For the last two years, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta has partnered with Upace to support the Y’s member engagement, custom mobile app and reservation software.
Kristin McEwen, the chief experience officer at the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, said the partnership has made her organization more accessible and engaging for members.
“We’ve seen many benefits over two years of working together,” said McEwen. “Members now have an easy way to make reservations across programming and a seamless two-way integration with our CRM Traction Rec. Our members now make 98% of reservations independently, which has improved member experience exponentially and saved our staff many hours of busy work every week, so they can focus on what matters most — serving our members.”
Below, McEwen shares all about the Y’s collaboration with Upace, how operations have been enhanced, surprises from the partnership and more.
Why did you decide to partner with Upace? What problem were you looking to solve or what solution were you looking to incorporate?
As chief experience officer, my focus is on enhancing our member experience and making them feel a part of our community. We needed to find a partner that would streamline the reservation process, listen to our needs and give us the flexibility to expand our offerings. Upace stood out because they didn’t just offer a product. They offered a true partnership to working together to solve our unique challenges.
What are the benefits to your business as a result of this partnership?
Upace’s highly customizable software has enabled us to diversify our revenue streams. We’re currently implementing a new small group training program through the platform, which will create an entirely new revenue stream for our organization. This expansion was made possible by Upace’s built-in functionality and their team’s support on leveraging the platform to generate additional revenue streams.
What are the benefits to your members as a result of this partnership?
Our members love the convenience: booking classes in seconds instead of phone calls, managing everything from their phone or the website, and feeling like we’re finally as modern as they need us to be. Plus, there’s everything they don’t see happening behind the scenes — automated sub management, smoother operations, tools that free up our staff to actually connect with people and develop the important relationships.
Through the push notifications we can keep the members engaged in real time. Alerts make them feel cared for. Suddenly our community feels stronger and more inclusive than ever.
Have you been pleasantly surprised by working with Upace in any way?
What’s surprised me most is how genuinely collaborative Upace is. They don’t just deliver a product and walk away. They actively listen to our feedback and work with us to build features that have real impact for our Y. Their team believes in our mission and is constantly working on how to further support creating impact in our community every day. It’s not often we find a technology partner like Upace.
What would you tell other rec center professionals about working with Upace?
I’d tell them Upace isn’t just a mobile app and reservation platform — they’re genuinely invested in helping you grow.
If you want to make your members feel valued and highly engaged while also opening new ways to bring in revenue, Upace should be at the top of your list. They understand the community recreation industry deeply and are committed to helping you succeed. The platform grows with you, whether you’re adding new services like small group training or creating unique member experiences. Most importantly, they listen. The ROI speaks for itself, but it’s seeing how much happier our members and our staff are that really makes this partnership special.
