032 Technology Disruption vs. Adoption

With the results now being calculated for the recent Fitness Industry Technology Council's technology usage survey, for episode 032, we're exploring the real answers for club owners around the adoption of new technologies and when to recognize true disruption vs. just a loud media buzz.

If you missed the technology survey, be sure to sign up for the FIT-C mailing list over at www.fitechcouncil.org.

Today's show will help our industry address some important information about health club usage of technology, including how fitness facilities are using AI in retail, what is the real bridge between technology adoption and ROI, and how specific technology can enhance your business to rise above competition.

We're learning from the Chief Information Officer of Gold's Gym, Adam Zeitsiff, to get more clarity around what Adam believes are the 4 most powerful questions to ask when adopting any new piece of tech.

These questions and the information from Adam's interview are a great template for all size clubs, and powerful guide when making decisions that club owners can use to separate their facility from those that frenetically adopt what "seem" to be disruptive technology.

How do smart club owners and operators make the best decisions when experiencing adoption and disruption in our space?

Listen to this insightful conversation with Adam Zeitsiff for the answers.

About Adam Zeitsiff

Adam Zeitsiff is the Chief Information Officer at Gold's Gym. He is a dynamic, entrepreneurial and visionary leader with an expertise in providing a game-changing edge to manage and grow company infrastructure, technology and product development in highly competitive landscapes.

A champion at executing & operating enterprise technology, Adam specializes in leading software and infrastructure solutions within companies for scale, sustainable growth & has years of performance excellence across the US, Canada & European markets.

With an out-of-the-box approach, Adam has a proven entrepreneurial spirit & battle-hardened tenacity through consistently achieving results through the application of both technology and business strategies.

Listen To Episode 032 As Adam Uncovers

• The bridge between adoption and disruption:
  1. Will improve your operational agility?
  2. Will it make a positive impact on your staff?
  3. Does it enhance the member experience?
  4. Will it create new revenue streams?
• As we look at the fast growing technology in our industry, how do we identify when disruption is actually taking place vs. just a media buzz?
• Understanding Adam's quote: "You either disrupt or you get disrupted" (Blockbuster, Kodak, ect.)
• When we hear the term "technology adoption" and in looking at the sociology behind the technology adoption lifecycle, what data driven actions should clubs be aware of and why?
• Why not to adopt technology just to adopt, and only to adopt with a true purpose
• How has Gold's Gym been an early adopter with technology?
• What is a BI Engine?
• How does a BI Engine learn and serve its customers?
• How is AI being used with retail and how might this be used in the fitness industry?
• Why do we as an industry need to figure out how iBeacon, near field technology, and the affordability of AI and geotagging blend together?
• What are the technology needs of corporate wellness in the next 12-24 months?

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

• Adam believes there's a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt out there, and a lot of media press around technology disruption, but buzz alone doesn't mean something is truly being disrupted. That means somebody got a press release out there and people picked it up. Operators must take the time to really look at these things, always be talking, and learning to stay in touch with colleagues to see the real difference between adoption and disruption in our space.

• For the operators that choose to have a mindset of learning, who look at all the technology changes with a step-by-step process, Adam believes there is a tremendous possibility to have more engaged members than ever before. The big opportunity with disruption is that operators in our industry hold years of experience that some of the technology providers that are trying to disrupt, just don't have. By leveraging new tech and the deep experience of long time clubs, revenue and member satisfaction will rise.

• One of the most pivotal questions to ask when adopting new technology is around its positive effect of the member experience. Fitness technology has now created a world without borders; it's not only passed the curve of innovators and early adopters, but also is it now something that will dramatically affect the member experience inside of the club. At the end of the day, you want people to come into your facility and have a great experience, so the technology must disrupt the industry with the sole purpose of improving the member experience within the four walls.

Power Quotes From Adam

"I don't think a day goes by where I don't hear the term "millennial," and I don't think we as a fitness industry can look at millennials and underestimate how technology will disrupt our industry. Millennials think technology first and brick-and-mortar second. The disruption of millennials, in shifting from using their phones to communicate to now using to purchase goods and services, we must pay attention to these early adopters on the bell curve." - Adam Zeitsiff on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"There's a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt out there, and there's a lot of media press around technology disruption, but that alone doesn't mean something is being disrupted. That means somebody got a press release out there and people picked up. We as operators need to take the time to really look at these things, always be talking, and learning to stay in touch with our colleagues to see the real difference between adoption and disruption." - Adam Zeitsiff on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Adam

• Adam Zeitsiff on LinkedIn
• IHRSA Technology Council
• Chat Bots & Engagement
• Roger's Bell Curve
• Robert Dyer: The One Thing That Hasn't Changed About Fitness
• Wearables In Corporate Wellness: More of a holistic approach
• Innovation & Technology Advisory Council Convenes at IHRSA 2017
• GOLDS Gym: Corporate Wellness
• AI and retail: VentureBeat
• The 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

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• Bryan O'Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com
• The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today
• Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com