EMD UK has signed a partnership agreement with DataHub to receive data for all group exercise classes across the UK.

As the national governing body for group exercise, EMD UK is heavily invested in providing insight into the sector to help it better understand and influence participant behavioural patterns and preferences. By signing an agreement with the DataHub, EMD UK can strengthen its work in influencing an increase in group exercise participation levels.

Working with the DataHub will enable EMD UK to develop its existing group exercise insight work, including its annual Participation and National Surveys.

These surveys provide essential group exercise insight; key participant motivators and challenges, along with a nationally representative view of group exercise participation levels and habits. The partnership with DataHub adds a further dimension to this, allowing EMD UK to look at the participation trends of a bigger sample between and within styles.

The DataHub works with leisure operators and providers, collecting their data feeds for participant insight, so for example when a customer books a spin class at their local leisure centre, the system will record this and store this intelligence. With DataHub currently holding the data of around 400,000 unique group exercise participants (taken from 300+million visits), and around one million in total since 2015, this partnership is an important step in helping EMD UK deliver its vision of ‘a healthier nation through exercise’.

Jade Moulden, Head of Business Development for EMD UK, said “We are really excited to be working with 4global as the keepers of the DataHub group exercise data. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to work more closely with leisure operators to understand and support their customers. It also gives us, our members and partners access to a unique insight set that is unavailable elsewhere. Our aim is to understand the journeys of our customers across their group exercise lifecycles; the DataHub will help us to achieve this.”

Utku Toprakseven, Director of Sport Intelligence at 4global, said: “We are proud to have EMD UK join the DataHub as the latest NGB Partner and look forward to supporting them to track participation into group exercise, analyse latest trends and engage with their core market via DataHub Club member operators. This partnership will also enhance the data standards for group exercise classes and allow operators to follow the latest trends in one of the core activity areas in their facilities. The DataHub team will also be working closely with EMD UK to open up this independent intelligence to group exercise companies and franchise providers so there is complete visibility and transparency on what works and what doesn’t in terms of increasing sustained activity, driving commercial returns and social value to all concerned.”

For more information please contact Louise Jones or Emily Bunton at EMD UK on 01403 266000 or email  louise@emduk.org / emily@emduk.org
For more information about the DataHub please contact Wendy Golledge at Big Fish Public Relations on 07921 319517 or email wendy@bigfishpublicrelations.co.uk

NOTE TO EDITOR:
About EMD UK
EMD UK is the national governing body for group exercise and works proactively to bring all aspects of the industry together to achieve its vision of…a healthier nation through exercise.
To facilitate the continued growth of the group exercise sector EMD UK provides quality training and development as well as ongoing help and advice to instructors, supporting them at every stage of their career. It also works in partnership with fitness brands to endorse and develop all forms and styles of group exercise.
With funding and support from Sport England, EMD UK is committed to driving positive change within the industry and works with organisations across the health and fitness sector to make group exercise and activity that is accessible for everyone.

About The DataHub
The collaborative DataHub project was launched in 2013 as an automated and secure way for all facilities across the health and fitness industry to bring their data together on a daily basis, align it with data standards and then access and share consistent business intelligence and best practice. All DataHub Club members (facility operators, NGBs and delivery partners) now have accurate reporting information, relative benchmarks and actionable operational solutions, based on a central and growing shared repository of 300+ million facility visits (1,200+ UK facilities).

The DataHub provides an eco-system, allowing partner suppliers (marketing, health and safety, customer insight, social return etc.) to leverage the centralised intelligence within their own specialist modules and services, creating a one-stop-shop that delivers simple, coordinated and enhanced customer, programme and facility outcomes. Never before have so many sector organisations been united under one umbrella with such a fundamental mandate, and with the technology to deliver this much-needed step change in how the industry uses data.