Newport Live transforms Member Experience with TwinLabs Gym Twin

Equipment procurement is one of the biggest recurring costs in leisure management. Suppliers have a clear view of what they want to sell. Newport Live now has a clear view of what their members actually use.

Richard Dale, Head of Business Development, puts it simply:

‍“Suppliers push traditional kit. Cross trainers, steppers. But the data shows our members want more treadmills and stair climbers.”

‍

That shift matters. Multi-year equipment commitments are made with limited room for error. Two years of site-level usage data gives Newport Live a fundamentally different negotiating position. They can point to what members choose, how often, and for how long, across the whole estate. Not what staff assumed. Not what a supplier recommended. What the data shows.

Rowers and ski ergs are a useful example. Low session counts might look like underperformance. But these are short, high-intensity bursts, not long steady-state cardio. The data distinguishes between the two. It matters when you’re deciding whether to add more, cut them, or relocate them.

The seasonal picture is equally useful. Powered cardio drives January sign-ups. From October through December, weights usage rises as cardio drops off. Planning around that is more precise than planning around gut feel.

Energy, carbon status, and the funding case

Newport Live is working towards a carbon neutral status - something that will unlock rate relief and new grants, as well as drive down their energy costs. As a leisure centre operator with a broad portfolio of spaces, from the national velodrome of Wales, pools as well as large, dedicated gyms, this is a challenging ask with no simple answers. The solution requires a mix of energy capture - maximising their extensive roof space with photo-voltaics - and energy efficiency.

The later includes looking hard at their powered gym equipment and making choices backed by evidence: what equipment is used the most, what sits idle, and how standby cycles affect overall energy load. They’re actively exploring lower-powered kit: LED screens, self-powered equipment.

And the equipment usage data makes that whole calculation tractable.

Without data, making a case for significant capital investment goes to a board of trustees without much to stand on beyond projections and hope. With usage data, the numbers are in the room.

The data turns an operational dataset into a funding case.

Seeing what staff couldn’t see

Steve Ward, CEO, is straightforward about what changed:

‍“Our team had a good sense of how members used the gym, but the data gave us a much clearer and more complete picture. It confirmed some assumptions but also revealed things we hadn’tconsidered.”

‍

Some of those revelations were small but pointed. Two treadmills consistently showed higher usage than their neighbours. The only visible difference: a prime view of a TV. That finding fed directly into decisions about equipment placement.

The freeweights area was assumed to be quiet on weekends. It was the busiest zone. The member relaxation and meeting area was thought to be underused. Members were there regularly. Both matter for how you allocate space and how you make members feel at home.

Ward’s summary:

‍“It was like switching the lights on.”

‍

Richard Dale adds the operational dimension. The dashboard now shows trends by quarter or month, across the whole gym. Predictive busy sectors let staff move proactively to where they’ll be needed in the next hour. And predictive maintenance flags equipment that sees a sudden drop in session time. A slipping treadmill belt shows up as people trying it briefly and stopping. That’s caught early rather than after a complaint.

“The new dashboard shifted our approach completely,” says Dale. “Seeing trends by quarter or month, across the whole gym. That’s genuinely useful.”

‍

The approach they’re building toward: change something, measure whether it worked, adjust. Not change something and hope it pulls through. And soon, they plan to layer member feedback on top of usage data. When the two agree, the case is strong. When they disagree, that’s worth understanding.

“It’s changed how we approach decisions,” says Dale. “We’re not working from assumptions anymore, we’re working from evidence.”

‍

“The data isn’t just interesting, it’s actionable. We’re using it to invest smarter, improve our layout, and create a better member experience.”
Steve Ward, CEO, NewportLive

‍

If your trust manages multiple leisure sites and you’re making equipment, energy, or layout decisions based on experience rather than data, we’d be happy to show you what we do.

‍

Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.

✅ Make data-backed decisions that improve member satisfaction.
✅ Optimise your equipment and space investments to avoid costly mistakes.
✅ Tailor your gym experience to what your members truly value.

🔔 Ready to become the gym that truly understands its members?
👉 Book a demo with TwinLabs today and see what your data is hiding.

‍