Smart technology key to growth at Adelaide Aquatic Centre

One of South Australia’s busiest aquatic centres is using smart leisure management software to handle growing visitor numbers without compromising the high-quality experience it provides to customers.

Adelaide Aquatic Centre, in North Adelaide, is visited by 750,000 people a year, at an average of more than 2,000 a day. It’s the second most visited aquatic centre in the state, and attendance is expected to continue growing in the months ahead.

Managing all those visitors requires efficient systems, and Adelaide Aquatic Centre uses some of the best available.

“Centaman integrates with our entrance control gates and works with the Jonas Leisure TRP engagement software our staff use to send emails and SMS messages to customers.”

The City of Adelaide’s focus for the aquatic centre is on providing an accessible and family-friendly facility that is enjoyable for customers of all ages. Mr Wenske says achieving that requires a good technology platform that enables his team to deliver a wide range of courses, including group fitness classes in its gym, along with learn to swim classes for children and swim for life classes for grandparents in its indoor pools.

The centre also caters for aquatic sports competitions, has a shop and café, and runs a creche so parents can enjoy some recreation in the knowledge their little ones are being looked after.

As visitor numbers rise, staff at Adelaide Aquatic Centre are determined to ensure they continue to communicate effectively with customers and provide a high-quality experience.

The TRP software staff use makes it easy for them to keep customers up to date with the latest offers and any changes to timetables. It also helps them engage more effectively with the aquatic centre’s members by providing useful information on members who are on site, including alerts about anybody whose attendance is falling and may be at risk of dropping out.

“That has been really useful for staff in our gym as it encourages them to speak with more of our members to keep them motivated, healthy and coming back for more.”

Mr Wenske says Centaman software also plays a role in improving the customer experience. Not only does it allow staff to quickly and seamlessly manage memberships, bookings and payments, which minimises delays, but its reporting functionality helps staff understand customer needs and the courses and spaces within the aquatic centre that are most popular.

“We couldn’t operate without a system like Centaman. If we were using different programs for all parts of our business, our data would be all over the place. Being able to manage and analyse it all from one place is great, and if anything goes wrong, the Jonas Leisure support team is always helpful.”

Mr Wenske says there are some exciting developments on the horizon at Adelaide Aquatic Centre in the future, although it’s too early to announce any specifics at this point. When they happen, Mr Wenske is confident the centre has the right technology and systems in place to manage the next stage of its evolution.