For the complete magazine visit: www.ihrsa.org/club-business-international/ GymAround was founded with the goal to improve the quality of travel by filling the missing link between business travelers and fitness clubs. With our international network of over 200 clubs and preferential prices for our members, a healthy lifestyle becomes simple for traveling professionals. Clubs in all major cities worldwide such as: Gyms in Paris, Gyms in Montreal, Gyms in Singapore, Gyms in Boston etc. Website: www.gymaround.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/gymaround Twitter: @gymaround Photos: iStockphoto

1. Rob Does leads a frenetic professional life. As the director of media consulting firm MediaTest
and founder and CEO of ITHAKA Research, both based in Amsterdam, he has a schedule
packed with global travel. In 2011, he developed GymAround, a concept he says was “born of
my personal reality of endless business trips. In my experience, everybody wants to stay fit and
focused while they travel, but there are too many barriers to leaving your hotel. And there you
are, running your boring treadmill in a far-too-small hotel gym without any inspiration or fun. So
I thought, ‘What if I would make it easier and safe to leave your hotel, go to a nearby fitness club
and really feel invigorated after a great session, including a class, a sauna, or whatever the club
has to offer?” And that’s how GymAround, also based in Amsterdam, was born. So what is
GymAround? Billing itself as “the missing link between global business travelers and great
fitness clubs,” GymAround is a rapidly growing network of more than 100 clubs in 25
international cities. Business travelers can register to join the network free of charge at the
website—www.gymaround.com—to receive steep discounts off the clubs’ daily rates (typically
around 50%). Registration is free of charge and, once travelers register, they can go to the site,
select a club in their area, and pay for and download what GymAround labels a “benefits code,”
which will give them access to the club and the preferred discount. s a member club, there is no
cost to join the GymAround network and there are no annual fees. Instead, Does and his staff
work with each club to determine the preferred daily rate to be charged. When guests select your
club online and buy a benefits code, the code is then sent to their mobile phones. Your club
receives an email with the guest member’s transaction details. When the guest visits your club
and presents the code, he or she pays the preferred rate directly at the reception. You enter the
code online as proof of the visit and the guest is free to use the facilities. GymAround makes its
money by selling memberships and benefit vouchers to the business travelers.

2. There are similar networks in existence, but, says Does, GymAround offers a different
experience. “We are not aiming to have an enormous number of clubs in the network, but,
instead are growing a quality base of pre-selected, premier clubs in all major metropolitan
business cities,” he says. “Our network features such clubs and chains as club Dir in Spain,
Orange Fitness in Russia, Dabliu in Rome, Merritt Athletic Clubs in Baltimore, Club One in San
Francisco, and the Alaska Clubs. We also have some unique standalone clubs, such as the
Chelsea Piers in New York, Iron Flower in Miami, and The Aspire Club in Bangkok.”
In comparison to IHRSA’s Passport program, for example, Does notes that GymAround is very
selective about both the types of clubs it includes and the geographies they cover. “We offer
limited global coverage, whereas the IHRSA Passport program features a very large, stable U.S.
base. If anything, the GymAround network offers a great complement to the program,” he adds.

3. The benefits for business travelers are clearly evident: stay fit and focused while traveling across
the globe, and do it for a reasonable price. For clubs, driving traffic is certainly always an
effective enticement. But, Does says, there is a range of more subtle advantages that underpin
membership. “First of all, our partner clubs are recognized for being among the best clubs in any
city, featuring the highest quality standards and best amenities,” he explains. “Second,
GymAround brings in a new, international audience. We sell our vouchers to influential business
travelers and they talk, tweet, and rave about their experiences. What better way to sell extra day
passes, have extra promotion, and enjoy a high-class international audience? Finally, your own
members will use and benefit from the GymAround network as well.”

4. Although the GymAround concept is young, Does is already taking steps to grow it. “While we
started selling day passes to clubs, we are now remodeling our website to offer a range of other
discounted services,” he notes. “In club Dabliú in Rome, for example, you can now buy a
combination of a day pass with a personal trainer for a special price. In the near future we will
expand this service and start selling PT sessions, special classes, weekly and monthly passes, and
other amenities online to business travelers.”
Does is pleased with the growth of GymAround, but he does envision a ceiling that keeps the
network exclusive. “within a few years, we’d like to hit a target of 500 top clubs worldwide,” he
explains. “For the time being, we’re focused on looking for partner clubs in Los Angeles,
Chicago, Singapore, and Sydney.”