As competition increases and client expectations continue to rise, the ability to engineer hospitality into daily operations is no longer optional. It is a critical lever for building a culture of excellence that drives both loyalty and growth.

In this Fireside Chat, Matthew will share how hospitality principles from the world’s leading luxury brands can be translated into the fitness industry to create more intentional, consistent, and impactful client experiences. The conversation will explore both the strategic and practical side of hospitality, from frameworks and evaluation systems to simple actions operators can implement immediately. 

Matthew Lavender brings a unique and highly specialized perspective to this conversation, with over two decades of experience in luxury hospitality, service evaluation, and training at the highest level.

Discussion Topics

• The Fit Guide framework: methodology, evaluation process, and key findings across global fitness studios
• What the data reveals: where studios are performing well and the biggest opportunities to elevate service standards
• Core hospitality principles that drive exceptional experiences (genuine interest, anticipatory service, personalisation, first and last impressions)
• Translating hospitality into operations: applying proven frameworks like “Mind the GAP” in a fitness environment
• Practical implementation: simple, high-impact actions operators can take to improve service, consistency, and client connection

Matthew’s background includes:

• Former Director of Evaluations at Forbes Travel Guide, the originators of the five-star rating system
• Experience developing and refining brand standards for global hospitality leaders such as Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Six Senses
• Founder of Enlites, a consultancy focused on service culture transformation, quality assurance, and learning and development
• Co-founder of The Fit Guide, an independent rating system for boutique fitness studios, with over 400 evaluations conducted across eight global cities

As studios grow, many operators find themselves increasingly pulled into day-to-day operations, limiting their ability to focus on higher-value decisions. Organizational design becomes a critical lever at this stage, not just in hiring more people, but in structuring teams, roles, and systems in a way that supports scale, efficiency, and long-term profitability.

In this Fireside Chat, Bill will share practical perspectives on how operators can think about organizational design as a driver of performance and scale. The conversation will explore how to identify gaps in your team, when to invest in talent, and how to structure roles and responsibilities so the business can operate more independently of the founder. Bill Stauffer brings a unique perspective to this conversation, with more than two decades of experience building and scaling teams across high-growth consumer and wellness brands. 

Discussion Topics

• Designing an organization that allows the founder to step out of day-to-day operations
• Identifying gaps, redundancies, and “hidden roles” within your current team
• When and how to invest in experienced talent to support the next stage of growth
• Balancing people and technology to reduce operational load and improve efficiency
• Building a structure that supports execution, accountability, and long-term scalability

Bill’s background includes:

• Former leadership roles across brands such as Equinox, SoulCycle, Juice Generation, and EHE Health
• Experience working with founders, executive teams, boards, and private equity sponsors across growth stages
• COO, Head of Operations, Recruiting, and Training roles focused on building high-performance organizations
• Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Flatiron Search Partners, specializing in executive recruitment and talent strategy