Three years ago, the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles leadership was looking for a way to bring innovation and technology while also standardizing procedures across all their 27 locations. Luckily, the Y found the right technology partner to modernize operations and the member experience in Upace.
“Working with the fitness app Upace offers rec center professionals a plethora of advantages that amplify the user experience and operational efficiency,” said Joshua Berg, the assistant vice president of member experience at the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. “Upace streamlines facility management by providing real-time data on occupancy, class attendance and equipment usage, and facilitates informed decision-making.”
Below, Berg details the Y’s partnership with Upace, how the member experience has improved 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?
Up until Upace, many of our Ys were still using pen and paper for important tasks like group exercise class counts, tracking personal training passes and child activity center rosters. Reserving a spot for a class or lap lane was non-existent and would sometimes require members to arrive at the YMCA an hour before to reserve a spot. In addition, we had no clear insights into the data on high performing and low performing classes and programs which did not allow for us to make data-driven decisions. This all changed for us with Upace. Upace allowed us to not only solve these problems, but also allowed us to better engage our members with an additional suite of tools.
What are the benefits to your business as a result of this partnership?
In addition to standardizing operations and tracking, we have been able to increase communication with members through app notifications, displaying branch hours/upcoming holidays and now can highlight new programs. We have also reduced the cost of physical key cards by having all members use our Upace app which is saving thousands of dollars each year while making the check-in faster at the front desk. Through Upace, we were able to relaunch our small group training program as a monthly membership where members can seamlessly book and track their passes directly in the app and on our website, which led to a new monthly revenue stream for the Y.
Through using Upace’s reports, we have been able to create reporting that has allowed us to track the viability of classes, who the target demographic is based on who is attending and we can identify trends across our 27 locations.
What are the benefits to your members as a result of this partnership?
Not only do members feel more connected to their local YMCA by having all the information available in one place, but they also are able to explore options at nearby YMCA’s that may have a different style of classes or one that fits their schedule better. Members are also able to build schedules and routines by making reservations ahead of time via our app or through our website to ensure they have reserved their spot, receive reservations reminders, mobile access to their barcodes, and have direct access to alerts and updates from the Y on anything from a closure, canceled class or marketing messages.
Have you been pleasantly surprised by working with Upace in any way?
The Upace team has been a fantastic partner to work with. All the way back from pre-launch, the launch and everything since then. The Upace team has been a true partner in every sense of the word, providing training, feedback, troubleshooting and even exploring innovative ideas to help keep our members engaged. They truly listen to our challenges, goals and desires, and they take action from these conversations to continue to build the platform to best support our members and operations.
What else can you tell other rec center professionals about the benefits of working with Upace?
The customizable user-friendly interface will enhance your member engagement at your rec center through personalized scheduling, notifications and rewards, and ultimately foster a stronger sense of community. Moreover, Upace’s robust analytics empower your team to tailor offerings based on member preferences, ultimately boosting retention and satisfaction levels. By integrating Upace into rec center operations, teams can elevate their facilities into dynamic hubs of wellness, seamlessly connecting with and empowering their community towards healthier lifestyles.
