Posted by on Jan 15, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

I Said a Hip Hop, and You Don’t Stop!

It’s 2:30pm on a Tuesday; do you know where your students are?  Hopefully, they’re on the floor having the time of their lives in class!  But, if you find yourself answering that question a bit differently (i.e., “I don’t know… Where ARE the kids??”), perhaps it’s time to consider modifying your schedule to include My Gym Dance! With three classes to choose from – Pre-Ballet (3-4.5 years old), Ballet/Jazz (4.5-8 years old), and Hip Hop (4.5-8 years old), there’s something for everyone.  My Gym Dance is the perfect program to entice older children who want to stay active, move & grove, and learn basic technique and dance etiquette, all while having fun in a noncompetitive atmosphere. Now is the perfect time to consider adding dance into your routine as a great “mid-season replacement” class.  If you start now, there’s still plenty of time to grow your program in time to host a dance recital come late spring. Need some guidance to get your dance program started, hire your teacher,...

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Posted by on Jan 14, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM Status Update: Important Things to Know

Please read and digest this update in its entirety; many, if not all, items apply to your gym. ATTENDANCE FOR JANUARY 2ND & 3RD Shortly after launch, we uncovered a bug where attendance records were not being saved in any classes on two specific days: January 2nd and early classes on January 3rd. We had requested everyone to re-mark their rosters, but found that the magically disappearing attendance problem persisted. The root has finally been discovered, and a fix has been applied. Unfortunately, we must ask that everyone re-mark their attendance for this time period, yet again, to the best of your ability. HELP DESK Please be reminded that the Help Desk contact form is the best way to reach the Tech Team. We will occasionally receive items at other non-tech email addresses, which may not be seen as quickly. It has also come to our attention that our replies to your tickets may be going to your junk mail. Be sure to add both tech@mygym.com and tech@mygym3.com (our alternate email)...

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Posted by on Jan 13, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

2016 Marketing Plan – Spring Campaign Materials Are Ready!

Spring marketing materials are ready! Now that all gyms are running the New Year Marketing Campaign through February, it is time to start planning for spring. During March and April, all gyms should implement the Spring Fun Marketing Campaign. Millions of kids agree… Spring has begun! Let’s spring into fun! Additionally, we offer the supplemental March Madness campaign, which can be used in addition to the Spring Fun campaign. Millions of kids agree… It’s March Madness; let’s go bananas! Note that, for a supplemental campaign, we provide print materials, global emails, and digital artwork. For a regular corporate campaign such as Spring Fun, the offerings also include the press release, website article copy, social media copy, and more. The print and online materials for both campaigns can be customized to help you promote Spring Camp. To help you execute the themed campaign(s) in your own gym(s), the following are ready for you to access: Marketing Materials Package (Operations Manual > Operations > Marketing Manual > 2016 Marketing > 03-March...

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Posted by on Jan 8, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM Update

We know and understand your frustration regarding the issues experienced since the launch of 3.0.  This, of course, includes the major glitch this morning with credit card batching.  We hear chatter about our not having tested the system properly or our not having enough resources to fix the bugs now.  This is just not the case.  When a new platform is launched, as we have done, some of this is normal and to be expected; however, please know that we were not anticipating nor are we OK with the number of glitches that keep getting identified.  Please keep in mind that the entire platform was rewritten and is now a very robust system that has thousands of corners.  We did a tremendous amount of testing, and the bugs are being fixed quickly.  Please be assured we do have enough resources on it, and it is getting better, not worse.  We are tracking the bugs each day, and they are declining rapidly.  We understand emotions run high when there is...

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Posted by on Jan 8, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Bambo Nature- New In-Gym Marketing Materials and Diapers Are On the Way!

This month, we are going to be refreshing our partnership with Bambo Nature. We have already launched a social media contest, and a new batch of diapers is being sent to each participating gym this month. Additionally, we are going to be updating the current marketing materials in the gyms. Beginning next week, all participating gyms will be receiving 3 stickers and 400 promotional postcards. The stickers are to be placed onto the existing 3 marketing pieces, including the hanging poster, the wall cling, and the small bathroom mirror cling. Here is how the stickers should be placed: Small Round Sticker- To be placed on the wall cling near changing table Larger Round Sticker- To be placed on the poster hanging in the lobby Small Horizontal Sticker- To be placed on mirror cling in the...

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Posted by on Jan 7, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM Update: Camp & Event Pricing

As you’ve seen, MGM 3.0 now offers online registration and purchasing of camps and events.  Please understand that, when we were choosing the functionality to build for online camp signups, we gave a lot of thought to the best way for franchisees to make the most amount of money possible, give the most flexibility, and make it simple for the consumer.  Camp pricing structures range greatly from franchisee to franchisee – bulk discounting, sibling discounting, bundling discounting, etc. MGE believes that the bulk discounting method is the simplest and best way to run camps…or any “event” such as PNO.  We understand that many of the franchisees offer sibling discounts, and most have bulk discounting on top of that.  This is confusing for consumers to understand and often difficult for staff to explain.  We believe in the concept that, whether a family has three children or one child, they should pay the same amount if they are buying 10 camp days. Bulk discounting is simple.  It just follows the concept...

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Posted by on Jan 5, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Temporary Preferred Vendors Page

Marketing Epsilon (Aspen) Marketing – Direct Mail Marketing SSA Public Relations Exact Target Search Commander, Inc. Groupon Professional Services All Printing HUB International Precise Hire Login| Create a new account Global Payments | Julian Brain (443) 394-2206 | julian.brain@globalpay.com PLAY Network | 888-567-PLAY | customerservice@playnetwork.com Retail Products & Equipment ShopMyGym (products and martial arts) Melissa and Doug Artistic...

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Posted by on Jan 5, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

ALL NEW INCENTIVE- Bambo Nature Social Media Photo Contest- US GYMS ONLY*

Thank you to those of you who have shared and liked the Bambo Nature Social Media Photo Contest.  In working with our partners like Bambo Nature, it is so important that we show them the value they receive in collaborating with My Gym by promoting efforts such as the photo contest. STARTING WITH THIS BAMBO NATURE CONTEST AND CONTINUING THROUGHOUT 2016, MGE MARKETING IS INITIATING ALL NEW PROMOTIONS FOR YOU.  EACH TIME WE RUN A SPONSOR-MARKETING PARTNER SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND/OR CONTEST, YOU CAN WIN TOO…AND IT’S EASY!!!  HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR THE FIRST ONE. As an incentive for showing your support and helping to make this contest a success, MGE is offering U.S. gyms* a chance to win $100 in ShopMyGym credit!  Throughout January, each time you share any of the Bambo Nature Photo Contest posts from the My Gym Official Fan Page on your My Gym page, you could be randomly selected as one of the three winners!  There is no limit to the number of...

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Posted by on Dec 24, 2015 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM 3.0 HOME STRETCH—24 HOURS TILL MIGRATION

It’s almost time! You’ve got your game plans set, your pens and paper ready, and maybe even your 1980s sweatbands and side ponytails ready to go for the launch. MIGRATION TIMELINE: TODAY (prior to 12/25 cutoff): In MGM 2.1/extranet, print relevant rosters, programming, and paperwork for classes, camps/events, and parties being held on 12/26. Make sure you and your staff are prepared to take attendance, notes, enrollments, etc. on paper. FRIDAY, 12/25 AT 7 PM EST: The migration of data begins and will last 24 hours. MGM/EXTRANET ARE COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. SATURDAY, 12/26 AT 7 PM EST: MGM 3 (permanent URL: mygym1.com) and the new website are live. VERY IMPORTANT! Check ALL admin areas, schedules, and party info. If desired, enable your active camp templates on the website. (Contact tech@mygym.com for assistance with camps if needed.) Manually enter any paper attendance, notes, enrollments, or payments taken while MGM was offline. If you experience any issues after the migration, email tech@mygym.com for the fastest response. We cannot guarantee...

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Posted by on Dec 21, 2015 in Marketing | 0 comments

Hyland’s Homeopathic – Free Sampling Program

The next phase of the Hyland’s Homeopathic Free Sampling Program is here! Each gym will receive a free shipment containing all of the materials you will need to execute the program, which runs for a month from January to February, 2016. The samples and coupons should be made available to all customers from 1/1/16 to 1/30/16 or until supplies are gone, whichever occurs first. The materials include: 1000 Hyland’s Homeopathic Cold ‘n Cough 300  3”x 5” coupons for Hyland’s products 1 counter card Please place the counter card near the samples and encourage parents who are interested in doing so to take the survey AND feel free to take multiple samples along with the coupons. Upon commencement of the program, please snap a quick picture of the samples and literature display and send it to marketing@mygym.com. We have taken every possible precaution on our end to avoid the damaging of products during the packaging and shipping process, and we’re confident that each gym will receive their materials fully intact....

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Posted by on Dec 18, 2015 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM 3.0: 7 DAYS TILL LAUNCH!

REMINDER: MGM WILL BE COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE FROM FRIDAY 12/25 AT 7PM EST UNTIL SATURDAY 12/26 AT 7PM EST. THE PERMANENT URL AFTER LAUNCH IS MYGYM1.COM. By now, all gyms have given MGM 3.0 a thorough test, and all discrepancies have been reported…right?! Right! If you have not done this yet, PLEASE DO IT NOW! Get caught up with these updates: MGM 3.0 Webinar Recap MGM 3.0 Testing Phase Update MGM 3.0 IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW MGM WILL BE DOWN FOR 24 HOURS BETWEEN 12/25-12/26 This is what you should be doing between now and the 12/25 7PM EST cutoff: Practicing daily tasks in MGM 3.0 with your staff Rebecca Vaughn (Hampton Roads, VA) and Lorna Brown (Santa Rosa, CA) have collaborated on this great training checklist to go over with your staff. Cleaning up what you can in MGM 2.1/extranet so that the best data is transferred On MGM 2.1: Class list – This is what will appear on the CLASS MENU of the website. On the extranet: Schedule bullets –...

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Posted by on Dec 18, 2015 in Products | 0 comments

Order your My Gym 2-in-1 Magnetic Photo Frame & Calendars in Time for the New Year!

We’re getting great feedback on the new My Gym 2-in-1 Magnetic Photo Frame & Calendar!  This memorable promotional giveaway features a rectangular punch-out design so your members can use it as a calendar AND a photo frame.  This is a perfect gift to give guests with a photo as a memento of birthdays, holiday parties, marketing events, and other special occasions at My Gym.  You can also use this as a thank you gift or marketing tool for current and prospective members as well as local schools and businesses.  With this frame and calendar on refrigerators, desks, walls, and more, My Gym is sure to stay top of mind.  Click here to order now so you receive them in time for the new year.  You’ll find them on ShopMyGym.com in the New Years and Promotional Products...

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Posted by on Dec 17, 2015 in Marketing, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Disney’s “The Lion Guard” Sponsorship Program

My Gym has partnered with Disney to promote its newest Disney Junior release, “The Lion Guard.” The program will allow My Gym to continue building a positive relationship with Disney, aligning our brand with one that is well respected by our members. You will receive one shipment with all the materials you will need to execute this program: One Lion Guard Poster  (24×36) Please hang up on 12/28. It should remain up until 1/24/2015. Poster Hangers Sticker Sheets (200 total) Please display promotional materials from 12/28/15 to 1/24/16. Additionally, our My Gym programming team has created fun and exciting “Lion Guard” curriculum for Waddlers, Gymsters, Terrific Tots, and Mighty Mites for the weeks of 12/28/15 – 1/24/16. Please click here to download and print the five “Lion Guard” character cutouts and glue each one to a Popsicle stick for program implementation. And there’s more! Click here to download “The Lion’s Guard” soundtrack to add to your music library! Upon commencement of the program, please snap a quick picture of the...

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Posted by on Dec 16, 2015 in Marketing, Support & Programming | 0 comments

My Gym/Zumba Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Campaign Open House- Training Information

Start Scheduling Your Trainings- My Gym/Zumba Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Campaign Open House As was mentioned in the update of December 3rd, the Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (COAM) campaign/open house event is a meaningful, cohesive, and exciting opportunity for everyone to bring Zumba Kids and Zumba Kids Jr. to life in all of our gyms!  If you’ve been waiting for the right time to start running Zumba in your gym, now’s the time!  Getting your teachers trained is simple. Please fill out this survey at your earliest convenience so that Zumba can begin learning what they need to ensure that Zumba is running in all possible facilities by the launch of the event. Review the Zumba Directives on the extranet for instructions on how to get your teachers trained. Zumba is offering our gyms the opportunity to send not just one but two teachers to the B1 and Zumba Kids/Jr. training for free.  Have you recently lost your Zumba-trained teachers because of turnover?  For a limited time, you are...

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Posted by on Dec 15, 2015 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM WILL BE DOWN FOR 24 HOURS BETWEEN 12/25-12/26

PLEASE READ EVERYTHING IN THIS UPDATE (AND PREVIOUS UPDATES). IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL INSTRUCTIONS BE FOLLOWED OR YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SETBACKS AFTER THE LAUNCH. REMINDER: MGM WILL BE COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE FROM FRIDAY 12/25 AT 7PM EST UNTIL SATURDAY 12/26 AT 7PM EST. During this time, we will be migrating data from MGM 2.1/extranet, which will take approximately 24 hours. mygym.com will still be up, but online booking and client interface will be disabled. Applicable areas will revert to the Contact Us form. The permanent URL for the MGM/Extranet after the launch will be mygym1.com. The Tech Division will be monitoring the migration from start to finish and will be available via the same contact methods during the entire holiday break. FAQs AND KNOWN ISSUES IN “TEST” MGM: Question: MGM 2.1 username and password do not work in 3.0. Answer: Reset your password using the “Forgot password?” link on the login screen of 3.0. NOTE: When you receive the Password Reset email, you must copy the link and paste it...

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Posted by on Dec 14, 2015 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

WEBINAR: Making the Most of Large Classes

Winter is upon us, and, for those who missed it, now is the time to set aside a half-hour and click here to watch our latest webinar pertaining to running fun, successful, and lively classes.  The permanent link can also be found on the extranet under the heading, “Webinars and Tutorials.” Have questions?  Call, start a Live Chat, or email the Support Team –...

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Posted by on Dec 14, 2015 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

New Building Blocks Cycle and Poster!

This week marks the end of our latest Mind and Body Building Blocks cycle.  Enjoy your respective Presentation Ceremonies, and don’t forget to give stickers for skill sheets (along with their usual ribbons) to all the kids for a job well done. Starting December 21st, you’ll embark on the next four-week Mind/Body cycle, as reflected in curriculum.  The first four-week cycle will go through the week of January 11th, at which point there will be stickers to hand out at the end of classes, but no Presentation Week.  The second four-week cycle will commence January 18th and run through the week of February 8th, at which point there will be a Presentation Ceremony. Consequently, we’re making the materials – new Skill and Development sheets and the PDF for the Mind/Body poster – available now.  You can find them in the Operations Manual, in the Systems > Building Blocks folder. *New and noteworthy!* MGE has made a blank version of the Mind/Body poster available for franchisees.  Should you choose to utilize this version...

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Posted by on Dec 11, 2015 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

A Collaborative Month

THE CHILDREN YOU HELP: Meet Zachary Zach has Cerebral Palsy, is immobile and nonverbal, and has very little trunk control. Because of you, MGCA was able to purchase a GoTo seat for Zach, which allows him the opportunity to be more independent and actually sit with his family at the dinner table. Zach’s mom expressed her gratitude when reaching out to MGCA: “I wanted to say thank you again for the gift of the Firefly seat. My son Zachary is having the best time when we are out. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since we’ve been able to shop or go to a restaurant without adjusting him repeatedly in his high chair or cart because he’s tipping over and doesn’t have the core strength to hold himself up. Now he sits comfortably without being propped up with paper towel rolls, lol. Thank you again from a very appreciative family!!” A special “thank you” to the gyms that are more than halfway to the 100% goal:* My...

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Posted by on Dec 10, 2015 in Marketing | 0 comments

“Where’s Mymo” Social Media Photo Contest – Winners!

Congratulations to our five winners of the My Gym “Where’s Mymo” Photo Contest! Each of the five winners will receive a $100 My Gym Gift Certificate.  When the winners redeem their vouchers at their local gyms, we will reimburse the receiving gym the full $100. This has been the most successful contest that My Gym has launched in the digital space, resulting in tons of engagement, shares, and impressions as well as over 100 entries from families across North America! Contests such as this one are a great way for us to grow our brand and reach thousands of people in a fun, simple, and interactive way.  As with many of our marketing efforts, the success of the photo contest is a direct result of the participation at the gym level, so we thank those of you who shared the posts on your social media pages and promoted the contest in your gyms.  We had some gyms participate, but we need more participation next time! Watch for our next...

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Posted by on Dec 10, 2015 in Marketing | 0 comments

Marketing Update: New Year Campaign & E-Newsletter plus Other Reminders

Millions of kids agree…  For a Sweet ’16, Start Your New Year at My Gym! This campaign runs January and February. For full information regarding this campaign, please refer to the 2016 Marketing Plan – New Year Campaign. NEW Year MYMO’S MEMOS ISSUE AVAILABLE NOW! The newest issue of our Mymo’s Memos customizable newsletter is now available in Global Emails > E-Newsletters for your use. It contains informative articles, fun tips & jokes, and the latest My Gym news. You can insert articles and announcements of interest to your members, and share “All the news that’s FIT and FUN!” with My Gym families in your area. SAVE THE DATE: My Gym/Zumba Childhood Obesity Awareness Month EVENT PLEASE HOLD THE DATE! Saturday, September 10th, 2016. On this date, all My Gyms in North America will be hosting this fantastic event, not only to do our part in raising awareness about childhood obesity but also to grow our brand in a big way! For more information regarding this event, please refer to the Save...

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Posted by on Dec 10, 2015 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM 3.0: IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW – MGM WILL BE INACCESSIBLE!

If you missed our training webinars yesterday and today, or would like a refresher on what you learned, you can view both in the Webinars & Tutorials section of the extranet. IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW: The migration of data from MGM 2.1 and the extranet to MGM 3.0 will begin at 7:00 PM ET on Friday, December 25th and will last 24 HOURS. MGM 3.0, along with the enhanced website, will be up and running at 7:00 PM ET on Saturday, December 26th. MGM IS COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. The website will still be up, but online booking and client interface will be disabled. Applicable areas will revert to the Contact Us Though the MGE offices will be closed, the Tech Division will be monitoring the migration from start to finish and will be available via the same contact methods during the entire holiday break. The permanent URL after the launch will be mygym1.com. We will be sure to remind you of these dates again and again over the...

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Posted by on Dec 8, 2015 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

A Tremendous Success!

Many of you may know that MGCA held a fundraiser with #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving. Our initial goal was to raise $10,000 to help children in need. Not only did we surpass this goal; we TRIPLED it and raised over $30,000! We could not have done so without the hard work of our team as well as the generous support of franchise owners: Lisa Beasely, Robert Meltzer, Jason Manzaneres, and Susi and Yacov Sherman. My Gym Enterprises also contributed a generous matching donation of $5,000. As you head into the peak of the holiday season, please keep the children of MGCA in mind as you raise money for the 100% Program. Working as a team, we can bring smiles to countless children in 2016. Thank you, and a warm and happy holiday to you and yours!...

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Posted by on Dec 7, 2015 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM 3.0: Testing Phase Update – 19 Days Till Launch

Thank you to everyone who has given feedback on MGM 3.0 so far. We are hoping everyone is taking advantage of this time to get familiar with 3.0, and to also report any static data inaccuracies. Remember, you have two main tasks during the testing phase: Report inaccurate static data to tech@mygym.com DO CHECK/REPORT: Inaccurate static data such as website articles, class schedules, camp types, birthday party data (pricing, add-ons, themes, etc.) and other similar settings. NO NEED TO CHECK/REPORT: Inaccurate fluid data such as enrollment numbers, guests, historical data, revenue reports, and other similar data that changes on a daily basis. Play around with the system – all features new and old Many of the brand new features (e.g., Camp) will be discussed in detail during the training webinar. We will schedule additional training webinars if there is a demand for it. Please email us with your preferred dates/times so we may choose optimally. We want to reiterate that, between now and December 25, you are in a...

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Posted by on Dec 7, 2015 in General | 0 comments

Grand Openings

We are extremely excited to announce two new Grand Openings in the United States. Michele Siler becomes our first franchisee in Oklahoma.  Michele recently completed her first week of classes in Edmond, OK and continues to expand the brand.  She and her staff are thrilled to be providing services to the community of Edmond.   Ryan Debin and his team just wrapped up their open house events in their 4th location in the Boston area.  Burlington is the 7th operational My Gym in Massachusetts.  The gym is currently in their first week of classes and the community has embraced their arrival. Warm wishes and congratulations can be sent to edmond@mygym.com and...

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