Ben Benson had an idea for his gym: Victory Gym in Savannah, Georgia.
The city of Savannah is quite transient and sees a lot of one-time drop-ins, as well as weekly and single month visitors, and he wanted to be able accommodate them via HybridAF’s 24/7 unaccompanied gym access.
•“What I needed was for someone to walk up to the door, scan a QR code, buy a pass, get their pass, and gain access to the gym to workout,” said Benson, who has been in the CrossFit space for 16 years now.
When he first proposed the idea to HybridAF, the technology wasn’t there, so Benson pushed, as he knew this would have the ability to be a big game changer for his business.
•“The idea seems so simple on paper, but the actual process of building that system is quite complex,” he explained.
To make it happen, he needed HybridAF to be able to work with PushPress Core (the billing software he uses).
•“The two companies weren’t set up for this, but they saw what it could be,” he said.
So Benson collaborated with both HybridAF and PushPress to build the technology he needed, and today he credits both companies with listening to his feedback and acting to build what he needed to make his vision a reality.
Philip Tabor, VP of Sales for HybridAF, championed the vision and added: ” Gym owners are finding significant value in the HybridAF platform, which offers safe and secure access for their clients, from class users wanting an extra session, open gym users and those using personal training. This innovative approach enhances the community, offers flexibility and revenue potential, integrating seamlessly with member management systems like PushPress, positioning HybridAF uniquely in the evolving fitness landscape.”
Today, it’s up and running and Benson sells one to three day passes each day for $20 each, as well as at least one new longer term membership—either a one week or one month pass—every other day, essentially generating passive, completely hands off revenue for his business.
As a double gym owner—he also owns Terminus Strength & Conditioning in Atlanta, Georgia—and a father of two children, nothing could be more appreciated than passive revenue, he explained.
While Terminus Strength & Conditioning (CrossFit Terminus) is your classic CrossFit facility that focuses largely on group classes, Victory Gym has become a truly hybrid model, where 50 percent of the clientele do CrossFit classes and another 50 percent of the membership base are DIY members who use HybridAF for unattended access (half of his CrossFit clients also take advantage of unattended access as for an additional fee).
Next up for Benson is to open a second CrossFit Terminus location, where he’s planning on offering unattended access via HybridAF.
For gym owners looking to take on a similar model to the one Benson operates at Victory Gym, he is adamant “it can be a very profitable thing to boost your revenue, however it’s not simple,” he said. “It’s a work-in-progress to make it as easy as possible for both the client and gym owner.”
That being said, he knows it’s only going to grow from here, as both HybridAF and PushPress offer incredible customer service and “the ability to have conversations,” he said.
•“I want to give my utmost respect and appreciation to both HybridAF and PushPress. There is no us without them. The key to bringing this to market has been exceptional customer service and open lines of communication, which in turn, has allowed all companies to grow and evolve,” he said.
John Batdorff, VP of Sales for PushPress added: “At PushPress, we’ve witnessed firsthand how the HybridAF integration creates a seamless experience for PushPress gym owners. By reducing the need for registration forms and streamlining processes, plan landing pages enable remote client sign-ups and grant HybridAF access, all without requiring physical presence at the gym.”
Ben had some final thoughts on his mission: “All these people have a mission, and the mission is to make the affiliate owner’s life easier by listening to the gym owner’s needs. They are listening to me and they’re trying to give me everything I need.”
