Willis Tower
Kinema Fitness, Blackstone and Perform Properties partnered together to enhance and reposition, the tenant fitness center “Tone” at the iconic Willis Tower in Chicago. Kinema Fitness took over fitness center operations from a previous operator and stopped losses of $200K per year and within a year turned that to a net profit. Kinema reimagined the entrance of the fitness center with new retail, food and beverage, apparel as well as a brand new recovery center that included a sauna, cold therapy and recovery items by Normatec.
Approach
Kinema took a multi-layered approach to the transition at Tone. This started with a reimagining of the amenities within the fitness center. Kinema enhanced the entry, the retail section as well as introduced a brand new recovery area. Kinema also enhanced the programming, the classes, personal training and introduced some new team members onsite to increase the energy and excitement.
Strategy
Kinema worked closely with Perform Properties during this transition, which included working with their communications team, marketing team and property managers to ensure everyone was on the same page. Messaging out to the members and tenants was key to introducing some of these new changes and enhancements. Kinema also reached out directly to the employers to establish corporate partnerships with them.
Result
Within a year, there has been dramatic results, Kinema took a net loss to a net cash positive due to all these changes. There was a $200K loss before Kinema that went away with these enhancements. We have seen very positive feedback from the tenants, utilization has been incredibly strong and personal training has increased as well. Kinema is also activating the 99th floor of the Willis Tower with yoga and singing bowl sessions. It has been so positive that ownership is investing in more equipment and new amenities.
Services Include
- Fully staffed fitness center with multiple full time employees
- Vendor management
- Implementation of holistic wellness offerings
- Dynamic group fitness classes
- Small group training and personal training
- Retail offerings
- Corporate partnerships
- Creative marketing support
- In-tenant wellness solutions
