Brivo, Mindbody Bring Mobile Entry Tech to Gyms & Studios
Partnership
Sponsored By Brivo
Brivo and Mindbody have partnered to transform the way gyms and studios welcome members into the facility, with mobile entry replacing manual check-in
The fitness and wellness industry continues to evolve following the COVID-19 pandemic, with gyms and studios offering ever more innovative and exciting modalities, services and products to an increasingly sophisticated membership base.
However, many operators continue to manage one of the most critical parts of their business – how members access the facility – using outdated and less secure technology. This turns off some members while making it more burdensome and costly for gyms and studios in the long run.
Brivo, the global leader in cloud-based access control solutions, has partnered with Mindbody, a leading software provider for top fitness and wellness brands, to transform the way gyms and studios welcome members into their facilities. Through the partnership, gyms and studios on the Mindbody platform are now able to use Brivo’s signature product, Brivo Access, to welcome members into their system using cloud-based access, including mobile access credentials using the Brivo Mobile Pass app.
For members, entry into the facility becomes much easier and more accessible, with mobile entry options replacing waiting at check-in desks. Fitness and wellness businesses, meanwhile, can significantly trim costs associated with things like staffing, key cards, ID cards and fobs.
Gene Kearon, Partner Marketing Manager at Brivo, said the partnership with Mindbody was a natural fit and responds to the current needs of fitness and wellness businesses.
“Customers want secure, easy-to-use entry whether it be via a badge, a key fob or increasingly, via a smartphone or smartwatch,” Kearon said. “Likewise, while customers are enjoying ease of access, gym managers and owners are keen to restrict that access to only paying members and guests.”
In addition to providing members with secure, mobile access credentials to facilities, Brivo Access also allows gym and studio operators to restrict access to certain areas, such as inventory storage or business offices to pre-approved employees.
Many of the top fitness and wellness businesses, including brands like F45 Training, Orangetheory and Solidcore, use the Mindbody platform to seamlessly manage critical tasks like class schedules, bookings and memberships. Before Mindbody came along, many gyms and studios had to manage those tasks using less efficient methods or even by hand.
The addition of Brivo Access to the Mindbody ecosystem gives fitness and wellness businesses a similarly game-changing digital solution on the member access front.
“Most gyms still operate under local access control, requiring staff and particularly owners to be on or near the premises on a daily basis to carry out simple business functions from opening the gym to managing a front desk,” Kearon notes. “Additionally, these facilities are often operated under a cumbersome lock and key process. Each time a key is misplaced, or an employee fails to return them, locks and keys need to be changed.”
Brivo is the original cloud-based access solution provider, creating the category itself over 20 years ago, so gyms and studios on the Minbody platform can rest assured that they’re getting best-in-class tech. Brivo currently operates in over 60 countries globally, providing daily protection to over 70,000 locations and over 23 million active users.
With Brivo and Mindbody, gyms and studios can also tap into new ways of increasing revenue. Many gyms, for example, currently operate within set hours, but some owners are looking to increase or adjust their hours of operation, or even switch to a 24-hour model.
“The Brivo and Mindbody integration allows you to do that with ease,” Kearon says.
“Perhaps another gym wants to increase its offerings by moving from traditional weights and cardio equipment to a more holistic approach with yoga, HIIT, or incorporating elements more akin to wellness spas,” Kearon notes. “Brivo and Mindbody can accommodate that transformation by continuing to secure access, promote awareness of the new offerings, and even manage scheduling and payments for services.”
For facility operators, the most powerful aspect of the Brivo-Mindbody integration may be the robust data insights on offer. With the integration, fitness and wellness businesses gain insights into which aspects of their businesses are performing the best, from class scheduling and attendance to an understanding of peak hours for staff scheduling and employee attendance.
“Brivo provides the right information for gyms to make informed decisions,” Kearon explains. “From simple data points such as the number of successful entries to the more complex such as usage and time of day traffic patterns, gym owners can decide on staffing levels, the best times to conduct classes and even decisions on gym hours of operation.”
Equipped with all this info, gym and studio owners can design creative programs to increase membership during non-peak hours.
Kearon shares examples of a “Silver Sneakers” program for senior citizen usage during specific hours, adding specialty fitness classes or even outreach communications to members who are underutilizing their membership.
As the fitness and wellness industry becomes increasingly competitive and innovative, solutions like the Brivo-Mindbody integration could make the difference between winning and losing for gyms and studios.
“The fitness and wellness industry continues to grow globally but is always a dynamic environment,” Kearon says. “This means that gym operators must keep pace with trends with an eye to cost-saving, market fitness trends and revenue objectives.”