Body Fit Training (BFT) held the global launch of its PODIUM Series last weekend, on Sunday 2 August 2026, across 300+ studios in 10+ countries. The in-studio event series is designed to open up new revenue and improve member retention for franchise owners, with more than half of that global footprint based in Australia.
To find out what PODIUM looks like in practice, we spoke with BFT’s CEO APAC, David Aitchinson, and Jacob Carroll, a BFT franchisee based in Hawthorn, Victoria, about the economics, the operations, and what studio owners should factor in before running their own event.
What Is the BFT PODIUM Series?
PODIUM is BFT’s 14th official training program, but it operates more like an event platform than a standard workout. It takes BFT’s training model and turns it into a structured, competitive, ticketed event that runs inside participating studios, using a standardised format across the entire network.
For franchise owners, BFT positions PODIUM around three commercial levers:
New Revenue Streams for Studio Owners
Studios keep 100% of ticket sales, with additional revenue available through local sponsorship, merchandise and event-day food and beverage.
Lower-Cost Member Acquisition
Non-members can buy tickets and experience a studio directly. BFT positions this as a cheaper and more effective alternative to paid advertising for bringing new people through the door.
A Retention Strategy Built Around Events
A recurring, high-stakes event gives members a clear goal to train toward. BFT links this to stronger attendance and longer-term member loyalty.
BFT PODIUM Series Numbers in Australia
Australia is central to BFT’s global PODIUM rollout. According to David Aitchinson, BFT has 161 studios in Australia, with roughly 35,000 members nationally.
Rather than run a formal pilot, BFT tested the event format internally in the lead-up to launch, with franchise partners and coaching teams trialling the event-day flow. This was followed by an official reveal at the BFT Conference in April, where franchise partners and studio managers ran through a mock event on the spot.
Results from the network’s opening weekend are already substantial. Aitchinson says BFT has recorded approximately $500,000 in revenue across the network so far, combining studio-level ticket sales with sponsorship and merchandise revenue at head office level. On launch day, 35 studios across the network had more than 50 competitors take part, with Wangaratta (82) and Hawthorn (66) leading the country.
A Franchisee Case Study: BFT Hawthorn
Jacob Carroll has been part of the BFT network for six years, starting as a studio manager before opening his own BFT in Ocean Grove from scratch around 2020/21. He later took over BFT Hawthorn, which now sits at roughly 300 members and posted one of the two highest turnouts nationally for the PODIUM launch.
PODIUM Event Pricing and Ticket Sales
Tickets were priced at $118 RRP, with the final few sold for $139 as demand picked up, bringing in 33 pairs, or 66 tickets in total. The biggest cost variable for Jacob wasn’t the ticket price but staffing hours, which scaled depending on ticket numbers and how long the event ran.
Why Event-Based Marketing Works for Member Acquisition
Jacob has previous experience getting members into HYROX, a third-party mass-participation event. Twenty members from his studio competed in the first year, growing to 70 the following year. He sees PODIUM as bringing that same energy in-house, rather than sending members and their spending to an external event.
“It’s a smart way to get people to come and experience what you’re about, versus running paid ads and that kind of campaign. It puts out more brand awareness for BFT.”
Operational Lessons for Studio Owners Running Their First Event
Two decisions made the biggest difference for Hawthorn’s first PODIUM event:
- Schedule it on a non-trading day. Hawthorn’s event ran on a Sunday, kept off the regular weekly timetable so it didn’t disrupt normal classes.
- Use a staggered format. Rather than splitting competitors into two even heats, Jacob suggested a staggered start and finish, to make better use of coaching and staffing hours across the day.
Jacob flagged one change for next time: giving members more advance notice and lead-up communication. He felt the promotion window was tight for this first event, and believes more lead time helps build anticipation and makes members feel valued.
What Studio Owners Should Take Away From PODIUM
A studio the size of Hawthorn broke even on ticket revenue alone in its first event, before accounting for the brand-awareness value of 66 non-member and guest attendees. At network scale, that adds up to half a million dollars in early revenue, most of it flowing directly to studios rather than head office.
For owners considering a similar event, the early lessons from Hawthorn are practical: keep it off your regular timetable, plan staffing around a staggered format rather than a straight heat split, and allow more lead time than expected to build member interest.
With 35 studios recording 50+ competitors on opening weekend, and Wangaratta and Hawthorn setting the pace nationally, PODIUM looks set to become a regular fixture on the Australian fitness calendar. BFT has confirmed further PODIUM events will run as part of the ongoing training program, giving other franchise owners a chance to apply these early lessons to their own studios.
ABOUT BFT:
Body Fit Training (BFT) is a community-based functional strength and conditioning fitness franchise with 320+ studios in 11 countries. Founded in 2017 by fitness industry veteran Cameron Falloon, BFT is renowned for its science-backed programming, expert coaching and inclusive studio culture. Its 14 signature workouts are designed to help members reduce fat, build lean muscle and achieve sustainable fitness progress, with tailored group training experiences that deliver results for all fitness levels. For more information, visit www.bodyfittraining.com.
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