Almost three quarters of leisure and fitness operators are experiencing positive growth right now. In this article, we explore how leisure trusts, local authorities, universities, and leisure operators can grow revenue, strengthen retention, and improve operational performance. 

The Fitness Industry Growth Report 2027 found that 74% of operators have experienced strong or moderate growth over the last three years. 

While some of this growth has come from opening new facilities, expansion isn’t the only route to success. With opening new locations often not an option for many leisure operators, plus with growing operating costs and ongoing pressure to do more with less, many organisations are looking inward to unlock new opportunities. 

The most successful sports and leisure operators are finding ways to increase revenue, improve efficiency, strengthen retention, and deliver better member experiences using the facilities, teams, and resources they already have. 

If you’re looking to grow your organisation and generate revenue for reinvestment, here are five opportunities worth focusing on. 

1. Optimise your marketing activity 

Growth starts with a healthy pipeline of prospects and an engaged member base. Yet many leisure operators struggle to find the time, budget, or resources needed to run consistently effective marketing campaigns.  

The good news? Growth isn’t always about generating more enquiries. Often, it’s about converting more of the opportunities you already have. 

Focus on improving efficiency by: 

• Segmenting audiences rather than sending the same message to everyone 

• Automating lead nurture journeys so prospects don’t fall through the cracks 

• Personalising communications based on behaviour and interests 

• Following up quickly when someone submits an enquiry 

• Creating targeted campaigns for different membership types, activities, and facilities 

With the right systems in place, you can automatically deliver relevant emails, SMS messages, and in-app member communications at key moments throughout the customer journey. 

For example, modern leisure management platforms allow you to: 

• Track prospect and member activity in one place 

• Build audience segments using member data 

• Trigger automated communications based on attendance or engagement 

• Monitor campaign performance and conversions 

Small improvements in conversion rates can have a significant impact when scaled across multiple sites or facilities. 

Positively, 64% of operators who’ve experienced growth in recent years said marketing contributed to that growth. Optimising your approach to marketing can be a genuine growth driver.

2. Concentrate on retention 

While attracting new members is important, sustainable growth within established sports and leisure centres is built on keeping existing members engaged. 

In fact, retention was one of the most commonly cited growth drivers among operators experiencing growth.  

The reality is simple: members who stay longer generate greater lifetime value, require less acquisition spend, and contribute to a more predictable revenue base. And those are all the ingredients you need to maximise reinvestment into your facilities, programming, and people. 

Many operators face retention challenges. Positively, meaningful improvements often come from refining existing processes rather than making major investments. 

Strengthen onboarding 

The first few days, weeks, and months are critical. Members who quickly establish a routine are significantly more likely to remain active long-term. 

Consider: 

• Structured onboarding journeys 

• Inductions and goal-setting sessions 

• Automated welcome communications 

• Milestone-based engagement campaign activities 

Identify at-risk members early 

Attendance patterns often provide the earliest warning signs that attrition is imminent. 

Operators can improve retention by identifying members whose activity levels are declining and reaching out before cancellation becomes likely. With access to attendance data, reporting, and member engagement tools, teams can proactively run re-engagement campaigns that encourage members back through the doors. 

Personalise the member experience 

Members increasingly expect experiences tailored to their needs. 

Using attendance data, preferences, membership type, and engagement history allows you to deliver more relevant communications and experiences. These small moments of personalisation can make a significant difference to retention over time. 

3. Increase engagement with group fitness 

Group fitness remains one of the most powerful tools available to leisure operators. 55% of operators who reported growth named group fitness classes as a factor in that growth. 

Done well, classes do far more than fill timetable slots. They create community, build accountability, increase attendance, and strengthen member loyalty. 

They also help maximise utilisation across your facilities. Beyond traditional classes, many operators are growing participation and revenue through: 

• Small group training 

• Strength and conditioning programmes 

• Specialist wellness sessions 

• Recovery and mobility classes 

• Sports development programmes 

• Premium and limited-capacity experiences 

For universities and public sector operators in particular, these activities can help create stronger community connections while supporting participation goals. At the same time, they often command a premium price whether that’s an add-on to an existing membership, a higher tier membership, or a one-off purchase. 

A flexible bookings and activities management solution can make it easier to: 

• Manage classes, courses, events, and facility hire 

• Accept online and mobile app bookings 24/7 

• Operate across multiple sites and facilities with efficiency 

• Analyse participation and attendance trends 

When group fitness participation grows, retention and revenue often follow. 

4. Refine your membership packages and pricing strategy 

Pricing is one of the most overlooked growth opportunities for leisure operators. 

By optimising pricing, many operators see increased profitability and greater opportunities to reinvest in facilities. 69% of operators report that membership revenue is growing – driven in part by a focus on optimising membership design and price models. 

That can mean looking at: 

• Tiered membership packages 

• Premium specialist access options 

• Flexible monthly plans 

• Annual memberships 

• Activity-based memberships 

• Add-on services 

• Hybrid memberships combining digital and in-person experiences 

The objective is to create options that better align with the needs of the different groups you serve. 

Universities will likely need different options for students, staff, and community members. Leisure trusts may benefit from products tailored to specific facilities, activities, or attendance patterns. 

Reviewing utilisation data can also reveal opportunities. For example: 

• Some members may be paying for benefits they rarely use 

• Highly engaged members may be ideal candidates for premium offerings 

• Popular activities may justify new membership tiers or bolt-ons 

Growth often comes from providing members with more value and more choice – at a price point that makes sense for your organisation. 

5. Review your approach to personal training 

Personal training remains one of the most effective ways to generate revenue from your existing spaces. In fact, 39% of operators experiencing growth said personal training has been a factor. 

The operators using personal training most effectively position it as an integral part of the member journey. A strong personal training offering can help: 

• Generate additional revenue 

• Improve retention 

• Increase member engagement 

• Deliver better fitness outcomes 

• Strengthen relationships between staff and members 

Many organisations are also finding success with small group training models that balance affordability for members with improved profitability. 

Personal training can also play an important role during onboarding through: 

• Goal-setting consultations 

• Fitness assessments 

• Progress reviews 

• Accountability check-ins 

When personal training becomes part of the broader member experience, it delivers value far beyond standalone session sales. 

In conclusion 

Many organisations can unlock significant opportunities by getting more from their existing operations. Start by: 

1. Strengthening marketing performance 

2. Improving retention 

3. Increasing participation in activities and group fitness (and evolving your offering) 

4. Optimising membership packages and pricing 

5. Building a stronger personal training proposition 

By focusing on these five areas, your organisation will be well-positioned to create sustainable growth within the facilities you manage. 

The organisations seeing the strongest results today are the ones continuously improving the experiences, systems, and services they already have. 

And with a modern, cloud-native leisure management platform that combines member management, bookings, reporting, payments, and much more, creating that growth becomes far easier. 

Want more insights? 

Download your copy of the Fitness Industry Growth Report 2027 and benchmark your organisation against other operators across the sector. 

Download the report