ATN Summit 2025: Building Community, Embracing AI, and the Future of Fitness
Credit: Flickman Media
Telomere’s CEO, Catalina, attended the ATN Summit in New York on June 16-17, 2025. Read her insights and takeaways below.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the ATN Innovation Summit in New York City. Unlike any other fitness event I’ve been to before, the vibes were immaculate. The space had an industrial aesthetic, with two main stages and multiple connecting spaces for innovative wellness demos and networking. The attendees suited in their best ‘business casual’ with no shortage of three-piece suits dusted off and ready to go. The crowd was a mix: some on the finance side (think private equity companies, investors, and fitness corp execs), C-suite individuals representing the large franchises: CEOS, COOs, CMOs and CPOs from CorePower, Peloton, Orangetheory, Barry’s Anytime Fitness (the list goes on), sprinkled in with multi-location privately owned owners and operators and tech companies. Despite the themes being remarkably consistent with what we’ve been expecting (and seeing) throughout the year, I walked away energized by the conversations happening across our industry.
Key Themes and Takeaways
Three major themes dominated the conversations throughout the summit:
Community as Currency: Every speaker reinforced that people don't just join gyms for equipment—they join for connection. Whether it's Barry's flying founding instructors across the country for training or local studios focusing on making every member feel "welcome, seen, and heard," the businesses thriving today are those treating community building as seriously as they treat their workout programming.
The Growth Paradox: Scaling without losing soul emerged as the central challenge. Multiple speakers emphasized that rapid expansion can dilute brand identity and member experience. The most successful operators are being intentional about growth, understanding their true customer, and building systems that preserve culture at scale.
AI as Amplifier, Not Replacement: The technology conversation was refreshingly practical. Rather than fearing AI, successful operators are using it to handle the "busy work"—lead nurturing, campaign optimization, review management—so their teams can focus on the irreplaceable human moments that create lasting member relationships.
Session Deep Dives (a few of my faves!)
Creating Community Through Competition
The opening session set the tone perfectly: "You choose a gym because of the gym and because of the people." This wasn't just philosophy—speakers shared tactical approaches to community building across price points.
Key insights included the universal language of fitness (one Hyrox representative noted how competition creates instant community), and the importance of giving people something to train for beyond just "losing calories." Alpha Fit Club's approach of "bringing the challenge of putting on an experience with a vibe to the suburbs" resonated as a perfect example of understanding your market and delivering accordingly.
The session emphasized that when people entrust you with their bodies, you're taking on a profound responsibility. The focus must be on core basics: making sure every person feels welcome from the moment they walk in, and being "hyper-focused" on the in-room experience.
Barry's Bootcamp: Scaling Without Losing Soul
The Barry's session provided a masterclass in intentional growth. Their approach to instructor training—flying founding instructors to Miami and LA for week-long intensives—demonstrates how serious they are about maintaining quality and culture.
"Not every concept is meant to have endless numbers of units," noted one panelist, highlighting the tension between growth ambitions and brand integrity. Barry's strategy focuses on doubling domestic presence while growing internationally, but with careful attention to partner selection and organizational support.
Their adaptation to demographic trends was particularly interesting: trending younger has led them to experiment with pop-ups, parties, and community-focused events. "Culture is built by the employees, by the people," they emphasized, reinforcing that intentional investment in staff is non-negotiable for maintaining brand standards.
The Great Growth Debate: Franchising vs. Corporate Owned
This session tackled one of the industry's biggest strategic questions with refreshing honesty. The core insight: "If you look at franchising any area, you have to be able to be very good for the masses. You have to be able to exist next to a LensCrafters in the middle of America."
The Warby Parker vs. LensCrafters analogy was particularly sharp—understanding your true customer determines your growth strategy. If your neighborhood has a Warby Parker, maybe mass franchising isn't your path.
Key tactical advice included:
"There are turnkey systems; there are no turnkey humans"
Franchising requires a B2B mindset with constant retraining and support
Understanding your customer archetype (not just avatar) is crucial for sustainable growth
Optimizing for exit strategies works best when you've built an amazing business first
The session highlighted two categories "on fire" right now: Pilates and strength training. While exciting, this creates pressure to stay competitive as more people discover these modalities for the first time.
Member Acquisition in an AI World
Perhaps the most practical session of the summit, this panel cut through AI hype to focus on tangible applications. "Key word is Help—how can AI help me vs. do it for me," one speaker emphasized.
The biggest opportunities identified:
Lead Management: AI provides reliable 24/7 lead contact and nurturing, trained to your brand voice
Campaign Optimization: Dynamic content creation and audience targeting for better lead generation
Review Management: Automating Google review requests to maintain fresh, AI-searchable content
Off-Hours Support: For 24-hour businesses, handling member questions outside staffing hours
However, the human element remains irreplaceable. "Fitness is very emotional and personal. Sales is equal part art and science." The science (AI) is growing, but the art—the human touch—remains the biggest differentiator.
Practical tips included training AI avatars for camera-shy owners (apparently outperforming real humans in some cases!) and the reminder that "90% of the sale should be done through marketing" via storytelling and brand showcasing.
The 5-Star Effect: Elevating Wellness Through Hospitality
The final formal session addressed a growing challenge: "People are lonelier than ever." The rise of social wellness solutions demonstrates the hunger for genuine connection in fitness spaces.
This tied perfectly into the community theme running throughout the summit—successful fitness businesses are increasingly functioning as hospitality companies that happen to offer workouts.
Looking Forward
Walking away from ATN, I'm convinced we're at an inflection point. The businesses that will thrive over the next three years are those that understand community isn't just a marketing buzzword—it's their most valuable asset.
As I noted in recent writing, we're living in a paradox: more digital connection than ever, yet 95% of Gen Z and Millennials want to take their web communities offline. Physical spaces are back, but only when they're "infused with soul" and tied to purpose and participation.
The four-wall model doesn't work as just retail overhead anymore. It needs to be experience infrastructure—a place where people don't just work out, but belong. The brands that get this right aren't just selling fitness; they're selling identity and community.
That's the asset I'm betting on, and after ATN, I'm more convinced than ever that community-first thinking will separate the winners from the rest of the pack.
So here’s the real question: are you in?
Ready to transform your referral strategy and accelerate your organic growth? At Telomere Consulting, we specialize in helping wellness businesses optimize their client acquisition and retention systems. Contact us today to learn how we can customize a referral program that fits your unique business model and goals.
