Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R. Oct 26, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - UTime Fitness Redefined and Expanded Under New Leadership
Amidst COVID-related upheavals in the fitness industry, UTime Fitness has evolved with a redefinition of fitness management, UK expansion, and a flexible, integrated new product.
After his latest successful fitness franchise leadership role, the brand is now led by long-time fitness leader Rey Bolivar - the newly appointed CEO and Managing Partner of UTime Fitness.
A 29-year industry lifer, Rey has degrees in Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, and Management, and has held diverse positions from personal trainer to CEO across New York and most Asian capital cities. Leading nine countries through closures and reopenings during the pandemic has virtually doubled his experience – balancing government mandates with the needs of various stakeholders from members to a board of directors.
With his phenomenal wealth of fitness industry experience, Rey had one thing on his mind when joining UTime: customer-centered redefinition. “COVID fast-tracked the growth of the fitness industry by at least a decade, with everyone realizing the importance of health in building immunity and enhancing their daily lives. However, restrictions – physical, social, financial – have also drastically changed the way people view an active lifestyle. Bricks-and-mortar gyms must adapt beyond the membership mindset to offer greater flexibility for consumers who are quite rightly more demanding for options and customization – and this trend will continue for years to come.”
UTime Fitness was co-founded by Pete Prickett and Cathal Kiely. Former growth architect of the Pure Group, Pete is currently CEO of the privately-owned Bricks property group. Operating a half-billion pound portfolio across a mix of student, hotel, and co-living / BTR sectors, Bricks are prolific brand builders who enable scalability across the globe. And Cathal brings extensive multi-industry experience as a top F&B and fitness entrepreneur across South East Asia and the UK.
The UTime franchise has grown organically in Hong Kong and Thailand, but its potential convinced Rey to bring his expertise and skills to accelerate growth. His initial challenge lay in how extensively bricks and mortar gyms were affected by closures and restrictions. Next came the deluge of fitness apps and programs, which gave many choices but lack information or support. Consumers were faced with too many options that required multiple memberships, subscriptions, and platforms to be able to reach their fitness goals.
Providing a truly seamless fitness experience to address this problem is the core of how UTime Fitness is redefining the industry. It has recently launched a hybrid membership, giving members digital and physical options to enable them to work out on location, on-demand, and on the go through the UTime app, at UTime gyms, or anywhere they happen to be.
To strengthen the offering, UTime has partnered with industry giants such as Life Fitness, Virtuagym, Myzone, and Theragun to integrate their platforms, allowing members to track all their activities inside and outside the gym, follow and create their own custom workouts, receive personalized coaching, and even monitor their nutritional intake to improve mental well-being.
“Our goal is simple: Deliver the one thing that members crave – results. And to get members on board, we needed to develop a platform that makes it easy for them to succeed. Having the right partners with the same mindset and vision means we go beyond just offering a new app or membership. We redefine the fitness experience itself, making it seamless and supportive but also holding our members accountable.”
Aside from the hybrid membership and its premium app, UTime Fitness is introducing a modular franchise model in preparation for its extensive growth plans. These modules were created to adapt to various locations, consumer demands, and franchisee budgets. Currently, with seven curated zones ranging from a Plug and Play cardio area to a Rest and Recovery zone, this is another unique concept not only in fitness but also in franchising.
The new offers and features of UTime Fitness go live in November, while the first modular gym is under construction at the Swansea location of accommodation brand, true Student - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bricks Group - operating a portfolio of over 5,000 beds across 6 locations.
Media Contact
UTime Fitness jap@utimefitness.com http://www.utimefitness.com
