retention
Programming by Logical Progression
Developing a Successful Program
Recognizing the Importance of Program Directors

Chapter 11. Generating Revenue Through Profit Centers
Development and Organization of Profit Centers
Five Common Profit Centers

Part III. Operations and Facility Management

Chapter 12. Understanding Financial Management
Cash Versus Accrual Accounting
Financial Statements
Budgeting
Income Management
Accounts Receivable
Sales Analysis
Expense Management
Tax Considerations

Chapter 13. Risk Management: Addressing Health and Safety Concerns
Anthony Abbott and Mike Greenwood
Creating a Safe Environment
Screening Before Activity
Administering Physical Fitness Assessments
Designing Safe Exercise Programs
Providing Safety Orientation
Supervising Members
Managing Emergencies
Risk Management Documentation

Chapter 14. Maintaining Your Facility
Mike Greenwood and Anthony Abbott
Maintenance Activities
Four Areas of Maintenance Management
Determining Maintenance Needs
Performing a Needs Assessment
Planning the Facility Maintenance Program
Personnel
Implementing a Maintenance Program
Evaluating Facility Maintenance
Developing a Preventive Maintenance Program

Chapter 15. Understanding Legal and Insurance Issues
John Wolohan
Civil Versus Criminal Liability
Tort Law
Contracts
Employment Law
Insurance Considerations

Chapter 16. Strategic Planning and Evaluation
Strategic Planning
Evaluation
Health and Fitness Evaluation Model
Location Analysis
Industry Evolution and Differentiation