Company News Archives - Wexer Mon, 18 Sep 2023 21:15:55 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 Wexer acquires Intelivideo to secure significant US footprint https://wexer.com/blog/wexer-acquires-intelivideo/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:15:39 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7374 Clients will unlock new technology, content and partnership opportunities as they transition to Wexer Digital health and fitness market leader Wexer is delighted to announce it has signed a deal to acquire digital fitness experience provider Intelivideo, significantly boosting Wexer’s presence in the US market. The two businesses already enjoy strong synergies, with both focused […]

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Clients will unlock new technology, content and partnership opportunities as they transition to Wexer

Digital health and fitness market leader Wexer is delighted to announce it has signed a deal to acquire digital fitness experience provider Intelivideo, significantly boosting Wexer’s presence in the US market.

The two businesses already enjoy strong synergies, with both focused on supporting fitness providers in their digital transformation journeys. The transition for existing Intelivideo customers will therefore be a positive one as they are migrated onto Wexer’s robust, market-leading platform to enjoy “significant new technology, partnership and content opportunities”, says Intelivideo CEO Matt Given.

He adds: “Wexer’s acquisition of Intelivideo is great news for us, our clients and their members. As digital fitness becomes a key weapon for fitness brands, Wexer’s leading technology platform and content distribution opportunities represent a huge opportunity for the premium Intelivideo client base.

“Wexer has a long-term outlook on fitness and wellness, with substantial resources to execute an aggressive technology roadmap. Intelivideo brings significant expertise to the space, as well as a customer base that features some of North America’s most well-respected and successful digital pioneers.”

“Wexer’s acquisition by Core Health & Fitness, completed in April 2022, gave us the support, investment and distribution we needed to dramatically scale our business. That scaling was always going to include significant acquisitions to consolidate the digital fitness sector,” says Wexer CEO Paul Bowman

“This Intelivideo deal is the first such acquisition, instantly and significantly growing Wexer’s presence, customer base and revenues in the US market. It’s a very exciting step for us as we look to expand our footprint across multiple markets and verticals to become the leading global fitness and wellness content provider.”

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Wexer’s New Head Of North America Gearing Up For US Growth  https://wexer.com/blog/wexers-new-head-of-north-america-gearing-up-for-us-growth/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 20:40:09 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7419 Digital fitness market leader Wexer is delighted to announce the appointment of Ashley Podoll as its new Head of North America, responsible for growth and business development. The appointment comes on the back of Wexer’s acquisition of Intelivideo, the US-based digital fitness provider where Podoll specialised in marketing, business and brand development since 2015–most recently […]

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Digital fitness market leader Wexer is delighted to announce the appointment of Ashley Podoll as its new Head of North America, responsible for growth and business development.

The appointment comes on the back of Wexer’s acquisition of Intelivideo, the US-based digital fitness provider where Podoll specialised in marketing, business and brand development since 2015–most recently as Chief Marketing Officer. 

 

“We’re excited to welcome Ashley to our team. The US is a dynamic market with major growth potential and the Intelivideo deal has given us a fantastic springboard, instantly and significantly growing our presence, customer base and revenues in this market.”

 – Robert Louw, Wexer’s Chief Growth Officer –

 

Wexer’s goal is to significantly expand the US footprint. With her extensive expertise in this field and strong relationships with top brands and partners in the North American market, Ashley is well-placed to lead this drive. 

Wexer is currently focused on the seamless transition of Intelivideo clients to their content platform. Ashley will clearly play a critical role here, but this is just the beginning of our plans for strong expansion across the US. Louw said, “We’re delighted to be bringing someone of Ashley’s calibre onboard to help us realise these plans.”

 

“It’s a very exciting time for our two companies and I’m thrilled to be joining the Wexer team. Over recent years at Intelivideo, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of North America’s most well-respected and successful digital pioneers. I look forward to supercharging the evolution and growth of these companies, and many more, through the new technology, content, and partnership opportunities that Wexer brings.”

– Ashley Podell, New Head of North America –

 

Wexer’s commitment to consistent innovation and partnerships is a positive win for Intelivideo clients, and any health and fitness business. The vision is to make premium content accessible to all fitness enthusiasts provides a strategic weapon for any prominent brand looking wanting to provide fitness content inside or outside its four walls. The real value for the fitness industry is to reach a wider, more diverse, increasingly digitally savvy audience.

Podoll concludes: “It’s clear that Wexer has ambitious plans to expand its footprint across multiple verticals to become the leading global fitness and wellness content provider. I look forward to being an integral part of the team invested in doing so.”

 

To find out more please contact us at info@wexer.com

 

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New research shows virtual fitness boosts member retention https://wexer.com/blog/wexer-research-virtual-fitness-member-retention/ Sat, 11 Nov 2017 12:43:12 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=2879 Offering virtual fitness boosts member retention in your gym by driving significantly higher levels of member engagement. This is one of the topline findings of new research conducted by global market leader Wexer. The study of 1,400 members, published this month, found that 52.2% of virtual users visit the gym at least three times a […]

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Offering virtual fitness boosts member retention in your gym by driving significantly higher levels of member engagement. This is one of the topline findings of new research conducted by global market leader Wexer.

The study of 1,400 members, published this month, found that 52.2% of virtual users visit the gym at least three times a week, and they stay longer too – 21% of virtual users have been a member of their current gym for more than one year, compared to only 15% of non-virtual users.

And while six out of 10 members said their decision to join the gym was influenced by the number of group exercise classes available, perhaps one of the most surprising findings was that four of those members specifically named the availability of virtual classes as an influencing factor in their decision to join.

The evidence is show that offering virtual fitness boosts member retention and directly correlates with higher levels of customer acquisition and engagement.

And there’s more evidence that continues to build this case. The average virtual class size has also more than doubled over the past three years: in 2016, around 55% of timetabled virtual classes had over seven participants, compared to just 5% in 2014.

Combine this larger class size with the fact that more clubs are offering more virtual classes, and that 75.7% of non-users say they’re likely to try virtual fitness in the future, and you have a market on a serious upwards trajectory.

Cardio HIIT remains the most popular category of virtual class, chosen by 67% of users, but in line with the growing interest in meditation and mindfulness, mind-body is also on the rise, now selected by 44% of users (compared to 38% in 2014).

Check out the research on how offering virtual fitness boosts member retention, customer acquisition, and engagement.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT .

 

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Why 2023 Will Be A Pivotal Year For Wexer https://wexer.com/blog/why-2023-will-be-a-pivotal-year-for-wexer/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 17:51:33 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7320 Paul Bowman, Wexer CEO, shares what’s coming in this pivotal year for Wexer. “As I look ahead to 2023, it is with great excitement for both Wexer and the business sectors we serve. It will certainly not be an easy year, with global recession looming large on the horizon. Yet, we’re seeing the steady rise […]

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Paul Bowman, Wexer CEO, shares what’s coming in this pivotal year for Wexer.

As I look ahead to 2023, it is with great excitement for both Wexer and the business sectors we serve. It will certainly not be an easy year, with global recession looming large on the horizon. Yet, we’re seeing the steady rise of health, fitness and wellbeing becoming a priority along with non-discretionary consumer spending.” 

Fitness providers around the world are broadening their offering and creating omnichannel strategies to create a fully integrated customer service experience 24/7. A good omnichannel strategy combines elements of sales strategy, technology, digital marketing and customer service to improve the customer experience, regardless of the channel they use.

Not only is the fitness industry ripe for digital transformation, but a diverse range of other businesses are seizing the moment to leap into fitness and wellness offerings. These opportunities lean into our expertise at Wexer, with organisations around the world harnessing our world-leading technology and digital content to support the health and wellbeing of their communities. 

Because of our 2022 acquisition by Core Health & Fitness, we have the investment, distribution and support for the dramatic growth and scaling of our business to accelerate our mission of hybridising fitness and wellness delivery around the world.

So that’s the big picture, so let’s explore the strong roadmap to bring it to life. 

Top Reasons It Will Be Pivotal Year For Wexer

 

1. Expanding Wellness Focus

Wellness is arguably the hot trend right now, worth $1.5 trillion (USD) globally and growing at 5–10 percent annually, according to McKinsey research. Consumers intend to keep spending more on products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep, and mindfulness.

Wellness is already a category we have been developing in our rich content library. In 2022, we pressed down the pedal and brought in a wealth of new wellness-focused content. The uptake has been phenomenal. We’ll continue to place a strong emphasis on wellness in 2023, making the development of this category a key focus of our content strategy this year.

2. Improved Technology Experiences

With an exceptional in-house development team, all our technology is purpose-built to ensure the most robust, reliable products on the market. We believe the best can always get even better, so we’re continually working on new features and functionality. It’s about staying one step ahead of the market, pre-empting end users’ needs to help our customers exceed expectations. Last year, that included our new platforms with the Web Player partner app and Virtual Connect. There’s lots more to come in 2023, kicking off with a responsive new interface for our Web Player that delivers an optimal experience on any screen size. Keep watching this space because our technology development team is growing! Stay tuned for more cool stuff to come.

3. Addition of Powerful New Team Members For Global Growth

It isn’t just our technology team that’s growing, as we are adding some fantastic new team members to sales and marketing. As we ramp up for growth, this new team will bring valuable knowledge and expertise across new markets and new verticals. There’s a real buzz about Wexer right now, and the talent we’re attracting proves it.

4. ContinueD Growth in Additional Vertical Market Sectors

Originally, we started with the fitness market by providing exceptional digital experiences both within and outside the club. Over recent years, Wexer has created a strong foundation in each additional sector which is as diverse as hospitality, corporate wellness, multi-family housing and even telecommunications. Of course, we are still experiencing growth in our original business focus by helping health clubs serve their members. The reinforced distribution channels resulting from Core’s new investment, besides the new team expertise, will allow us to expand our presence in other verticals and our core fitness business. 

2023 is going to be a pivotal year for Wexer and we’re all raring to go.

Get in touch now to find out how your business can get onboard with this momentum, and why it will benefit you to do so: info@wexer.com

 

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7 Wexer Highlights From 2022: CEO Paul Bowman Looks At Last 12 months https://wexer.com/blog/7-highlights-from-2022-wexer-ceo-paul-bowman-looks-back-at-the-last-12-months/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:27:58 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7287 As I look back on the highlights from 2022, what stands out to me are the success stories from our customers, the positive direction of travel in fitness, wellness as a whole, and the huge sense of achievement within the Wexer business. 2022 has been an interesting year – I choose my adjectives carefully and […]

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As I look back on the highlights from 2022, what stands out to me are the success stories from our customers, the positive direction of travel in fitness, wellness as a whole, and the huge sense of achievement within the Wexer business.

2022 has been an interesting year – I choose my adjectives carefully and admittedly with a degree of understatement – as businesses around the world have variously battled with looming recession, spiralling energy costs and the aftermath of the pandemic.

I’d like to take this opportunity to recap some of Wexer’s most memorable highlights from 2022.

Wexer’s Most Memorable highlights From 2022

#1 – New growth foundations

Wexer’s acquisition by Core Health & Fitness in April was a pivotal step that now gives us the support, investment and distribution we need to dramatically scale our business, build an even more diverse digital ecosystem and accelerate towards our mission of hybridising the fitness industry. We’re hugely excited by this new partnership and looking forward to building on these foundations in 2023 and beyond.

 

#2 – Cross-vertical acceleration

As the world finally moved back to in-person experiences and gyms reinvested in the in-club product, we once again saw growing demand for Wexer Virtual; GLL in the UK and Swedish giant Nordic Wellness deserve particular mention for their forward-thinking initiatives in this space. We also saw demand surge across verticals, with 2022 headlines including a new global agreement with Hilton Hotels, an exciting project with Sun Peaks Resort in Canada, and significant momentum in the corporate wellness space.

 

#3 – Learning from the best

Launched in January, The Wexer Podcast has gone from strength to strength this year. Hosted by yours truly, we speak to digital pioneers and experts from around the world, offering listeners insights and advice to support their own digital journeys. The conversations have been fascinating, the learnings rich and diverse. You’ll find a season one summary here and can listen to seasons one and two-so-far right here.

 

#4 – Making the best, better

At Wexer, we believe the best can always be better, so we’re continually working behind the scenes to bring new features and functionality to our market-leading technology. This year, that’s seen the launch of a Web Player app as a partner product to our popular web application. Optimising the Web Player experience for mobile use, the app offers enhanced casting functionality, allows for push notifications and mirrors each company’s Web Player design for UX consistency. We also launched Virtual Connect, allowing operators to channel self-produced content through their Wexer Virtual players in-club to put their own superstars on studio big screens – on-demand and live stream. Watch out for more exciting product news in 2023!

 

#5 – Enhancing wellness

If we didn’t already know it, then McKinsey research published earlier this year made it perfectly clear: for today’s consumer, the buzzword is wellness. Already an area we’d been growing, in 2022 we pressed down the pedal and brought in a wealth of new wellness-focused content, from a new Breathe channel to a Stretch and Recover category, meditation to Sleep Stories by Sweat Factor, an ever-expanding array of mind-body classes to snackable wellness breaks in the shape of Office Fit by Sweat Factor. The uptake has been phenomenal and we’ll continue to place a strong emphasis on wellness in 2023.

 

#6 – Unrivalled strength in depth

We’ve continued to expand our content partnerships across other genres, too, to ensure our library remains best-in-class. Aside from the aforementioned wellness partnerships, new content partners onboarded in 2022 include Yogaia and CITYROW, as well as some exciting new collections from SH1FT Fitness. With new content showing first on our Mobile home page, we’re also driving a steady stream of fresh content from existing partners so there’s always something new to try.

 

#7 – Millions of experiences

With our already-rich content library getting ever more compelling, our user base growing, and people now having more choice in where they work out compared to recent years, we’ve had another strong year in terms of experiences delivered: over 6 million globally in 2022. As our Mobile platform takes off – not least courtesy of the API and SDK we launched last year – we’re excited to grow that number still further in 2023.

 

And these are just some highlights from 2022! It all adds up to put us in a strong position as we move into 2023 – a year in which we’ll accelerate towards our mission of harnessing digital to bring fitness and wellness to communities around the world.

Get in touch now to discuss how Wexer can help your business leap into the digital age: info@wexer.com

 

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New Global Marketing Manager To Expand Wexer’s Global Growth https://wexer.com/blog/new-global-marketing-manager/ Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:59:08 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7301 Wexer has appointed a new Global Marketing Manager, Claire Evans, as the new Global Marketing Manager. Her expertise will allow Wexer to expand their global fitness and wellness opportunities. Claire joins Wexer from fitness technology agency SweatWorks, where as head of marketing she spearheaded all communications for the brand. Prior to SweatWorks, her roles included […]

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Wexer has appointed a new Global Marketing Manager, Claire Evans, as the new Global Marketing Manager. Her expertise will allow Wexer to expand their global fitness and wellness opportunities.

Claire joins Wexer from fitness technology agency SweatWorks, where as head of marketing she spearheaded all communications for the brand. Prior to SweatWorks, her roles included Senior Marketing Manager for Marriott Hotels and B2B Marketing Manager for Nuffield Health.

“I’m delighted to be joining Wexer as it accelerates towards its mission of hybridising fitness and wellness delivery around the world.”

Claire Evans, Wexer Global Marketing Manager

global-marketing-manager-newspress_claireevans.

“Claire’s appointment is an incredibly timely one,” says Wexer’s Chief Growth Officer, Robert Louw, “Our April 2022 acquisition by Core Health & Fitness was a pivotal step in dramatically scaling our business for growth; we’re excited to recruit expertise that will enable us to maximise our growth opportunities.”

Robert continued, “Over recent years, Wexer has strengthened their leadership position in the health club and fitness sectors. We have also created a strong foundation in other industries, like hospitality, corporate wellness, multi-family housing and telecommunications. As we move forward and build on our strengths and foundations, Claire’s breadth of experience within digital fitness and our other key vertical markets will ensure she is a powerful appointment to our team.”

Claire stated, “This new role with Wexer feels like the perfect fusion of all of my fitness sector experience, from personal trainer to corporate wellness, hotel fitness & spa marketing, to Head of Marketing for Digital Fitness Innovation with SweatWorks. I can’t wait to bring my expertise to bear in helping Wexer achieve its mission.”

Claire shared, “At SweatWorks, our focus was on innovating to make fitness more accessible and engaging, which in turn helped people live healthier lives. I remain passionate about that ambition, so I’m excited to find it echoed at Wexer, where rapid scaling–and further global growth of their comprehensive wellness offering–will mean we can positively impact more people than ever.”

To find out more please contact us at info@wexer.com

 

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A pivotal moment in Wexer’s history as acquisition hands us major opportunities to scale https://wexer.com/blog/a-pivotal-moment-in-wexers-history-as-acquisition-hands-us-major-opportunities-to-scale/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:23:23 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7136 As we announce the news of Wexer’s acquisition by Core Health & Fitness – a portfolio company of US-based private equity firm Gainline Capital Partners – I find myself in a reflective mood, looking back at the milestones of the Wexer journey so far as well as ahead to a hugely exciting future for the […]

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As we announce the news of Wexer’s acquisition by Core Health & Fitness – a portfolio company of US-based private equity firm Gainline Capital Partners – I find myself in a reflective mood, looking back at the milestones of the Wexer journey so far as well as ahead to a hugely exciting future for the brand.

Our story began in 2008, when serial fitness entrepreneur Rasmus Ingerslev created ‘World of Exercise’ – or Wexer for short. At the time a purely B2C product, Wexer was an on-demand fitness video platform designed to provide instructor-led content for effective home workouts. It’s funny how things have come (almost) full circle now, albeit with Wexer a B2B(2C) digital ecosystem rather than a B2C platform these days; Rasmus was, not for the first or last time, ahead of the curve.

I began to have conversations with him in 2011 and we quickly identified a shared passion for getting exercise into the hands of more people. We also recognised that the best way to do this would be to pivot Wexer to a B2B model, becoming Wexer Virtual: the trailblazing in-club virtual class solution.

I joined the company in 2012, we signed Zumba as our first content provider in 2013, went through a couple of funding rounds in 2013–14 and began to do the groundwork that would enable us to lead the virtual GX charge, acquiring the software that powers Wexer Virtual in 2015 and then, in 2016, acquiring Club Virtual and moving to London as market leader.

Fitness in people’s hands

By this point we had some truly enviable assets, not least proprietary, commercial grade technology – something we still pride ourselves on to this day, with Wexer’s unparalleled reliability evident in our platform’s 99.9% uptime. We also had, and still have, a world-class team, including in-house developers who ensure our market-leading technology continually evolves and remains market-leading even as other competitors come and go.

And we had a strong customer base, including many partners who are still with us today.

But even back then, when Virtual was still the new kid on the block, we were planning our next move. We knew we wanted to develop an ecosystem of products that would reduce barriers to participation: back to that vision of getting exercise content into more people’s hands.

So in 2017, Wexer made a major investment in acquiring Connected Fitness Labs (CFL), a digital platform that has since acted as the foundation for our growing Mobile portfolio: our white labelled Wexer Web Player (launched 2019), Wexer SDK (2020), Wexer API (2021) and of course our app (2017).

And the impact of that decision, accelerating the development of a full Wexer ecosystem, is clear: in 2020, we delivered 25 million fitness experiences, up from 10 million in 2019 and 6 million in 2018.

This performance was partly driven by the growth of Wexer Virtual, of course, which by now was being credited by operators with not only driving sales but also retention.

But to an even greater extent it was driven by the exponential growth of Mobile, not only during successive waves of lockdown – when Wexer helped clubs quite literally put fitness content in their members’ hands at home – but even before that, as early adopters began to put their digital plans in place.

And now? Demand for Wexer Virtual is booming once again as members return to clubs and classes are at capacity, but Mobile remains a huge driver of participation. People’s exercise behaviours and expectations are forever changed by events of the last two years.

Putting operators first

So here we are in the new hybrid era of fitness, something I’d venture is pretty much universally accepted now. Yet the next step is vital. We now have to ensure clubs are delivering a true hybrid experience, not merely ticking the box of hybrid technology – and I believe that experience has to be led by content.

Content is what fitness consumers are demanding, and it also happens to be the element of the club experience that can be perfectly replicated across all touchpoints: in-club, online, in-app, smart TV, smart mirror or other smart device.

It is content that enables the omnichannel model, allowing clubs to deliver the same user experience however their customers choose to consume their product on any given day.

And Wexer’s ever-expanding digital ecosystem supports this, with solutions that allow operators of all sizes to either start their digital journey or else enhance their existing digital ecosystems – but always with a view to strengthening the bond between club and member.

As part of that, we’ve helped clubs push their own loyalty-driving talent to the forefront, with our Web Player and now also our in-club Virtual solution incorporating what we call ‘Connect’ – a feature that hands operators their own channel to upload self-produced content alongside the 1,600+ classes from our now 70+ global content partners.

Because we’ve focused on the operator throughout. We’ve never seen technology as a replacement for the club, but as a complement – a way for clubs to serve their members 24/7. Keeping health clubs relevant in an increasingly digital world has been our ethos from the word go and it remains the case now as we push towards our vision of hybridising the fitness sector.

An opportunity to scale, rapidly

Which brings us to today’s acquisition by Core Health & Fitness – new ownership that excites me not only for what it brings Wexer, but for its implications for the sector as a whole.

Everything I’ve spoken about so far has been achieved with only US$2.5m of equity raised since our inception. What this acquisition does is give Wexer the funding and support to scale our business as never before, accelerating us towards our vision of hybridising the fitness sector.

That will include strategic acquisitions; we believe there to be significant opportunity for consolidation of the digital fitness sector.

But funding isn’t the only benefit of this deal. The synergies between Wexer and Core present further opportunities for us both to accelerate our growth and evolution: Wexer will now bring its digital expertise, technology and world-class content to the Core business, while Core’s sales and distribution network will be harnessed to provide Wexer with significant new channels to market.

For me this is key: Wexer has always had great products and great people, but a comparative lack of distribution has historically held us back from fully realising the power of our products. Our new collaboration with Core instantly addresses that, exponentially growing our distribution network.

The opportunity to collaborate with Core across its portfolio of globally recognised brands – Stairmaster, Schwinn, Star Trac, Nautilus and Throwdown – to build an even more diverse digital ecosystem is another huge benefit of this acquisition.

So for me, this really is a turning point – a chance to rapidly scale our business and fulfil our potential both within the fitness sector and beyond, collaborating with Core across its many verticals as well as building on our existing momentum with partners as diverse as telcos, wellness centres, hotels, multi-family housing, student accommodation… and of course, our traditional heartland of fitness.

We now have the products, the people, the partnerships – and the distribution. We are ready to scale and unequivocally claim the crown of digital fitness market leader.

For more information, please get in touch at info@wexer.com

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Core Health & Fitness acquires Wexer; unveils digital sector consolidation strategy https://wexer.com/blog/core-health-unveils-digital-sector-consolidation-strategy/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:19:03 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7134 Core Health & Fitness LLC (“Core”), a portfolio company of US-based private equity firm Gainline Capital Partners LP (“Gainline”), announced today that it has acquired Wexer Holding LLC (“Wexer”), a leader in digital health and fitness offerings. Financial terms of the transaction are private. The deal will provide Wexer with the funding to scale its […]

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Core Health & Fitness LLC (“Core”), a portfolio company of US-based private equity firm Gainline Capital Partners LP (“Gainline”), announced today that it has acquired Wexer Holding LLC (“Wexer”), a leader in digital health and fitness offerings. Financial terms of the transaction are private.

The deal will provide Wexer with the funding to scale its business – including through significant acquisitions to consolidate the digital fitness sector – and drive digital adoption across the global health club sector.

Jason Leone, President of Core, said: “Coming out of Covid, commercial customers across gym and vertical market categories are placing an increased emphasis on connected fitness. Though many consumers are returning to in-person workouts, they expect to continue to complement these with connected fitness workouts, highlighting the importance of delivering an omnichannel experience.”

Paul Bowman, Wexer CEO, said: “This is a momentous step for Wexer, simultaneously granting us the support, investment and distribution we need to dramatically scale our business and accelerate towards our mission of hybridising the fitness industry.

“The opportunity to work closely with Core Health & Fitness, collaborating across its portfolio of globally recognised brands to build an even more diverse digital ecosystem, is another huge benefit of this acquisition. We are delighted with our new ownership and excited by its implications not only for Wexer, but for the sector as a whole.”

Rick Sullivan, Partner at Gainline, added: “As a leading B2B supplier for the global health and fitness market, we see Wexer as a natural extension of Core’s business model.”

The collaboration will begin with a global roadshow designed to educate and inspire the fitness sector around the need to embrace omnichannel fitness. Exploring the powerful impact that a digital offering has on health club membership sales, up-sales and member retention, the roadshow will support operators with insights not only into why but also how to make the business-critical shift to a sustainable hybrid model.

About Core Health & Fitness

Core Health & Fitness is a vertically integrated global manufacturer of fitness equipment with a strong market presence across cardio, strength, group cycling and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) equipment. Core’s innovative, high-quality products are sold under the iconic brands of StairMaster, Schwinn, Nautilus, Star Trac and Throwdown. Core sells its products into more than 100 countries worldwide. corehandf.com

About Wexer

As a digital fitness market leader, our mission at Wexer is to bring world-class digital fitness to your community. In the fitness sector, we partner with our clients to ensure health clubs remain at the heart of the member experience. Our technology creates a bridge between the

digital and physical worlds, enhancing in-club products and experiences; broadening the audience for clubs’ expertise, talent and programming via new ‘always-on’ channels; and enabling every user touchpoint to be shaped by data and personalised insight. wexer.com

About Gainline Capital Partners

Gainline Capital Partners is a private equity firm that invests in US-based middle market companies. The firm invests in profitable companies with enterprise values of up to US$250m. Gainline partners with management teams to help execute their vision, drive sustainable growth and create long-term value. gainlinecapital.com

For more information, please get in touch at info@wexer.com

 

 

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Spending too many hours sat at your desk? These new workout ‘snacks’ are the nourishment your body needs. https://wexer.com/blog/spending-too-many-hours-sat-at-your-desk-these-new-workout-snacks-are-the-nourishment-your-body-needs/ Wed, 23 Feb 2022 13:11:29 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7098 Popular content provider Sweat Factor continues to expand its range of programming on the Wexer Web Player and through our SDK and API solutions, with the launch of a new channel: Office Fit by Sweat Factor. This new channel sits alongside Sweat Factor’s original HIIT workouts and the Self Care by Sweat Factor collection, which […]

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Popular content provider Sweat Factor continues to expand its range of programming on the Wexer Web Player and through our SDK and API solutions, with the launch of a new channel: Office Fit by Sweat Factor.

This new channel sits alongside Sweat Factor’s original HIIT workouts and the Self Care by Sweat Factor collection, which launched as a standalone channel on the Wexer platform last year.

Office Fit is designed to fight the bad habits the body can fall into when sitting at a desk all day long. The collection features ‘Desktop Pilates’ movements and exercises developed specifically to return the body to optimal posture, improving alignment and mobility and relieving the pain, aches and other issues caused by extended periods of desk work.

The collection has been conceived as a library of bite-sized, movement-based videos, with each lasting just two to six minutes and each having a very particular focus.

The idea is that, whether you’re working from home or the office, the movements can be used as bite-sized exercise ‘snacks’ throughout the day – brief interludes that can be easily squeezed into any schedule, whenever you’re feeling tight, lethargic or in need of an energy boost to get through the day.

They’re also great when you’re traveling and tight on space, for use during your active recovery days, or when you just need a quick and efficient movement break.

The Office Fit by Sweat Factor channel launches with 16 videos that cover a wide range of topics, all related to typical issues you might experience as a result of too much sedentary, desk-bound time. Themes include:

Posture and spinal movement – both seated and standing – for stretching out the back and reintroducing correct posture after hours of sitting.

Mobility work for stiff muscles and joints.

Release exercises to help loosen up tight spots.

‘Breathing Breaks’ – perfect for a relaxing and revitalising break from stress and deadlines.

Pilates- and barre-inspired work to strengthen the body – both seated and standing.

To find out more about our digital platforms and classes get in touch at info@wexer.com

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Turn your virtual studio into a showcase for your own content, for FREE https://wexer.com/blog/turn-your-virtual-studio-into-a-showcase-for-your-own-content-for-free/ Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:34:52 +0000 https://wexer.com/?p=7086 Originally launched in 2020 and always provided as a free value-add to our customers, Connect has quickly become one of the most popular features in the Wexer ecosystem. For anyone not yet familiar with it, Connect is the area of the Wexer platform where you – gym operator, accommodation provider, hotel operator, corporate employer – […]

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Originally launched in 2020 and always provided as a free value-add to our customers, Connect has quickly become one of the most popular features in the Wexer ecosystem.

For anyone not yet familiar with it, Connect is the area of the Wexer platform where you – gym operator, accommodation provider, hotel operator, corporate employer – can upload your own self-produced content.

The way we describe it: it’s like having your own TV channel – a place to share anything from on-demand workouts led by your star trainers to meditation sessions, cookery workshops, events hosted at your facilities… the floor is yours! You know your customers best, and Connect is where you get to meet their very specific needs, all fronted by the faces they know and love, all delivered under your brand.

 

The power of Connect

To date, Connect has only been available on the Wexer Web Player – our white labelled ‘any time, anywhere, any connected device’ portal. It sits at the top of the Web Player home page – the first thing users see, above the many channels and class collections populated by Wexer’s global content providers and influencers.

And when it’s used well, Connect works very, very well, with Asian fitness giant Evolution Wellness a prime example. In Evolution Wellness’s Virtual Studio – the Group’s digital fitness platform, powered by Wexer Web Player – only 30% of the content available is self-produced. However, that 30% accounts for 47% of all views. This self-produced content also commands an average 18-minute stream length, versus 11 minutes for third-party content.

This is the unquestionable power of local stars: the appeal of working out with people you know from your own club, even on the days when you can’t make it in and need to work out online.

 

Connecting in-club

As the Evolution Wellness example proves, self-produced online content provision – everyone’s go-to during lockdown – remains a vital part of the hybrid model moving forward.

But as members return to their clubs, now entirely used to working out with an on-screen instructor, in-club virtual is also seeing a boom – and that makes it the perfect time to turbocharge Wexer Virtual.

Specifically, we wanted to allow our customers to bring their own, in-house superstars to the big screens of their virtual studios. Think top instructors available round the clock rather than at peak times only. Think popular classes filmed and replayed over multiple sessions to maximise the number of members who get to enjoy them – especially valuable right now, with class capacity restrictions still in place in many markets. Think jam-packed studio schedules featuring familiar faces all day, every day, without the price tag of pay-by-the-hour class instruction.

Sound good? Then without further ado, allow us to introduce Virtual Connect – the same TV channel approach as in the Wexer Web Player, now launched and available on Wexer Virtual too.

That’s right: Wexer Virtual isn’t just about third-party content any more. It’s about your own content too, meaning your local stars – the instructors who have the relationships with your members – can front your whole in- and out-of-club group exercise offering for a consistent member experience.

So, if your members miss any of their favourite classes, they can now catch up in the gym any time – or at home and on the go when partnered with our digital solutions.

This new feature is FREE to all Wexer Virtual customers, all you need to do is contact your Account Manager to get set started. Or get in touch here if you are interested in launching a virtual offering. As an added bonus, the classes are downloaded onto your Wexer Virtual players for 100% guaranteed availability, so you can rely on the classes to run smoothly.

We’ll also be building on the functionality of Virtual Connect over the coming months, introducing live streaming to complement the existing on-demand capability. Think waitlisted classes streaming live into overflow studios and spaces in the club, and even between clubs in the estate.

Get ready to supercharge your group fitness studio! To find out more about Virtual Connect, contact us at info@wexer.com

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