“Face scan makes our everyday life easier”
Brande Fitness decided to implement face scan a year ago, and it has both minimized cheating and made it easier for new members to start working out in the gym.
Many people might think of a small, dark basement room when they hear the word ‘association fitness’. But that's not the case in Brande. On the contrary, the Brande Fitness association is situated in large, bright rooms in Brande Hallerne and offers good equipment and lots of group training.
“Our fitness center is surprisingly large compared to the size of the town. There are 7,000 people living in Brande, and we have about 1,400 active members during the year, so a large part of the town trains with us,” says Maria Viese, chairman of Foreningen Brande Fitness.
Problems with cheating
That amount of members require an efficient access solution. Brande Fitness has previously used wristbands and fingerprints, but this presented too many challenges for the volunteers who run the center on a daily basis.
“There are many people here in Central Jutland who have practical jobs, and for them the fingerprint simply didn't work. In addition, we have had challenges with some of our members who simply brought other people with them when going to the gym,” says Maria Viese.
That's why they switched to face scan a little over a year ago.
"It has made a big difference for us. Your face is a little more binding, so we have both reduced the number of cheaters and got a solution that makes everyday life easier for members and volunteers,” explains Maria Viese.
Previously, new members had to come to the center and set up their fingerprint during the staffed hours. Now, if you want to start exercising on a Saturday evening, you can drive down to the center, upload a photo – and you're up and running in two minutes.
Making everyday life easier
Maria Viese works as HR Manager at Mammoet Scandinavia, so working with Brande Fitness is her spare time activity. But she can't help herself.
"I've been involved with the fitness center ever since I moved to the city 13 years ago. I first started working out there myself, and later I became a Zumba instructor, fitness instructor and yoga instructor – and then I ended up as chairman two years ago, so there's plenty to do,” she explains.
And that's why it's liberating to have an access solution that makes things a little easier. They have also just added an anonymous crossline camera to the face scan system to reduce the number of cheaters even further.
“This means that I get a notification on my phone if someone jumps over the counter or lets someone in, so we can react to it immediately. It's super smart," says Maria Viese.
About Foreningen Brande Fitness
Brande Fitness is one of Denmark's largest association fitness centers with approximately 1,400 active members per year. Read more at brandefitness.dk
MARIA VIESE'S TOP 3 TIPS FOR OTHER FITNESS ASSOCIATIONS
1. Make association fitness attractive
We have prioritized having large, bright rooms with good equipment - and that makes it more attractive to our members.
2. Offer exciting classes
Right now, we're seeing a lot of interest in our new Les Mills classes such as BodyPump and BodyBalance. In addition, our Zumba classes and Indoor Cycling classes are also still popular.
3. Make it easy for members
With face scan, our members don't have to remember their access cards or wristbands or spend time getting their fingerprints set up. It's easy to get in - and you can sign up as a new member whenever it suits you.