UTime Fitness appoints new CEO and Managing Partner to redefine the brand’s franchise and digital expansion in the fitness industry.
(The Magazine Plus Editorial): – Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China October 26, 2021 (Issuewire.com) – UTime Fitness redefined and expanded under new management
In the midst of the COVID-related upheaval in the fitness industry, UTime Fitness has moved on with a redefinition of fitness management, an expansion in the UK and a flexible, integrated new product.
After his last successful leadership role in the fitness franchise, the brand is now led by longtime fitness leader Rey Bolivar – the newly appointed CEO and Managing Partner of UTime Fitness.
Rey has 29 years of industry experience and degrees in exercise physiology, exercise science, and management, and has held various positions from personal trainer to CEO in New York and most Asian capitals. Leading nine countries through closings and reopenings during the pandemic has virtually doubled its experience – matching government mandates with the needs of various stakeholders, from members to a board of directors.
With his phenomenal wealth of experience in the fitness industry, Rey had one thing in mind when he joined UTime: a customer-centric redefinition. “COVID has accelerated the growth of the fitness industry by at least a decade, with everyone recognizing the importance of health in building immunity and improving their daily life. However, limitations – physical, social, financial – have also dramatically changed the way people view an active lifestyle. Gym gyms need to adapt beyond the membership mentality to provide more flexibility for consumers who are rightly more demanding of options and customization – and this trend will continue for years to come. “
UTime Fitness was co-founded by Pete Prickett and Cathal Kiely. Pete, a former growth architect at Pure Group, is currently CEO of the private real estate group Bricks. Operating a portfolio of half a billion pounds across a mix of student, hotel, and co-living / BTR sectors, Bricks is a productive brand building that enables scalability around the world. And Cathal brings extensive cross-industry experience as a top F&B and fitness entrepreneur in Southeast Asia and the UK.
The UTime franchise has grown organically in Hong Kong and Thailand, but its potential has convinced Rey to bring his expertise and skills to help accelerate growth. His initial challenge was how severely brick-and-mortar gyms had been hit by closings and restrictions. Next came the deluge of fitness apps and programs that offered many options but had no information or assistance. Consumers were faced with too many options that required multiple memberships, subscriptions, and platforms to meet their fitness goals.
Providing a truly seamless fitness experience to address this issue is at the core of how UTime Fitness is redefining the industry. It recently launched a hybrid membership that gives members digital and physical options to train on-site, on-demand, and on the go via the UTime app, at UTime gyms, or anywhere.
To bolster its offering, UTime has partnered with industry giants like Life Fitness, Virtuagym, Myzone and Theragun to integrate their platforms so that members can track all of their activities inside and outside the gym, track and create their own custom workouts, and personalized coaching and even monitor their food intake to improve mental wellbeing.
“Our goal is simple: deliver what members crave – results. And in order to get members on board, we had to develop a platform that would make it easy for them to be successful. When we have the right partners with the same mindset and vision, we go beyond just offering a new app or membership. We are redefining the fitness experience ourselves and making it seamless and supportive, but also holding our members accountable. “
In addition to hybrid membership and its premium app, UTime Fitness is introducing a modular franchise model to prepare for its extensive growth plans. These modules are designed to adapt to different locations, consumer needs, and franchisee budgets. Currently, with seven curated zones that range from a plug-and-play cardio area to a rest and relaxation zone, this is another unique concept not only in the fitness but also in the franchising sector.
UTime Fitness’ new offerings and features go live in November as the first modular gym at the Swansea location of the accommodation brand true Student – a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bricks Group – with a portfolio of over 5,000 beds across 6 locations will be built across 6 locations.
